Teacher, Coach, Author
Alexander Campanella
Howdy, I am the man behind the brand. On this page you can read a brief introduction about me and why I made this website.
About Me
That’s me on the left, in 2015. My colleague at a Chinese college drew this for me, thanks professor!
Since 2014 I’ve been living as an ex-pat all over Asia. These recent cultural learnings and experiences have made me a truly global person. I now have friends from every corner of the Earth, and can easily get along with every culture that I know of.
My innermost identity revolves around philosophy and self-realization. At the earliest possible age, my mind was overflowing with questions. The questions never stop, even though many are answered.
I’ve been teaching since 2014; all subjects, all ages. In 2010 I first heard of NLP and started learning and practicing it as a hobby. As of 2020 I got certified as an NLP Master Practitioner, CBT Practitioner, Mindfulness Practitioner and Life Coach practitioner.
My Dharma (Duty/Purpose)
In this information age, it is fortunate that by nonviolent means the world changes, and souls are saved. My dharma is teaching. My first time ever in a classroom as a teacher, I was assigned to the most difficult class in the entire district. Without any training or previous experience, I took charge completely and soon became loved and respected by the whole class. I even got the alpha male of the class, the naughtiest boy, to come up to the front to do an algebra problem. Since that first day, I’ve been addicted to teaching. I’m really good at it, and I love to do it. Helping people learn and grow is deeply fulfilling to me.
My main purpose in making this website is to branch off from teaching mundane academic subjects like math and English, to deeper topics like psychology, philosphy, mindfulness, spirituality, etc. Actually, I’ve been studying and practicing these subjects for most of my life, but I’m now ready to act as a teacher, as well as a lifelong student. Join me on this incredible journey!
Also I love to make videos and podcasts, but it’s difficult to do this all by myself. Please consider making a donation, or if you want to work with me in any capacity, you can contact me.
CV / Résumé
B.A. in Psychology, Business Administration Minor; University of Vermont
TEFL/TESOL Certificate, Ko Samui, Thailand teachabroadthailand.com
120 hour online and practical course, 6/6/2014
TEFL/TESOL Certificate, Online Course teflexpress.co.uk
160 hour premier plus online course, 2/5/2014
English Teacher, Tutor and Consultant, 10/2015 – Present – Chinese Students, Ages 4-14 – VIPKID, Online American School for Children in China
Teach English to Kindergarten and Preschool children who have no previous experience with the English language
Act as a tutor and mentor to older and more advanced students, offering higher level academic knowledge and skills such as reading comprehension, test preparation, and advanced grammar.
Aid students in applying higher level English skills to extracurricular topics of interest like geology, history, culture and physics.
Conduct formal assessments of students’ progress, in collaboration with Chinese lead teachers, one time for each half-unit of six lessons.
Regularly provide feedback on students’ progress to parents, after every 25 minute learning session.
Coordinator and Teacher of English Camps, 06/2014 – Grades K-6 – Teach Abroad Thailand, Ko Samui, Thailand
For one week, I helped design and conduct daily English camps for many children at many different schools, with a small group of teachers from all over the Western world.
Activities included English classes, sport competitions, and art classes
Our full day course was implemented at government schools and temple schools
English Teacher 09/2019 – 09/2020 – Middle School; Grade 8 – Fujian Quanzhou Foreign Language Middle School, Quanzhou, Fujian, China
Foreigner teacher in charge of oral English education for all enrolled students in grade 8.
Head English Teacher 09/2018 – 09/2019 – Early Childhood Education; Ages 3-7 – Tongxin Private Kindergarten, Jianyang, Nanping, China
- Sole foreigner teacher in charge of English education for all enrolled students
- Working with faculty to plan extracurricular activities, such as public performances, for students and parents outside of normal working hours, especially on major Chinese holidays.
Elementary English Teacher, 06/2014 – 09/2014 – Grades K, 2, 4, and 6 – Thetsabanthatum Primary School, Surin, Thailand
Lead English teacher for one half of the students in the largest government school in Surin city, Thailand
Design and implement new ESL curriculum, in collaboration with the director of the English department
Cultural exchange; I was one of only two native English speakers working in the school. I taught students and faculty about American culture, and I learned about Thai professional standards, language and culture, and how to use these alongside my own to excel in this environment.
English Professor, 06/2018 – 09/2018 – International adult students, ages 18+ – Approach International USA, Boston, MA, USA
- Head teacher for ESL classes focusing on writing, grammar and integrated skills
- Responsible for developing homework assignments and quizzes, and grading the students’ work and participation
- Leader of field trips around downtown Boston to give the students a chance to practice their English in real world situations
Adjunct English Professor, 02/2015 – 02/2016 – 1st and 2nd Year University Students in China and Full-time Professors interested in English and American Culture Chengdu Aeronautic Polytechnic College and Sichuan Vocational College of Cultural Industries
Teach elective English classes to enrolled students, as well as full-time professors
Curriculum design; For all classes I had to design and implement the curriculum, with additional support from the Director of the English Department.
Cultural exchange; I was one of only two native English speakers working in the colleges. I taught students and faculty about American culture, and I learned about Chinese professional standards, language and culture, and how to use these alongside my own to excel in this environment.
Co-leader of weekly English club and language exchange
Adjunct English Professor and Teacher —– 09/2014 – 02/2015
University Students, All Grade Levels and Ages
Grades 1-6, Primary Schools and EBOOST private school
Hanoi University of Agriculture, Hanoi, Vietnam
Lead teacher for primary school English classes, grade levels 1-6.
Collaborated with Vietnamese faculty to implement the curriculum assigned to us by the local government
English professor for elective and required classes, teaching adults of all ages.
Lead teacher for elementary school aged students in English language private learning center
Cultural exchange; I was one of only three native English speakers working in the schools. I taught students and faculty about American culture, and I learned about Vietnamese professional standards, language and culture, and how to use these alongside my own to excel in this environment.
Teacher Interviewer and Practicum Evaluator —– 09/2016-10/2016
Prospective North American Adult Teachers
VIPKID, Online American School for Children in China
Interview conductor for applicants interested in teaching for VIPKID, applicants must be from USA or Canada, and have all the requisite qualifications to be considered.
Practicum Evaluator; After each interview and mock class (practicum) I would formally assess the teacher’s ability to meet learning objectives, and provide them with feedback, constructive criticism and pass on my evaluation to the director of the practicum department.
Lead Actor, Narrator, Translator and Consultant for the film,
“A Culture, A Pursuit; Sichuan Vocational College of Cultural Industries”
In the film, I guide the viewer through my personal experience, traveling to China and arriving to work with this unique college that specializes in preserving traditional Chinese culture. This film was an essential product to expand the operations and funding of the college, and gain support of the international community. See link below.
Volunteer, 6/2010 – 8/2010, Boys only, ages 13-20
East House, McLean Psychiatric Hospital, Belmont, MA
Led social and physical activities for resident boys between the ages of 13-20 with psychological and/or behavioral issues
Summer 2010, MetroWest Medical Clinic
A free medical clinic offered in several locations near my hometown. I offered
assistance with data entry, filing, and as a physician
Behavioral Coder, Research Assistant, 5/2010 – 1/2011, Grades 1-5
Hoza Laboratory, University of Vermont
This double-blind psychological research study focused on children in elementary school with ADHD
Behavioral Coding; my job was to observe behaviors of children, and mark down those behaviors according to the classifications designated by the leaders of the study
Teamwork; this study involved so many variables that the professors and graduate students counted on research assistant to offer ways of improving data collection and observation. I worked with all the other research assistants to optimize our ability to conduct the research.