Meet Our NY Teachers

Raquel Vogl

"My interest in ESL teaching began when I was quite young. My grandparents met in an EFL class in Quito, Ecuador and later got married and moved to the United States. I have always loved that my grandparents fell in love in an English class and together achieved their dream of learning English, coming to the United States, and making a family and a home.

"I've always enjoyed studying and learning, whether it's been on my own or in school. In fact, I distinctly remember pondering grammar questions as a child. I am especially interested in writing, reading, and language. I graduated from University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland with a degree in English Literature.

"During this time, I was awarded a year-long scholarship to study at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. I worked as an English tutor for international students and discovered that I really enjoyed teaching English. After I returned, I went on to complete the Teacher's College intensive TESOL program at Columbia University in New York.

"I have played guitar for more than 15 years and I now play and sing in a band called Legends. We have been performing in various venues around New York for the last few years. For me, music and teaching compliment each other; they both require creativity and a strong desire to share something with an audience or a class.

"I have been teaching at Rennert for more than three years. I love my students and the energy and enthusiasm that they bring. One of the most important elements in my classroom is creating a comfortable and fun atmosphere, a place where my students are free to be themselves. Once a student is comfortable, it is easy to begin working on challenging material and have fun with it.

"I love teaching at Rennert because the classes are small enough to get to know each student really well. This allows me to plan the class according to what the students need."