“A Journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step” – Lao Tzu
Travelling and teaching is not only kind to your bank balance, but also opens your mind up to new experiences! Don’t take our word for it – have a look at the testimonials from some of our teachers!
OUR TEACHERS
Check out some pictures from some of our current teachers
Ms. Alison
Ms. Alison is from the United States. She grew up in Florida and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Theatre from Florida State University. She spent most of the past decade working as a musical theatre performer in the USA and Hong Kong. She studied for her CELTA certificate at ILA Vietnam. In her free time, she enjoys singing, yoga, hiking, and travel.
Ms. Caitlin
Ms. Caitlin is from California in the United States. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. After graduating, Ms. Caitlin worked at Walt Disney World in Florida and for a small business in California near San Francisco. Ms. Caitlin decided she was ready for a new challenge and she obtained her TESOL certificate in 2017. Ms. Caitlin has always enjoyed working with children and is excited to be teaching the wonderful students here at Monkey Tree in Hong Kong. When she is not working, Ms. Caitlin enjoys travelling, making new friends, reading, seeing plays and musicals, and making arts and crafts projects.
Mr. Ben
Mr. Ben studied an Incorporated Masters in Politics at the University of Glasgow. Whilst studying he worked for a British charity as a youth worker where he honed his skills in leadership and the creation of educational resources. In 2012, Mr. Ben founded the international non-profit organisation From Yesterday For Tomorrow (YFYFT). From 2015 – 2016, Mr. Ben was also Director of Education for a Hong Kong based non-profit organization. Since 2012, he has worked with over 10,000 students, educating them against the dangers of prejudice. In his spare time, Mr. Ben also loves keeping fit and watching scary movies!BLOG
Discover, Teach and Inspire
See what it’s like to be an ESL Teacher in Asia or get inspired for your upcoming adventure and see which excursions are worth your time, check out our blogs HERE!
It is a story you will hear many times: ‘I will go to Hong Kong for one year to teach English,’ and then before you know it you have been here for nearly 5 years and you are still not ready to leave! Hong Kong has been a fantastic place to live and work. Every day presents a new opportunity and being a 24-hour, 7-day per week city, there is always something to do. Meeting new people has not been a problem and finding your home country’s comforts is possible. The level of English amongst children varies dramatically. Currently teaching 10-months old to 3 years-old has allowed me to explore my teaching methodology and gain a lot of valuable experience and advice from my colleagues. Days are filled with fun activities and a lot of flexibility is given to ensure that your students enjoy your class!
Amelia
Grace Garden International Kindergarten and Nursery, Hong Kong
Working overseas had always been a dream for me, it started when I saw the potential as a teacher to work and explore the world around me. It has been the ultimate growing experience as a person and as an educator and have learnt so much about myself. I worked in a learning center that taught English to students between the age of 2 and 13 years old, it has been wonderful to be a part of a team of people with a common goal. Hong Kong has been a great city to live in, although the busyness of it all can get a bit much, but there is always something happening, or somewhere to go. Leaving the comfort of home was difficult, but in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel: ‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.’ All I can say is that it’s been an adventure of a lifetime and has given me memories that I will cherish forever.
Gus
Monkey Tree English Learning Center, Hong Kong
My name is Megan Southwood and I am from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. My husband and I decided to take the step and teach and live abroad. It was the best decision we made and it has been such a great adventure. We decided to teach in Hong Kong and it has been amazing. There is always something happening in Hong Kong and so much to do from busy shopping, great nightlife and beautiful beaches and hikes. I worked as a kindergarten teacher for students aged 2-3 years and found the children in Hong Kong to be incredibly smart and so well disciplined. I loved getting to know each one of their little personalities. I will always recommend teaching English in Hong Kong to everyone that is leaning towards it!
Megan
Grace Garden International Kindergarten and Nursery, Hong Kong
After living in Hangzhou, China and working for Monkey Tree for over a year and a half I have come to appreciate many things about the experience. Hangzhou is big in population but it has a really relaxed and laid back feel to it. Trying new foods is one of my main reasons to travel and I love the local Chinese food as well as the other asian restaurants in the city. Being a teacher back in Canada, it has been an awesome opportunity to teach the Chinese kids. The young kids, around 3 to 12, bring great energy and it is awesome to see kids going from not being able to say their names in English to reading. A great experience and no plans on leaving so far!
David
Monkey Tree English Learning Center, Hangzhou, China