Maybe you want to learn a bit about some of the terrific teachers we have here at GV Byron Bay. This week we spoke to Louisa who is currently teaching pre-intermediate and Intermediate classes.
Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been in Byron Bay and where else have you lived and worked?
I have travelled a lot and worked and lived in a few different places around the world. I lived in Peru for 6 months and Colombia for two years. I have also lived in India. I have been back in Byron Bay and teaching at GV Byron Bay for about five months. I previously studied at the Southern Cross University at Lismore (the closest Uni to Byron Bay) and I obtained my Bachelor Degree in Music.
Do you have any special talents or interests (besides teaching ESL of course)?
I love music. I’ve been singing and writing music and playing guitar for years. I love incorporating music into my English lessons – the students respond well to music. I have played my guitar and sung a few of my songs at GV Byron Bay barbeques and that has been fun!
Which class are you teaching at the moment?
I teach intermediate and pre-intermediate. My students are really motivated and enthusiastic – it’s been a great experience and I am enjoying teaching so much.
Can you tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress…?
Anna, a Spanish student. She is just so enthusiastic and interested in learning not only English but about Australian culture. She always participates, studies hard and completes homework. She has a positive influence on the rest of the students.
What do you enjoy about teaching at GV Byron Bay?
I love the facilities. I have taught in other schools where the classrooms are a bit depressing. At GV Byron Bay we have big beautiful classrooms with big windows. Also it is the overall positive teaching environment. The teachers at GV all take their jobs very seriously and there is a lot of support and exchange of ideas between teachers.
If you weren’t a teacher what job would you like to be doing now?
That’s easy – I’d like to be touring the world playing my music in big venues… in other words I’d be a rockstar!
What do you like most about living in the Byron Bay area?
There are a lot of things I love about Byron Bay. The spectacular scenery and natural beauty, the live music culture, the fact that it is a meeting place for people from all over the world, the huge amount of things there are to do here….surfing, dancing, camping, bushwalking….I could go on and on!
What is your favourite shop or Restaurant in Byron Bay?
The Chameleon Cafe – all the meals are handmade and the produce locally grown. It’s not expensive and they have great pizzas and steaks. I also love “O-Sushi” – it was voted the best sushi train restaurant in New South Wales recently.
