Teacher, Musician, Father

When I was a child, my parents encouraged me to explore a wide variety of interests.  As an adult, I continue to explore these interests and discover new talents, as well.  Therefore, when asked to give a self-introduction, I sometimes don’t know exactly where to start.  There are many sides to me that I could talk about, and many stories I could tell.  However, since I have to explain just the most important parts of who I am, I'll focus on three that immediately stand out – my profession as an English teacher, my hobby as a musician, and my role in the family as a father.

Me with a group of my Brazilian
students (Summer 2014)

As you all well know, I am an English instructor.  In fact, I've been teaching English now for more than 15 years, and during that time I've taught students at middle schools, high schools, and universities, and private institutes in four different countries: Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, and the US.  I love my job because teaching ESL allows me to interact with people from many cultures and to express my creativity.  Because I have lived in many different cultures, the idea of staying only in one place for a long time seems a bit boring.  I know some people like it, but for me, sitting behind a desk and working in an office sounds like a prison.  I can’t travel as much as I did in my younger years, but as an ESL teacher, I can at least get a taste of the international experience through my students.

Gerund and The Infinitives,
performing in Lansing. (Do you
recognize any other ELC teachers?)

While I love my job, I am not someone who can be defined by his career alone.  There is much more to me than just “Austin, the teacher.”  I also have a passion for music.  I've been actively involved with music since I was five years old, when I first began taking piano lessons and singing.  Now, I play many other instruments, too, including the guitar, bass, mandolin, and harmonica.  A few years ago, when I lived in Korea, I played in a band called The Odds Against.  We performed regularly in bars and clubs in Seoul.  If you're interested, feel free to check out The Odds Against website.  (The band has broken up, but our webpage is still on the internet.) These days, I play in a band with five other ELC English instructors.  Since we’re all English teachers, our band’s name is Gerund and the Infinitives.  Feel free to view our Facebook page and "LIKE" us!

Finley (3), me, Victoria,
and Anara (1).

My career and my music have been a part of my life for many years.  Fatherhood, however, is a relatively new role that I have undertaken, but this role has become extremely important to me.  I have been happily married for 13 years, but it wasn't until 2011 that my wife Victoria and I had our first child.  My son, Finley, and my daughter, Anara, have become the center of my life in a way that teaching and music never have. I love being a father and watching Finley learn and grow. Children are truly miracles.

Perhaps I am not the best teacher in the world, but my students usually say my classes are interesting and very helpful.  Likewise, I may not be the most talented musician in the world, but I’m not bad.  I only hope that I can become as good of a father as I am a teacher and musician.