I'm Back! Why I Disappeared and How Neuroscience Will Revolutionize Your English Classes

Hey, you! Teacher Jo here, and yes, I know: it's been a while! I've been asked, "Teacher, where have you been?" and today I'm here to answer, announce my return, and tell you about the incredible transformation that happened behind the scenes.

The truth is, I needed a break. I was feeling creatively burned out, stuck in a "class-after-class" rut, following the same old methods. And that's not me. My passion is to innovate, to do things differently, to find the smartest and most effective way to teach. To do that, I had to stop everything and become a student again.

I decided to dive deep into the pillars that form the foundation of my method: the science behind learning.

Neuroscience and Technology in Education

My goal wasn't just to specialize, but to evolve. That's why my academic journey was intense and focused on three areas that complement each other to create an unprecedented learning experience:

1. Educational Technologies (EdTech): My journey into Educational Technologies had me delve into the "why" and "how" learning can be more effective, fair, and engaging. EdTech, in its essence, isn't about collecting apps, but about understanding and using technology as a bridge. It is the science of using digital tools to remove barriers: barriers to accessing knowledge, barriers to engagement in a world full of distractions, and, most importantly, the barriers that prevent teaching from being truly personal. I went to study this to understand how to orchestrate these resources, so that every video, every exercise, and every interaction is not just content thrown on a screen, but part of a deliberate strategy designed for you, my student, to learn more deeply and in less time. It's about using technology to give me more time for what truly matters: focusing on you.

2. Neuroscience of Education: My postgraduate studies in this field have shown me that I've always viewed teaching through the lens of the brain, but now I have the theoretical foundation to back it up. How does memory really work? What is the role of emotion in retaining vocabulary? Neuroscience gives us scientific answers. Concepts like spaced repetition (reviewing content at increasing intervals to strengthen neural connections) and active learning (having students solve problems instead of just receiving information) cease to be mere "techniques" and become strategies with a biological basis. Teaching English is about dialoging directly with the way your brain is designed to learn.

3. The Elite Credentials: TESOL and Cambridge C2 To unite science with practice, I pursued the best certifications. TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), which I completed at Arizona State University, gave me the most modern tools for language teaching. And to certify my own proficiency, I earned the C2 Proficiency from Cambridge, the most difficult and prestigious English certificate in the world.

A Journey of Discovery

This period of deep study was also a journey of self-discovery. The relentless search for answers and a passion for intellectual challenges led me down new paths, including joining Mensa, the world's most famous high-IQ society. This connection with brilliant minds from various fields has reinforced my belief that learning is a continuous and multifaceted process.

What to Expect in This New Phase?

I'm back, with an arsenal of ideas and an immense desire to create the smartest and most fun English content you've ever seen. The videos will be shorter, but each one will have a solid foundation in science and technology, designed to optimize your time and accelerate your fluency.

Enough with outdated methods. We're going to use the best that science and innovation have to offer. I'm incredibly excited to share it all with you.

The journey is just beginning again!

Sources:

On the Neuroscience of Education: "The Future of Education: How Neuro-Education Will Inform and Transform the Science of Learning" - an article from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. https://education.jhu.edu/2021/02/the-future-of-education/

On Educational Technologies (EdTech): "How Technology is Shaping the Future of Education" - an article from the World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/technology-shaping-future-education/ and The Education Technology Hub https://edtechhub.org/

On Mensa: The official website of Mensa International. https://www.mensa.org/

On Certifications: Cambridge Assessment English and TESOL International Association.