At TBS, teachers tend to stick around, so The Benjamin Middle School doesn’t have many new faces from year to year. This year, though, TBS has a new Chinese language teacher, Mrs. Noela Kantor. She took the place of Mr. Steven Shirley who has transitioned into his new role as professional educational consultant at Horizon Educational Services LLC, helping to bring qualified students from China to TBS.

Speaking of transitions, Kantor has enjoyed her move to TBS.

“I love the high energy, and I love to teach Chinese. That is why I came to The Benjamin School. I have been teaching since 2006 because I just love to teach people new things,” said the veteran educator who spent her last six years at Oxbridge Academy.

Head of Middle School Mr. Charles Hagy was happy to find Kantor right in Benjamin’s backyard and agrees that Mrs. Kantor is off to a strong start.

“In order to find a new Chinese teacher, we [did] an international search and also interviewed the local Chinese teachers,” explained Hagy. “Mrs. Kantor was the best candidate and also happened to work at a school right down the street.

Mrs. Marci York, World Language Department Chair, played a large role in bringing Mrs. Kantor to TBS and helped her get settled.

“I personally know some of her [former] co-workers and they all said that she was a hard worker and a very devoted teacher,” said York. “She is very technologically savvy, and runs an almost paperless class, which is extremely hard to do. She is off to a great start and has been doing a great job.”

Mrs. Kantor has lived in several different places, including China, California, and Orlando. However, TBS is glad to have her now.

“I have been checking in with the [upper level students] and I have also seen her teach a few times and everytime I see her teach, she does a great job,” said Hagy.

Eighth grader Nicolas Lama, one of Mrs. Kantor’s upper level students, agrees.

“I think that Mrs. Kantor is a great teacher,” explained Lama. “I love the different methods she uses to teach and I think she does a great job.”

In terms of Mrs. Kantor’s keys to success for her students, her recipe is simple.

“My philosophy for teaching students Chinese is to…[encourage them] to write, read, listen, and work hard.”