Ever since I finished kindergarten, I knew I wanted to teach. Luckily, I’ve been able to since January 1998 when I first went abroad to teach English as a foreign language (EFL) to adults and youth in Seoul. Since then, I’ve moved from the classroom to management to a mixture of both. I currently work and reside in Toronto, Canada.

My main interests focus on:

• public spaces for exploring teacher identity and development
• collaborative critical reading for improved comprehension and engagement of L2 texts.

Current professional roles

• 2015 – Current: IATEFL TDSIG Committee (now Joint Coordinator)
• 2014 – Current: Assistant Director, Academic International Programs – University of Toronto, New College
• 2013 – Current: Founder and moderator, #tleap an EAP discussion group
• 2011 – Current: Lead Instructor, Critical Reading & Writing (IFP020Y1Y), International Foundation Program – University of Toronto, New College

Talks and workshops

I have presented at over 50 events so far during my career, including plenaries, talks, webinars, and workshops. For a sort of menu of regular talks, please take a look here.

So far in 2017

• TESL Ontario Conference – November 2, 2017, Toronto, Canada
  The ongoing struggle for LGBTQ inclusivity in ELT
• TESL Canada Conference – June 10, 2017, Niagara Falls, Canada
  Learner-sourced visuals: a higher level text’s best friend
• TOSCON17 – May 27, 2017, Toronto, Canada
  Learner-sourced visuals: a higher level text’s best friend
• TESL Waterloo-Wellington – May 13, 2017, Kitchener, Canada
  Critical readers in the [mis]information age [plenary]
  Who do you think you are? Exploring the impact of changing teacher identities [workshop]
• BALEAP – April 8, 2017, Bristol, UK
  Interactivity between a first-year content course and EAP course assignment for skill transferability
  (with Dr. Alexandra Guerson)
  Technology in EAP discussion [panelist]
• BCTEAL Webinar – March 7, 2017, Online
  Academic Reading Circles

Previous talks

2016: ELT Malta Conference, Blending intensive reading w/ online collaborative writing
2016: IMAGE Conference (Malta), Learner-sourced visuals- a higher level text’s best friend
2016: Teaching & Learning Symposium (UofT), Academic reading circles
2016: TESL London, Blending intensive reading w/ online collaborative writing
2016: TESL Peel/Halton/Etobicoke, Blending intensive reading w/ online collaborative writing
2016: IATEFL, Hashtags for next year’s IATEFL (Pecha Kucha)
2016: IATEFL, Learner-sourced visuals: a higher level text’s best friend
2015: IATEFL webinar, Tips for first-time attendees at the Annual IATEFL Conference
2015: Seneca College, Academic reading circles
2015: TEFL Equity Advocates, NESTs are for birds: an exploration of unnecessary distinctions
2015: International Student Symposium, University of Toronto, Facebook to foster engagement among int’t students
2015: iTDI/Gallery Teachers Summer Intensive, Beyond the comprehension question: digging deeper into texts
2015: 30 Goals Conference, 14all + all41: applying teacher development to students
2015: IATEFL, Academic reading circles – improving learner engagement and text comprehension
2015: TESOL Convention, Self-directed PD in computer-assisted language learning
2015: REALIZE, A digital writing assignment for EAP students
2014: YUELI, York University, Bridging the Gap: teaching and learning EAP in the university context
2014: Woodsworth TESL Program, University of Toronto, The resourceful web for ELT
2014: TOBELTA web conference, Visuals: a text (and learner’s) best friend
2014: Languages Canada Conference, EAP curriculum considerations in a university degree program
2014: TESL Toronto Technology 4 Teachers Minicon, The resourceful web for ELT
2013: New Media @ New College, University of Toronto, Get Going with Blackboard & Beyond Blackboard Basics
2013: Woodsworth College, University of Toronto, The resourceful web for ELT / Your digital footprint
2013: Reform Symposium 4, Not your old school academic writing assignment
2013: Tutela & TESL Toronto webinar, Globalising the staff room
2013: English Online Inc. webinar, Academic reading circles (ARC)
2013: BELTA webinar, Academic reading circles (ARC)
2013: Languages Canada Conference: Moving along the curriculum, EAP housed in a university faculty
2012: 31st Annual TESOL France Colloquium, Academic reading circles (ARC)
2012: TESL Canada Conference, Academic reading circles (ARC)
2012: New Media @ New College, University of Toronto, Twitter for academic purposes
2012: TESL Toronto Spring Conference, A year in the life of TESL Toronto (Pecha Kucha)
2012: TESL Toronto Spring Conference, Academic reading circles (ARC)
2012: Virtual Round Table Web Conference, Symposium panelist – #EAPchat
2012: Virtual Round Table Web Conference, Blogs for intensive and extensive reading
2012: TESL North York/York Region Spring Conference, Ideas for multilevels that work
2011: Reform Symposium 3, Maximising learner interaction in reading & writing focused classes
2011: TESL Canada Conference, Customising web tools for EAP classrooms
2011: TESL Canada Conference, A new model for content-driven EAP (co.)
2011: Virtual Round Table Web Conference, Soundcloud for listening and writing practice
2010: TESL Ontario Conference, Social media and other internet sites in language teaching
2010: TESL Toronto Fall Conference, Creative grammar
2010: TESL Toronto Spring Conference, Social media and other internet sites in language teaching
2009: TESL Toronto Fall Conference, Creative grammar
2009: TESL Ontario Conference, Writing made engaging
2009: TESL North York/York Region Spring Conference, Using the board effectively

If you are interested in contacting me regarding speaking at your event, please drop me a line: tyson.seburn@utoronto.ca. 

For a full CV, including publications, education, and work history, please visit my LinkedIn profile.