Meet Our NY Teachers

Juhi Baig

"I grew up bilingual, speaking English and Urdu, and I studied Spanish for eight years, so I really understand a lot of what my students experience in terms of language acquisition and communication. I've always been fascinated by the fact that certain words and phrases are very difficult, if not impossible, to translate from one language to another without losing the intrinsic beauty of the grammar, and the weight of the words.

"In the classroom, students often give up on trying to find just the right word or to express exactly what they mean. I like the challenge of trying to help them add nuance to their vocabulary, going beyond the utilitarian and "upgrading" their English, which in turn allows them to communicate without compromising the integrity of their thoughts and ideas.

"Writing has always been a big part of my life-- poetry and fiction, especially. It's really given me a deep appreciation for the power that words have. I was often teased for using 'SAT words' when I was younger, but I just really loved that there was such a wealth of words available to express very specific sentiments, actions, concepts, colors- nearly everything. Vocabulary really excited me!

"I enjoy teaching ESL because no two days are the same. I laugh every day, I'm always being challenged, and I am able to facilitate not only learning and creativity in my students, but also to foster curiosity and build confidence. Not to mention, I have the privilege of taking part in an international roundtable on a regular basis.

"In my class, students wear many hats: artist, writer, actor, director, critic, teammate, designer, interviewer, and even teacher. I really try to incorporate a variety of methods for expression in order to keep the class unpredictable, exciting, and challenging for them. I can be a demanding teacher, but I find that my students are always surprising themselves (and me) with what they learn and accomplish.

"We often joke that I need a theater at Rennert for our dramatic productions. Drama is definitely an integral part of my class, and an essential teaching tool for me. It allows students to really step outside of themselves in a safe environment and practice all the elements of language - vocabulary, pronunciation, stress, phrasing-- in a fun, integrated way.

"I rarely, if ever, allow scripts; instead I use a combination of structural premise and improvisation, which forces them to focus on using English naturally. I find that using drama really takes the focus off of scrutinizing individual mistakes, which can be stressful and limiting. Pairs and groups get to plan and perform together to a common end, which results in a great sense of camraderie among classmates. Moreover, I have seen some of the most shy, and reserved individuals blossom as a result of these skits.

"One memorable scene was between the character of a pickle and a lone french fry, left over on a plate. The object was to incorporate, in a natural way, a number of idioms we had been studying that day. What could have been a purely silly situation actually turned out to be a convincing dialogue about the benefits of solitary life versus a social one.

"For assessment, something I have recently incorporated is the use of instant feedback forms. When students do their weekly presentations, alone or with partners, I note all of their individual errors (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, etc.) on slips of paper. At the end of the class, I give these slips to the respective students and they have instant, individual feedback on the mistakes they made.

"For homework, they try to correct the noted errors; the next day we meet individually for a few minutes in order to go over anything they have further questions about. If I see the same errors repeated by multiple students, I'll often expand the point into a lesson later that week, or the next. Instant feedback is my way of giving students "the private treatment" in the context of a group class.

"I studied at The School of Visual Arts here in New York City, earning my BFA in Photography. I went on to get my CELTA certification and teach both Art and ESL in Washington, DC and New York. My past teaching experiences have included everything from assignments for the U.S. Department of State, and the Brazilian Aeronautical Institute, to one-on-one ESL work with MFA candidates, visual artists, and design professionals."