OUR TEAM & STORY
we love what we do
We started TEFL Hero in 2020 in order to provide a modern teaching foundation for anyone looking to start their career as an English teacher.
As current and former ESL teachers, we know how hard it can be to put together lessons that are both valuable and entertaining to students, especially if you’re just starting out with little to no experience.
With more than 30 years of combined experience in classrooms around the world (and online), the courses, resources, and information found on TEFL Hero are representative of what’s personally worked in our own classrooms.
Among our team, we have taught in international schools, bilingual schools, public schools, kindergartens, training centers, and even for online teaching establishments. We do our best to reflect all of our insight in each of these types of learning institutions in this course. We believe this is what distinguishes the personalized content of TEFL Hero among other commercial TEFL courses in the market today.
We really hope you enjoy it!
Meet Our Team
Kristine Thorndyke
Co-Founder & Head Tutor
After graduating Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, Kristine left the midwest and moved across the world to China. She has taught English for 7 years - working her way up from public schools to recognized international schools in the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, China.
Quincy Smith
Co-Founder
After graduating from College of Charleston, Quincy began a career in sales. Hearing adventure calling, he made the big leap to teach ESL in Seoul, South Korea. He has over 4 years of teaching experience in Seoul and Guangzhou, China. He specializes in young learners and has a game for nearly any grammar point!
Ryan Krebiehl
Tutor & Course Consultant
With an M.Ed. from Moreland University, Ryan has accumulated over 8 years of teaching across South Korea and China in prestigious international schools.
Ben Bartee
Writer
Ben is an American journalist, grant writer, researcher, and travel blogger. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science from Valdosta State University.
