Sara Lappi Email and Phone Number

Experienced ESL teacher/tutor of adults with M.A. degree and CELTA certification. Thorough grounding in grammar, phonetics, second language acquisition, and educational psychology. Until recently, employed part-time in the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Currently transitioning to an "encore career" using my talents in language, writing, editing, teaching, and people skills.Specialties: English grammar, phonetics & phonology, SLA, motivation for learning, educational psychology; foreign languages (fluency in French, background in Latin, German, Spanish). Currently pursuing Library of Congress certification in braille transcription.Socially aware and actively working toward a more equitable society, beginning with my own community. My own religious views insist upon fair and respectful treatment of others, and speaking out when necessary to defend those among us who are most vulnerable.In the current turbulent political environment, in which so many people are troubled with fear and distrust of those different from themselves, I wish to use my training in psychology to work with experts and citizens of varying backgrounds toward unifying communities and protecting equal rights for all.My "encore career" is progressing through self-study. I am currently reading a unique seven-book series on education by Roy Andersen, a British expert on teaching based on the newest research on neuroplasticity -- the ability of the brain to "re-wire" and actually increase in intellectual skill and capacity. I hope to find ways to share these ideas with other educators, with the expectation that both teachers and students would benefit. This methodology stresses educating the whole child, with emphasis on verifying at each stage of instruction how much the student actually understands. Observing these suggestions allows students to "study smarter, not harder," and to enjoy learning knowledge and skills that will prepare them for the realities of a 21st century workplace.