The Very Best Teachers Is Our Policy And Our Practice

Our students can expect teachers who are both professional and experienced. All our ESL instructors are native speakers of English. Our minimum requirement for teachers is 2-3 years teaching experience and a relevant baccalaureate degree. However, the average number of years of teaching experience is much higher and all of our faculty and staff have advanced degrees and/or an ESL certificate.

Adding to our qualifications, teachers and staff regularly participate in AEI’s professional development program. By having continuing education as a requirement, we aim to keep both staff and instructors abreast of the latest research and practices relevant to their field.

Within the framework of AEI's curriculum and standards, instructors have liberty to supplement materials and creatively develop lesson plans. They are encouraged to master their discipline and to rise above all materials and technologies in ways that best suit their particular teaching style, courses, and students.

Robin Anyanwu

Education

• M.A. Applied Linguistics Georgia State University
• B.A. Communications and Theatre University of Illinois at Chicago

Previous Professional Experience
23 years professional experience

• Georgia Perimeter College-Atlanta, GA
  
• Atlanta Technical College; Atlanta, GA
  
• Gwinnett Technical College; Lawrenceville, GA

Publications

• On-line publication in the OAL Connection, Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

Gregg E. Blade

Education

• B.A. University of South Florida: English

Previous Professional Experience
20 years professional experience

• Taught English Skills to working professionals;
  Milan, Italy (2 years)
  
• Tutored General Electric Executives

Certification/Presentations

• TESL Certificate
  
• Presentation: “Using Poetry to Help ESL Learners” (April 2006).

Derek Ford

Education

• B.A. English – Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA
• TEFL Certification

Previous Professional Experience
4 years professional experience

• Kaplan International Colleges, SanFrancisco, CA – TEFL Educator
• Longman Schools, Shanghai, China – TEFL Educator

Professional Liscenses

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

Gary Kolar

Education

• M.A. University of Michigan, Romance Linguistics: French, TESOL
  
• B.A. Wayne State University: English and French

Previous Professional Experience
30 years professional experience

• Shelby State Community College; Memphis, TN
  
• Initiated ESL Program and taught ESL all levels at South GA College; Douglas, GA
  
• Test Preparation GMAT/LSAT/SAT instructor

Certification/Professional Development

• GA Teaching Certificate ESL
  
• Member CEA, TESOL/MLA/ National Fulbright Commission

Timothy MacDonnell

Education

• M.A. Higher Music Education, New York University
  
• B.A. Fine Arts/Music, Fordham University

Previous Professional Experience
5 years teaching experience

• Georgia Perimeter College; Atlanta, GA
  
• Sylvan Learning Center; New Orleans and Atlanta

Professional Development

• ABC Conference for professional development, New Orleans (2007)
  
• Staff Development Workshops, Orleans Public Schools

Barbara J. Roberts

Education

• M.S. Counseling/Psychology, Georgia State University, GA
  
• B.A. Spanish/English, St Peter’s College

Previous Professional Experience
34 years professional experience

• Archdiocese of Atlanta Amnesty International
  
• Program Coordinator and Instructor, 1988-1991
  
• TOEFL Instructor-Denville College
  
• Parsippany Board of Education Curriculum
  
• Developer and Instructor for multilevel ESL, 1979-1987

Certifications

• ESL Teacher Certification, 1975
  
• National Board of Counseling Certification, 1991

Ray Sweatman

Education

• M.A. Fine Arts; Columbia University, New York
  
• B.A. Journalism, University of Georgia

Previous Professional Experience
22 years teaching experience

• ESL instructor in Los Angeles (1988)
  
• Taught ESL nationally and internationally to all levels

Certificates/Other Professional Experience

• TESOL
  
• Student Counselor and Curriculum Writer

 

Ralph Tanner

Education

• M.A. Applied Linguistics University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
• B.A. Biblical Studies Atlanta Christian College, East point, GA

Previous Professional Experience

• Adjunct ESL Professor, Savannah College of Art and Design; Savannah, GA
• Adjunct ESL Professor, Interactive College of Technology; Chamblee, GA
• ESL instructor, Universidad Latina, Laureate International Universities; San Jose, Costa Rica
• Spanish Teacher, Newton H.S.; Covington, GA
• English Teacher, Ingles Empresarial, S.A.; San Jose, Costa Rica

Certifications

• Georgia State Certification: Praxis I and II (Spanish/ESOL) (June 2006)
• TEFL Certificate – International TEFL Teacher Training Centre, London, England, U.K., (January 2005)

Michelle S. Wagner

Education

• M.A. Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
• M.A. Special Education, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
• B.A.  French, Morehead State University, KY
• Spanish and French Language studies, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; Universite Laval,   Quebec City, Canada; Universite Catholique de l’ Ouest, Angers, France; University of Wisconsin-  Madison

Previous Professional Experience
Teaching/Instructing since 1968

• ESL Teacher, Cobb County School District, Marietta, GA
• ESL adjunct instructor, Gateway Technical College; Racine, Wisconsin
• Special Education Teacher; ESl Teacher; Spanish Teacher;  Racine Unified School District,
• Racine, Wisconsin
• Special Education Teacher, Racine Co. Board of Handicapped Children, Union Grove, Wisconsin
• French, Latin and English Teacher, Fond du Lac Public Schools; Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
• French Teacher, LaCrosse Public Schools; LaCrosse, Wisconsin

Professional Certifications

• ESL Certification University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, 1992

Joel Basarich, Ph.D

Education

• Ph.D,  Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
• D.E.A. (first year of French Doctorate, Universite de Tours, France
• M.A. With Distinction, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
• B.A. With High Honors, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
• TESOL, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Previous Professional Experience
Teaching:

• Teaching Assistant – Rutgers University
• Lecteur – Universite de Tours

Professional

• Vice President, International Operations – LL Global, Atlanta, GA
• Vice President and Managing Director, LOMA, Atlanta, GA
• Director, International Division, LOMA, Atlanta, GA
• Director, Education Division, LOMA, Atlanta, GA

Professional Certifications/Accomplishments

• TESOL
• Fellow, Life Management Institute
• Fluent in French

Melissa F. Burnstein

Education

• M.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology – University of New Haven, New Haven, CT
• Instructional II Teaching Certification – Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA
• B.A. Psychology and Spanish – Albright College, Reading, PA

Previous Professional Experience
14 years professional experience

• CARTUS, Danbury, CT – Language Instructor
• Interactive College of Technology, Chamblee, GA – ESL Instructor
• Latin American Association, Atlanta, GA – ESL Instructor Reading School District, PA – ESL Instructor, Department Head

Gerald Landers

Education

• M.A. Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language – Georgia State University
• B.A. Spanish – Georgia State University

Previous Professional Experience
23 years professional experience

• University of South Alabama - ESL Instructor
• Gwinnett County Public Schools – ESOL teacher
• Auburn University - ESL Instructor II
• Dekalb Technical College, Atlanta GA – ESL Instructor II

Professional Affiliations

• TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)

Maggie Jackson, Ph.D

Education

• Ph.D Instructional Leadership – Georgia State University
• M.A. Adult Education – Central Michigan University, Atlanta, GA
• B.A. Psychology – Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL

Previous Professional Experience
More than 10 years of teaching and education experience

• Interactive Technology College & Learning Systems, Morrow, GA – Adjunct Professor
• Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA – Teacher Assistant
• Berlitz International Inc, Atlanta, GA – Instructor
• University of Phoenix, Alpharetta, GA – Enrollment Counselor
• Dekalb County School System, Decatur, GA – Educator
• Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA – Educator

Christopher D. Johnson

Education

• M.A. English – California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
• B.A. English – California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA

Previous Professional Experience
5 years of teaching and education experience

• Georgia Perimeter College, Dunwoody, GA – English Instructor
• Westwood College – Atlanta Midtown Campus, GA – English Instructor
• Rowland Adult and Community Education, Rowland Heights, CA – ESL Teacher
• Cerritos College, Cerritos, CA – English writing, grammar tutor

Peter Nardis

Education

• M.A. Secondary Education – California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
• B.S. Applied Mathematics – California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA

Previous Professional Experience
More than 30 years teaching experience

• The Math Tutor, Norcross, GA – Teacher/Tutor
• Ceridian Corporation, Atlanta, GA – Academic Advisor/Tutorr
• DeVry Institute of Technology, Decatur, GA – Academic Dean/Professor
• High School Math Teacher in New York and California

Professional Liscenses

• Teaching Licenses in New York and California

 

 

Oversight Committee

AEI’s oversight committee reviews budgets and provides feedback on major administrative plans and projects. The committee is composed of the Directors of each of AEI’s major departments.

Mr. Eric Ressler, School Director

Mr. Ressler was born in Santa Monica, California and grew up in Southern California. He attended Claremont McKenna College where he received a BA in English Literature, graduating with honors and distinguished by the faculty as the best student in English. His thesis advisor indicated he was among his best students in fifty years of teaching.

Mr. Ressler holds two Master’s degrees, one from UCLA (MBA) and the other from the Divinity School at Yale University (MAR). Yale University awarded Eric the distinguished Tew prize for graduate-level academic achievement and the Divinity School faculty voted him best student in theology.

Eric has been the Director of AEI since 1998 and has occasionally taught ESL as well as GMAT and LSAT Test Preparation classes.

Barbara Roberts, Dean of Students

As Dean of Students at AEI, Barbara Roberts brings more than forty years of experience as an English as a Second Language educator, trainer and Licensed Professional Therapist (LPC). Her combined knowledge allows her to address cultural adjustment issues and ESL program management in order to best serve students.

She began her career teaching ESL in New Jersey where her professional work included ESL curriculum development and instruction for multi-level classes. She conducted programs for corporate and multi-lingual senior citizen communities. Barbara taught test preparation courses for college students taking the TOEFL test. She developed and conducted ESL teacher training programs for the Parsippany Board of Education in New Jersey. Additionally, she developed curriculum and supervised teachers for Amnesty International. Her ESL work includes private tutoring.

Barbara’s work in the field of psychotherapy spans community outreach to private practice, with a focus on adult individual, couple, and family therapy. She has expertise in counseling multi-cultural clients, and group therapy. She has conducted seminars for various communities on child abuse awareness and prevention and various other topics. She has been a supervisor for therapists preparing for the licensing exam. Barbara has been a Fellow of the American Psychotherapy Association (APA) and a member of the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) since 1991.

Barbara served as Assistant Director to the Office of Family Concerns, at the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. There she recruited and managed teams of volunteers and professionals. She developed, implemented, and supervised programs for marriage preparation and enrichment. Barbara offered psycho-educational workshops, for pastors and deacons, covering a variety of mental health issues. Additionally she facilitated administration and interpretation of bi-lingual, personality assessment tools.

She received her ESL teaching certification while doing post-graduate work in linguistics and holds an MS in Counseling/Psychology.

Ms. Julie Ressler, Director of Operations

Julie Ressler founded the Atlanta English Institute (AEI) in 1993. AEI has a reputation for providing superior English instruction to international students from all over the world. Julie has served as Admissions Officer, Director of School, and Dean of Students. She provides high-quality counseling and guidance to non-native English speaking students. As an administrator, she is considered to be both caring and detail oriented.

Julie presented her work, “A Holistic Approach to English Grammar”, at the Southeast TESOL Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, fall 2004. As a highly experienced English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor, she has successfully taught beginner through advanced levels of grammar with a holistic approach. Her earlier accomplishments include teaching ESL overseas and in the U.S., highlighted by three years on Atlanta Radio Korea, a daily live morning show. Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature and Linguistics, from Ho Nam University in South Korea.

Mr. Ray Sweatman, Director of Academic Affairs

Mr. Sweatman was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been teaching ESL for over 20 years. He has taught in Los Angeles, Saudi Arabia and for the past eight years at A.E.I. He has also taught Humanities at the College level and is a member of TESOL. He enjoys teaching, inspiring, encouraging and helping others. He holds two degrees, one a MFA from Columbia University and the other an ABJ from the University of Georgia.