Meet Jack Barry
My Teaching Philosophy
I believe the teacher’s role is to guide, not to lecture. My sessions empower learners to actively engage with material, discover insights, and build skills through practical exercises and real-world applications.
Learning works best when it’s meaningful and self-directed. By creating a space for curiosity and exploration, I help learners take ownership of their journey while ensuring what they learn stays with them.
I make learning enjoyable with interactive tools, clear activities, and tailored discussions. This approach builds confidence, fosters growth, and helps learners find their voice in English naturally and effectively.
About Jack
I am an American Finn — born in New York, living in Finland since 1980. Looking back, I realise I never asked myself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
When I was a youngster going about my neighbourhood cutting lawns for pocket money, I never wondered if it was what I wanted to be growing up. When I was at the local train station on mornings before middle school classes began, shining the shoes of New York City–bound businessmen, I never asked it. And when I was in high school and university while caddying at the wealthier-village golf course on weekends — the question never occurred to me.
After four years studying Fine Arts at Hofstra University on a scholarship, I moved to Finland in 1980 to teach English in Lappeenranta by day and play YMCA sports by night. For 40+ years, my ESL learners throughout Finland from kindergarten and middle schools to high schools, universities, and workplaces, have come to feel confident and relaxed learning English with Jack. Yet I still never wonder what I want to be when I grow up. 😊