Janine Bray-Mueller, Freelance Teacher, Trainer and Coach
Hello! to all Freelance Teachers wherever you are! 
There are some people who were curious and who were wondering what is behind the FTT curtains — especially about the reason why I started this website. So without too much preamble, let’s start with the private me — my hobbies and interests.
My hobbies and interests?
Some people have a million hobbies and interests. They can play the piano and do swing dancing, paragliding or skydiving and raise miniature pigs. Now I have to admit that piglets may be sweet to look at and to hold in your arms, but I have always focused on other things. No one could tell me when I started to read, but since I began reading, books have been my refuge and strength. My constant companion.
I cannot live without my books
Of course, books!
Books have always been good friends. I read so much as a child (think of a torch under the bed sheets) that my parents told me it might damage my eyesight. We know that is not true now, but they might have been wishing I would do more than read books. So what else is as good as books for a bookworm child?
(insert picture here of my children reading books in library – newspaper foto)
Painting!
I turned to painting. Do you like to paint? The creative juices flow for me when I have my brushes, paper or silk, and colours all around me. I even managed to have an exhibition or two to sell my work. Here are some of my favourite paintings that you can see on the walls in my living room.
 Up on the dike in the Marsch - on silk |
 Boat - silk painting |
 Rumpelstiltskin by the firelight - on silk |
Changing one’s point of view
When I wasn’t reading or painting, I climbed trees and watched the world below or the birds as they soared upwards and away. Sometimes I took my sketching pad with me, but more often I took a writing pad and pencil to write fantasy stories. Can you image sitting on a branch somewhere in a tree with a pad of paper and clutching a pen? It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s a feeling that lifts you out of a mundane life and gives you a feeling of independence; in inventing new worlds of adventure and hope, and rekindles the spirit to “Conquer the world!” I sometimes think my urge for independence was born somewhere in Dorset, England on a branch of a tree.
Flying free as swallows
(Insert picture from top of tree looking out here.)
Fascination for technology
As much as my creative spirit had a hold on me, technical things always fascinated me, too. Especially the old boarding school typewriter. It’s a pity that they would not let young boarders use it. Once, in the middle of the night I sneaked downstairs into the office, worked out how to insert the paper and typed my name. Today, a keyboard and computer are so much better!
Interest in history
I used to think the times I lived in were not as interesting as the times of my father. As a military medical doctor, he had not only travelled widely and far before the times of when catching a plane is the norm, but he had witnessed the beginnings of technology — the telephone, car, and television. Yet as I look back on my own life, I have to observe that we are living in a very fast, exciting, technological age! We have flown to the moon; we have telexes, fax machines, and now the Internet. For music we have gone beyond the radio and records to CDs and DVDs, Blue Ray, and in the cinema you duck your head when space creatures swoop past. Who knows what will come up tomorrow?
Fascination for travel and other cultures
I went to college and studied foreign communications; the focus being the French language. However, I wanted to work abroad. Remember I loved to climb trees and look far and wide? It took two years of determination and working as a temp to save enough money, catch a ferry to Belgium, and knock on company doors until I found a job in a large American conglomerate. I worked in the in the financial controlling department in the electronics and telecommunications group. It not only satisfied my inquiring mind about technology, but it turned out I had a special extra benefit! I found my future husband as well.
Later, when my husband found a new job in Hamburg, we left Brussels and I ended in Germany. A new country to explore and enjoy.
Insecurity and lack of good training can sabotage your success
Living in Germany, the sensible job was to teach English. After all, I was a native English speaker. But being a native English speaker living in Germany was my only “teacher” asset. It didn’t take me long to realise this wasn’t enough to start up a serious business. Speaking English doesn’t qualify anyone to teach it – and I felt insecure about it.
A photo taken in a Greek restaurant with just two of my students
I took pedagogical qualifications (the University of Cambridge’s CELTA, CertTEB teaching certificates) for English teaching which did wonders for my self-confidence and my self-esteem as a genuinely qualified English teacher. It proved to be the turning point in my head. Just like climbing trees, getting a bird’s-eye view and looking out towards new horizons and feeling such a rush of exhilaration. This was it!
Professional qualifications
Teaching English became my business and my passion. And I loved that nobody could fire me, unless I decided to fire myself!
Through sheer persistence and doggedness coupled with my knowledge of marketing (voluntary IATEFL Executive Committee Marketing and Sponsoring Member for 2 terms, plus a couple of jobs in the Sales and Marketing department of companies in Brussels, Belgium and here in Germany), I am now an established professional English teacher, trainer and coach. I’ve with over 15 years of experience and have the time and energy to guide, care, and encourage all those who have or want to become freelance teachers.
Enter the 
Freelance Teachers – Training website.
So, now you know! Why don’t you now go to the most recent or most read articles (the left side of your computer screen) and read what interests you the most.
What you can do for me after reading the article
If you have enjoyed the article, I would love it if you could do one or more of the following:
- Give it a star-rating (at the top of each article)
- Recommend the article through the usual social media (e.g. Tweets, Facebook, DiggDigg etc.)
- Recommend this website to your colleagues and friends
It will help me give you the answers to your questions and help me know that I am on the right track.
Most of all, I would really love to hear from you! Tell me what you think about a website that is helping other freelance teachers. You can also write and tell me your opinion in the comments box at the end of each article. Let me read what you have to say about these articles. For example:
- Was it useful?
- Can you use the information in the article?
- Have you seen or know of other examples?
- What questions does the article raise for you? i.e. Are there any questions that has not been answered in your opinion?
- What objections do you have about the information in the article?
Click here to send me an e-mail! I’d love to hear from you and thank you all for responding!
Your
Janine
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Janine Bray-Mueller - Freiberufler / Freelancer
Address:
Hasweg 30
25436 Tornesch, Germany
Tel.: + 49 (0) 4122 964 91
Fax.: + 49 (0) 4122 964 92
Internet: www.ft-training.com
E-Mail: jbm(at)ft-training.com