Meet the Teachers

I’ve been helping, inspiring and motivating students since 2005. It still doesn’t feel like a job. Teaching for me is more like a passion. It’s really part of who I am.

To be a member of the Excel family makes me so happy and proud every day. Such a positive environment, amazing professionals; you’ll certainly find great people here.

The interaction I have with my students is fascinating. To be able to see each and every student’s improvement every day is very rewarding.

I just wish I can continue to make a difference in their lives, that is all that matters to me.

My name is Anoushe’ Blatz and this is my 29th year in education. I received my Bachelor’s degree from UNT in 1991 and my Master’s degree in Education Administration. I have taught all grades; Kindergarten-8th grade in Dallas ISD, Oklahoma City ISD, Richardson ISD, and Plano ISD. I have also been an Adjunct Faculty at Dallas College teaching English/ESL. Currently, I am honored to be an instructor at Excel English Institute teaching ESL to adult students.

My husband is also an educator and we have three beautiful children. As a family, we love to travel and simply enjoy the beauty of life. Photography is my therapeutic hobby! Each day, I look forward to an amazing school experience. My goal is to inspire, encourage, and create an educational partnership with my students that will foster determination and passion for knowledge as life-long learners.

I joined the Excel teaching staff in 2014 when I moved to Dallas. However, my life as an ESL instructor began when I ventured from Ireland to Brazil and found I enjoyed teaching English there even more than I enjoyed my work as a registered nurse. Many hours in the classroom and many courses through the University of Cambridge, England, followed, providing me with the knowledge and the skills to be an effective and engaging instructor. Upon moving to the US, I earned a Master’s Degree in Education, specializing in TESL, from Oral Robert’s University, Tulsa, OK.

What I love about being an ESL instructor is the opportunity to learn, first-hand, about the people and daily life in the amazing countries my students come from. I have to thank them for teaching me so much about their people and their cultures. Also, with my broad educational background and years of experience, I believe I can help my students improve their English so that they can reach their personal, academic or professional goals and live life to the fullest, be it here in the USA or in their own country.

I have been teaching English for over 15 years. I majored in French and Art at Austin College where I spent my junior year abroad studying in France and living with a host family. That is where I got my true taste for travel and love for learning about new cultures. Upon graduating, I spent time traveling the US and abroad before deciding to get my Certification to Teach English as a Second Language. I taught ESL for 6 years in various places throughout Mexico such as Campeche, Guadalajara and San Luis Potosi. In 2009, I returned to the US and taught for 3 years at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio. Finally, I came back to Dallas to be closer to friends and family, and start my own family. I have been teaching at Excel English Institute since the Fall of 2015.

My name is Donald Gleason, but the students call me Mr. Don. I have been a teacher since 1974. When I was in college, one of my professors told me that you did not have to be a famous rock singer, politician or movie star to make a difference in the world; you could do it by being a teacher. That’s what I have been trying to do for more than 30 years. My grandparents were immigrants, and I work with immigrants. Believing that I am helping them to have better lives makes it all worthwhile.

I have taught in a number of schools, but Excel English Institute is the best by far. The facility is beautiful, modern and functional. My colleagues are top-notch, and the students are wonderful. Just wonderful. I am very fortunate to be here.

I specialize in teaching beginning levels due to my desire to help the students build confidence in themselves while providing them with the basic building blocks of language skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

I grew up in Los Angeles, which is a cosmopolitan city. While living there, I constantly found myself helping people from other countries. That is how I discovered my knack for languages.

In my opinion, the most difficult part about learning a language is “losing your fear to speak [which] is hard for many introverted students.” However, I always advise any new students interested in coming to Excel to learn English to come aboard and do your best. “You can do it!”

“Inspire Boldly to Aspire Boldly”
First and foremost, my passion to teach English surges from the depths of care for students yearning for a better chance in life. I find myself training students to have unswerving confidence that can be the sail which will take them far and beyond in their English language learning. I make streams of encouragement and exhortation for a positive mindset; a mind and heart that can focus clear goals and organize accordingly with reminding tips on good study habits to aspire a desired target outcome; exerting daily praise and attentive motivational feedback are the sparks that keep students pedaling on the track of success. I predominantly have been a foundational link in the chain of success for students in the lower levels, thus I feel it truly has been my calling to be an instructor who “inspires” to face the new untrodden road ahead with confidence, stamina and patience.

It’s awesomely fulfilling for me to see measurable improvement in speaking that comes alive from the rock bottom. It’s my heartfelt aim to wait for the revealing moment when students witness themselves declaring, “I can be more than a conqueror!”

With a Bachelor’s degree in K-12 Spanish education and a TESL endorsement, I am passionate about forming meaningful and strong connections with people. I seek to help others feel comfortable to explore their interests and hone skills that they are able to apply to their field of interest.

Through my personal experiences and through schooling, I have had the opportunity to travel abroad quite a bit. From studying abroad in Nicaragua to visiting family for the summers in Japan, I am thankful to have traveled to various countries around the world. This has aided me in expanding my worldview and in learning so much about different cultures.

Teaching ESL is such a joy for me as I am able to see students get one step closer to their goals each and every day. It is my hope to make language learning challenging yet fun for each person that walks through my door. It’s such an honor to be a part of their language learning journey.

I have over 30 years of experience teaching English in middle school, high school and at the college level. I have a BA in German and English and a Master’s Degree in Humanities with a focus on teaching English as a Second Language.

I believe there is no better career than helping students improve their English to succeed personally and economically in the US or in their home countries. Excel English Institute has become a home for myself and hundreds of students.

Since I began teaching in 2017, I’ve always aspired to make the world a better place. To me, education is one of the most powerful tools available to make that happen. I am a deeply empathetic individual, so putting my students above all else forms the foundation of my entire teaching philosophy. As such, I always strive to accommodate the needs and interests of my class. Teaching never feels like work when I know I’m making a difference.

I’ve majored in both Animation and Literary Studies, so as an artist and a novelist, I always try to bring my experience into the classroom to ensure my students receive a well-rounded educational experience. I love integrating subjects across the Humanities into my lessons, such as art, literature, civics, history, and politics, and I do my best to teach practical, relevant information that my students can use in their everyday lives. Furthermore, I love studying other cultures, and with my TEFL Certification, I hope to someday travel the world (Japan in particular), teach overseas, and broaden my perspective.

Additionally, I always try to ensure my students can have fun and laugh together; classrooms don’t have to be stuffy, formal, and uptight, and I don’t hesitate to let my sense of humor and personality show through my teaching style. By lightening the mood and cultivating an entertaining, enjoyable, welcoming atmosphere, students can relax, open up, and practice their English free from harsh discipline, humiliation, and judgement.

Teaching is not only my profession but my passion! I love teaching, and especially inspiring, guiding, and patiently supporting my students to learn how to learn since my most important tool and goal is to help them to become successful independent learners!

My diverse and extensive experience has helped me to learn how to help my students gain the patience, self-motivation, and perseverance needed to become successful learners. My students’ success energizes and motivates me to continue to strive to pave the way for them to learn how to learn and become independent learners so they can continue to grow as successful people and professionals.

Ever since I was a child, I knew that teaching was in my future. It is the most satisfying career I can imagine. I majored in Social Studies at the University of North Texas and have experience working with students of all ages in multiple settings including in the classroom, homecare, online, and in-person tutoring. Learning English as a second language is so necessary for global opportunities and if I can make just one person’s life easier by teaching them to speak English, then I believe I have made a lasting difference in the world.

I currently work with intermediate and advanced levels at Excel. When teaching, I try to put person over product and take into account the diverse needs and mental health of my students before each lesson. Once students have a motivation to learn, they can always get more out of the content that is presented. I believe everyone can succeed in their English learning journey when given adequate tools to fit their learning style in a welcoming, safe atmosphere. Excel is one such place to obtain those skills and it is an institution I am proud to say that I work for.

I love to experience new cultures and enjoy meeting new people from all parts of the world. That is why working at Excel English Institute is such a great fit for me. My experiences living abroad, especially most recently in Argentina, help me relate to students who come to Excel seeking to improve their English skills. I love advising them and learning about them and what fuels their desire to study English. I also find great satisfaction from teaching elective classes at Excel because it allows me to interact with students on a more personal level. My ability to speak Spanish definitely helps in many cases. I look forward to meeting more amazing students and helping them acclimate to studying with us at Excel.

I have a degree in International Relations and Political Science and spent 7 years living and working abroad, which was a great experience. This experience ultimately led me to my current position as International Student Advisor at Excel. The ability to work with people from all over the world is truly what I enjoy the most. I always strive to provide the best service I can offer and look forward to meeting diverse people and hearing their interesting life stories.

We are both ESL certified veteran teachers with more than 35 years combined of experience teaching, writing curricula and working with students in college and independent schools in Dallas and abroad. As co-workers, we always thought we could provide a better education than what we were offering at our previous places of employment. We decided to embark on a journey in 2014 to open our own school, which would be a place to learn, make new friends and have an unforgettable experience.

After Excel earned its full accreditation in 2017, the school that started with only 8 students, has since grown to serve several hundreds in its short life. The thing that makes Excel different from any other school we have worked at is that we are teachers who wrote and taught the curricula. We know what works and what doesn’t, and we work closely with our teachers to provide them with the resources and training to make our vision of a top-notch English school become a reality.