William J. Hagood

An accomplished educator, tutor, administrator, and lecturer who has built a significant career teaching youth around the world since 2006, William J. Hagood, MEd has played a crucial role in the development and improvement of students’ knowledge in four core subjects through hands-on work with the children and highly-efficient lessons. He has held dual roles as a test preparer, job interview preparation coach, teacher of English as a second language for children, and tutor—creating lesson plans, scheduling lessons, and coordinating with the parents of students—with Preply since 2021 and a veteran primary year educator and curriculum developer specialist at Jefferson Parish Public Schools in Louisiana since 2022. He also currently teaches TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language, and IELTS, International English Language Testing System, for adult students from Latvia, Italy, and the United States. He previously served as an online English teacher for BKC-International House in Moscow, Russia and an eighth-grade ELL instructor and a test proctor at Maritime Academy in New Orleans.

Prior to these appointments, Mr. Hagood lent his expertise throughout China, teaching English as a Foreign Language, English as a Second Language, English Language Learners, and a curriculum specialist at Shiwai Education Affiliated Linsong Kindergarten in Shanghai and East China Normal University Affiliated Kindergarten between 2018 and 2021. He also served as Head Teacher of the Global Assessment Certificate Program at Guiyang Happy Valley International Experimental School from 2016 to 2018, a full-time English as a Second Language teacher at the Learning Center in Beijing in 2015, an English language lecturer and a test preparation administrator at Hitit Turkey in Turkey in 2014. In addition, he has been active as an English Immersion facilitator at the Haba English Academy in South Korea; an English Immersion facilitator and writing teacher at Dongdaemun-gu Korea POLY School in South Korea; a museum volunteer at the Pensacola Historical Society in Florida; a museum archive volunteer at the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum in Florida; a first grade homeroom teacher at Uchon Elementary English Immersion School in Korea; an ESL Immersion teacher and a lead teacher at Butler English Academy in Korea; and a substitute teacher at Okaloosa County School District in Florida.

Outside of his primary endeavors, Mr. Hagood has long carried a passion for Turkey and its history, which was stimulated by taking five college classes on the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire; he co-authored “Postmodernist Identity Construction and Consumption” at Hitit University in Chorum, Turkey and created career-based curriculums for a vocational high school in Corum—one focused on national tourism while another was intended for students aspiring to pursue aviation careers. He additionally has lent his volunteering services to the Community Conservation Group at Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, the Emerald Coast Hurricane Ivan Clean-Up Crew, and as a third-grade English language arts tutor.

Hailing from a family of educators, all of whom encouraged him to follow in their footsteps, Mr. Hagood earned an Associate of Arts in history from Northwest Florida State College in 2002, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in history from the University of West Florida in 2005, and a Master of Education in TESOL for International Educators from Nazareth University in 2013. He considers his most notable achievement to be obtaining the latter degree as the credential affirmed him as a professional educator—after which he has gained recognition from peers and became highly sought-after for advice and support, as well as employment opportunities. Revolving his career around building students’ international mindedness, he strives in the future to become a member of the Sunshine State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (SSTESOL) of Florida and become a recognized professional in his field. Mr. Hagood intends to strengthen his curriculum development skills for numerous programs that benefit students and educators alike.