“Rachel holds herself to higher standards than any teacher I have worked with. I have seen her channel that drive not only to students, but to colleagues as a Director of Studies and Teacher Trainer, and well beyond the classroom – her blog is a testament to her indefatigable efforts to support learning and teaching!”
Bethany Aull, EFL teacher
“Rachel completed our online Delta Module One course, and it was clear from the outset that she would get a high grade. Her attitude to completing the course was disciplined and intelligent, and she showed high commitment throughout. It was soon clear that she was able to understand and apply the course content without problems, the tasks submitted during the course were of a high standard, and her Distinction grade in the exam came as no surprise. One of the features on our Module One course is a short “Daily Article” chosen each day from different websites to consolidate what candidates have been studying, and to help them prepare for the exam and improve their practical teaching. I’m pleased to say that posts from Rachel’s blog The TEFL Zone now figure frequently amongst these recommended articles.”
Sue Swift, Delta Course Director at Business Talk, Milan
“Rachel is a hugely talented, highly skilled and caring ELT professional. I’ve enjoyed working with Rachel on a full range of projects where her in depth knowledge and expertise of English language teaching and learning have proven invaluable. She is both an expert in her field and a deeply respected colleague.”
Penny Mosavian, Director of Studies/Teaching Fellow University of Warwick
“As one of the initiators of our international Flipgrid group, Rachel has managed the collaboration professionally. Her ideas and activities engaged the learners from different parts of the world, which is quite a feat. Given the diversity of the group, Rachel’s people’s skills helped establish congenial rapport with the co-pilots. I never felt distanced or unheard. Most importantly, Rachel possesses three of the core characteristics I look for in a teacher: respect, empathy and authenticity. I shall look forward to opportunities to collaborate with her in the future.”
Girish Mulani, Co-founder of UnboxEng, Thailand / Freelance Consultant at British Council
“Rachel is a joy to work with. She takes initiative and follows it through. The quality of education of her students is her primary motivation and she works above and beyond what the job requires. As a professional, Rachel is easy to work with and excellent at communicating. A top educator all the way!”
Vlad Ilin, Head of Digital Learning at National Schools of Physics & Math, Kazakhstan
“I met Rachel online through Twitter, Freeed, Facebook groups and of course her blog, The TEFL Zone. I don’t think one has to have done the DELTA to be a consummate reflective professional, but it amazed me to learn she had only completed it relatively recently – the quality of her posts, the range of her ideas and the sense of breadth of experience is hugely impressive. She’d be a brilliant colleague to have face-to-face; she certainly is so online. Also, I can’t not mention the fact that she introduced me to my current obsession, Jamboard, and I’ve been annoying my students by overusing it ever since 🙂”
Neil Anderson, Senior Trainer at IH Budapest, co-author of Activities for Task-Based Learning (2019, DELTA/Klett) , co-author of Fluency First ELT
“I met Rachel in May 2020, when I was looking for « digital penpals » for my students. Rachel was the founder of a Flipgrid Team to which she had invited about a dozen of fellow educators from around the world. I was lucky to become a part of that team, having very little experience with the app and with those sorts of digital exchanges. One of my problems was with technology and I was really embarrassed to be repeatedly asking for help from the most available person there was in the team : Rachel ! I simply could not have managed on my own and there she always was, sometimes showing concern and apologizing for not having replied on the same day that I had asked for help. However, helping with technology issues was not her only quality in that instance : she kept the « grid » alive by creating new topics in which she videoed herself always smiling, kind and supportive towards the students as well as enthusiastic about our project. I think Rachel possesses strong teaching qualities. I also think she might have the necessary skills to be a project leader as she also managed to urge us all, although gently, to post new topics and respond to the students. In short, I think Rachel is a multi-talented professional and I am grateful for meeting her in my first steps as a Flipgrid educator.”
Catherine Daems, English teacher in Athénée Royal Jean Absil, Brussels.
“The TEFL Zone has opened the door to a variety of lesson ideas and activities for me. It was Rachel Tsateri’s post on sites with lesson resources that first brought me here. I’m so grateful for that, because not only was I introduced to a wonderful person, but also our 1:1 training sessions helped me base my online teaching on solid pedagogical principles.”
Vicky Margari, Business English Trainer in Italy.
“Rachel Tsateri’s blog, The TEFL Zone, is a good place to find teaching tips and advice on a number of different topics, from pronunciation to using breakout rooms. Rachel’s posts are clear, concise and practical—the sort of blog even the busiest teacher will find time to come back to!”
Ethan Mansur, ELT Materials Writer and Teacher in Madrid.
“Rachel’s blog and Facebook page are a great resource for new and experienced teachers alike. There are plenty of practical ideas, backed up with sound knowledge of the theory behind English language teaching.”
Teresa Bestwick, teacher trainer on the Trinity CertTESOL and DipTESOL courses at Active Language, Cadiz.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, I worked with Rachel on a project on Flipgrid. I highly appreciate her passion for English teaching. Additionally, she always shared helpful resources and tips on incorporating ICT into teaching English. She is a devoted educator.”
Sunny Nguyen, English lecturer at Ba Ria Vung Tau College of Education, Vietnam
“I met Rachel when both of us were at the beginning of our teaching careers. Not only did we get along really well, she’d been a massive source of support and encouragement from the very start – I couldn’t have asked for a better colleague in those challenging times! Having followed her professional journey ever since, I’ve only seen her put her heart and soul into teaching with great dedication and open-mindedness. If anyone asked me to direct them to a conscientious teacher who really cared, I would tell them to look no further!”
Peter Starmüller, Geography Teacher at Highland Council, Scotland
“I have had the pleasure of working with Rachel and she embodies what it means to be a conscientious educator. I have found that Rachel is an organised, diligent and empathetic professional. Her dedication to her role is apparent, after observing her teaching practice, the level of commitment she puts into her work is clear and the positive feedback that she receives is absolutely deserved.”
Thomas Steer, English teacher, Ministry of Education, United Arab Emirates.
“I met Rachel while doing one of the Flipgrid international projects. Actually, Rachel was the one to reach out to me and suggested collaboration which I happily accepted. We were co-pilots along with a few more teachers from all around the world. Both teachers and students enjoyed the assignments. I really loved doing this and thanks to Rachel who was nothing but supportive and dedicated!”
Anđela Jankovic, ESL teacher and freelance translator, Bosnia and Herzegovina
“Soon after starting my Cambridge DELTA Module 3 assignment, I put a message on a Facebook DELTA support group asking if there was anyone who could assist me with planning my assignment. Rachel almost immediately replied by saying that she wanted to offer her assistance. Over the next four months, Rachel gave regular and highly informative feedback on my assignment, without which I would not have gotten the Pass grade that I am currently so proud of. Rachel was very professional throughout and I would recommend her to anyone looking for a highly capable educator and academic.”
Rhys Morgan, Head of English at Al Madam Secondary School, Sharjah, the UAE
The TEFL Zone 