Shana Jones – Instructor of Aviation English and Aviation English for Test and Interview Preparation
Shana earned her commercial pilot license, BSc. in Aeronautical Science, and MBA/Aviation at Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL. Her undergraduate studies included the completion of a minor in Air Traffic Control and an Aircraft Dispatcher’s Certificate. Two years after her master’s degree, she moved to Barbados and secured a DHC-6 Twin Otter first officer position with the Grenadine Air Alliance (GAA). A brief stint at Porter Airlines in Toronto as a DHC-8Q400 first officer followed before she returned to GAA in 2010.
Shana’s journey into the world of ESL instruction started with a volunteer teacher’s assistant position at a local community college while she was doing her master’s degree. When the program ended for the summer, she continued as a group tutor for some of the students. In 2012 (while flying full time) she completed an online TESOL certification course and 10-hour practicum at Centennial College in Toronto, Canada, where she taught college-aged students of various levels and nationalities. Soon after, she landed her first ESL private tutoring job through the Barbados Community College.
In 2017 she embarked on her most fulfilling teaching experience to date: one-on-one ESL instruction through an online platform. With a flexible approach to lesson delivery, she provides specifically tailored ESL lessons covering the 4 core areas of language learning to students from around the world. For her pilot and air traffic control students, her lessons also provide an opportunity to prepare for interviews and aviation English proficiency tests.
Nowadays, she juggles flying, teaching, and other interests such as travel writing and Latin dance, which she often intertwines with her teaching. She embraces every opportunity to contribute to her students’ development as confident English speakers.