Tim Johnson M.S.S., M.A.
Director of the ESL Program / Adjunct Faculty Instructor of Business at Aston American University
Looking back to June 2016 when I was hired and my journey began is something amazing to do now after five great years. Growing with the university almost from the beginning of its existence has been an incredible experience. I can say I didn’t know how it would work being literally on the opposite side of the world but I can say this has been an amazing journey so far.
I was fortunate to have begun my journey due to a professor who “met” me online in one of his courses during my 2nd Master’s Degree. He was the new Dean of Aston at the time and I congratulated him via LinkedIn. He asked me what I was doing at the time and I replied back about my experience teaching English in the Czech Republic. He then told me they were looking for English instructors and that he would to get my CV for the Director. A month passed and I hadn’t heard anything but decided to follow-up with him again. He was surprised the Director of the university hadn’t gotten in touch so he sent her a reminder. That same day we managed to have an interview on Skype at about 10 PM my time. By morning the next day when I woke up, the decision had been made to hire me. I was excited to start something new!
I had no idea when I was hired that I would become the director of the English program almost immediately but the opportunity presented itself and took advantage. Initially, I was hired just as an instructor of English having at that point been an instructor mostly face-to-face and dabbling only with a few lessons online before coming to Aston. Then another twist came several months later and I was needed in the Business department as an adjunct faculty instructor as well. Now I could finally use that Master’s Degree I had gotten some years earlier and paid so much for!
The university had just a few students in the very beginning. You could almost get to know each one of them personally in 2016 and 2017. It was in 2018 when we saw an explosion in the number of students and our university really began to take a turn for the better. Courses were developing at a rapid rate as well with several developers including myself. We were working hard on creating the rules and regulations needed as well to become a true university. Faces changed over the years. Faculty members have come and gone. The university now has a significant online presence and followers especially on Facebook. We can say time has been fairly good to the university during the years I have been a part of Aston.
At the present time, it is becoming harder and harder to get to know the students personally as we grow. However, when opportunity presents itself I take time to get to know the students especially those in who are not in my ESL courses and in the Business program. Each student has a story and usually I can say they are quite interesting. Students come from across the world and I must say this is one of the best things about this job. I no longer have to listen to the stories of the typical Czech or Slovak person who visits their cottage every weekend or goes bicycling each summer on a 1 week journey somewhere in the Czech Republic. Even the stories of their travels to Egypt, Tunisia or Italy. The students at Aston now have amazing stories to tell me.
You never know who you are going to meet along the way on your journey. So far, this journey has brought many people from across the world into my life. Whether you are a student, instructor or part of the administration, it is you who have made my time here at Aston enjoyable and I thank you all for it.
I am looking forward to the next 5 years being as great as these last 5 have been!
