About us
We started TEFL Hero in 2020 to give anyone looking to teach English a genuinely useful foundation – not a checkbox certification, but training that actually reflects what works in a real classroom.
Our team are current and former teachers with more than 30 years of combined experience across international schools, bilingual schools, public schools, kindergartens, training centers, and online platforms. The courses we’ve built – and the resources we publish – draw directly from that experience.
Our 120-hour and 180-hour TEFL courses are fully online, self-paced, and accredited by ACCREDITAT. They’re rated 9.6+ stars by students who’ve gone on to teach in dozens of countries and on platforms worldwide.
What sets TEFL Hero apart isn’t the certificate – it’s that the curriculum comes from people who’ve stood in front of those classrooms themselves.
Meet the team
Current and former ESL teachers with thousands of hours in classrooms across Asia and beyond. We built TEFL Hero because we wished it had existed when we were starting out.
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.
Johnny
Johnny keeps the team motivated, focused, and on schedule – mainly by demanding walks at the worst possible times and staring at us until we take a break. Morale has never been higher.