Meet Our NY Teachers

Shannon McCardle-Bracy

Shannon McCardle-Bracy, has been teaching at Rennert Bilingual for seven years. During that time, she has taught beginning, intermediate and advanced students. Because of her vast experience and open-minded nature, she is always willing to take on a new class or a new challenge.

Shannon grew up in the southern U.S. state of Georgia. After earning a BA in English and Spanish from the University of Georgia, she began teaching Spanish in a local high school. Shannon discovered that she had a passion for teaching. When she moved to New York, she began teaching English as a Second Language at Rennert. What she likes about Rennert is that it provides teachers with the right balance of structure and freedom.

When not at Rennert, Shannon can be found on-stage, performing original songs with her band, The Mendoza Line. Shannon joined the band in 1998, bringing to it her love for and knowledge of American folk and country music. As lead singer for The Mendoza Line, Shannon takes breaks from teaching to tour and perform throughout the U.S. and U.K. The breaks, she says, keep her excited about teaching. "I am enthusiastic and energetic whenever I come back to the classroom."

Students certainly seem to appreciate her energy. Her friendly approach helps her students relax and feel comfortable conversing. "I think it's important to have a sense of humor in the classroom," says Shannon. This attitude is evident by the smiling faces of her students. On any given day, her students will be found engaged in group work, or talking in pairs. Shannon embraces a communicative approach to language learning, believing that the most important thing is "to let the students talk as much as possible."