Testimonials

Here are examples of feedback I've gotten on a variety of projects.

July 2023 Training of Trainers (TOT) for USAID project Uzbekistan Youth Employment Skills (YES)

Participants: 6 Ministry of Education trainers and 6 Entrepreneurs from Fergana, Uzbekistan

Topic: How to teach the new high school curriculum on economics, entrepreneurship, and life skills

Modality: In-person. 5 days. Simultaneous translation into Russian and Uzbek

• The training was organized purposefully, an experienced coach was selected, all conditions were created, clear and accessible translation, good time management.

• I liked how coach conducts the lesson, she used to body language very well, she paid attention to all the participants, she easily facilitated  the lesson, and she knows her business very well. 

• Thanks to clear and proper translation, all the coach’s information was transmitted in full. The coach explained in detail, repeated this material if necessary. She used examples from her own life experience to explain the concepts in the materials.
  
  

March 2023 Teacher Training: Integrating Social and Emotional Learning into EFL Teaching

Participants: 25 teachers from 25 different countries

Topic: Integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) into the teaching of English

Modality: Online orientation and then 2 weeks in-person

• Kara is a very enthusiastic and grounded trainer.  She was so poised and is so learned. She was also very open to our suggestions and we felt very comfortable with her. It was a privilege to be part of her sessions. We always looked forward to interactions with her.

• Kara is a master of her work. I do appreciate of her contribution to the knowledge she shared with us. Her way of giving clear instructions, feedback to each of us were valuable for me. She feels each of the participant and makes individual approach to each of us. Got a lot if information in her session about Active Listening. Thank you!

• Her expertise and knowledge in SEL have been evident in every session, as she has tailored each workout to our specific needs and abilities. Her positive attitude and encouragement have kept me motivated and focused throughout the entire training sessions.

Spanish Improv, Winter 2023

Participants: Adult learners attending in-person classes at the International Language Institute (ILI) in Northampton, Massachusetts

• I appreciated Kara's easygoing manner and openness to suggestions, even as she did have clear plans for the day's "lesson." I enjoyed getting to know her through improv. Lots of fun!

• This class is playful, creative, hilarious, and might induce uncontrollable fits of laughter!

Content-Based Instruction MOOC that ended in May 2022: 

• I said to my self I will try to get the most benefit out of it even if I couldn't finish it. But as I started the course, I found my self obsessed with it. Now, I have  mixed feelings. I am glad that I completed the course in a short time and at the same time I am sad to leave such a wonderful community. ...Taking this course helped me to understand the idea behind those scientific , literary and different specific reading comprehension That our syllabus in Egypt has turned into. I have always asked myself  why the syllabus has changed. Now I knew the importance of cognitive academic language  and its effect on on students' ability to acquire language. 

• This was indeed very rewarding for the following reasons:
  1. Lots of hands-on activities with situations which we face.
  2. Excellent resources.
  3. Very strategic and holistic approach.

Online course Integrating Critical Thinking into the Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting:

• ...it was a shock for me to learn that I knew so little about people I had been teaching for several years. But diving into their culture, seeing how deep their thoughts are, was a pleasure for me." Read the full interview between trainer Zhenya Polosatova and a teacher who participated in this professional development  course. 

• The course on Critical Thinking has helped me to transform my classroom pedagogy from slow spoon-feeding to active reasoning.  Read the full article where this teacher from Pakistan was interviewed. 

• Related to guidance in the context of syllabus design, I cannot express my gratitude more: the course design is brilliant! Many thanks to Dr Kara McBride and her team. I have learned how to interrelate different lesson plans together and interweave into highly functional and valuable coursework. The syllabus is systematic, organised, and offers step-by-step practice activities, and I have thus feel confident here. The videos and pictures are appropriate, theme-illustrating, and effective. Although I cannot produce such a syllabus, I have learned this and it has benefitted me much. (Global participant, 2021)

Face-to face teacher training: After the various trainings the teachers expressed their total gratitude for having included them in this fantastic program. It was evident that the pedagogical practice changed completely, and that simple resources were taken from our environment and turned into dynamic and very effective lessons. (Ministry District Supervisor in the Dominican Republic, 2018)

Systems strengthening for a teachers' organization: The facilitator did a great job as she would set the scene, and then would let the attendees navigate in the issues on the table. In other words, Kara McBride practiced democracy as a methodology, not as a theory. In a nutshell, Kara McBride was a splendid listener, which in turn created an atmosphere of comfort during the workshop” (Founding board member West Bank, 2017)

From students at Saint Louis University (2007-2015): Click here to see the courses I taught.

I enjoyed the course subject as a whole and the application of specific case studies to learn more about the application of methods and basic aspects of phonology, grammar and other linguistic variations both in Spanish and occasionally applied to English.

The instructor incorporated a lot of interaction with technology. She included a class website that not only included information relevant to the course, but also encouraged students to interact with each other and build relationships virtually. I also liked that we had to create a YouTube video for the class. I was pushed outside of my technological comfort zone, and enjoyed this.

Very well developed class with a ton of opportunities outside of class to engage with the material.

I really enjoyed the lectures and Dr. McBride's style of teaching. She explained all of the readings very clearly, paying special attention to concepts that were more complex, but also incited a lot of discussion and participation. Dr. McBride covered the material thoroughly, but using examples that were memorable and interesting.

Dra. McBride makes sure that it's a very relaxed and engaging atmosphere. She prompts people to talk and engage in conversation. I always feel like I can hash things out with her or have a legitimate conversation outside of class. She is always very passionate about her work and it bleeds over into class and lecture.

The course material was fascinating and very useful. Each class/period was structured slightly differently which keeps things fresh and enjoyable. It was a great class with an awesome professor!