{"id":445,"date":"2026-06-26T22:17:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/?st-import=5703b44157b42b600703943e40791d1a"},"modified":"2026-07-26T16:58:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T16:58:37","slug":"about-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/about-me\/","title":{"rendered":"About Me"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"445\" class=\"elementor elementor-445\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f09933f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f09933f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e50046b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e50046b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">My story<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d695c30 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d695c30\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce5a655 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ce5a655\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f921c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0f921c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0206-683x1024.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-697\" alt=\"img 0206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0206-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0206-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0206-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0206-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0206-8x12.jpeg 8w, https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0206.jpeg 1138w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"  title=\"About Me\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b52111 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4b52111\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e7b569 elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-box\" data-id=\"8e7b569\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-wrapper\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-icon-box-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span  >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThirty years of teaching brought me to a moment of honest reckoning \u2014 and something far better.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-icon-box-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHello, I am Elen. Originally from Estonia, I often reside in Rosenheim in Oberbayern \u2014 and like many of my clients, I know what it means to build a new life, and a new voice, in a new language. I have worked as a teacher, lecturer, and a head of a unit in education for over three decades. I have managed international and domestic projects, developed language learning models, taught Professional English, Business English in companies, and mentored my colleagues and learners at every stage.\nThen, a few years ago, I paused. The work I had given so much to no longer felt mine. I was exhausted. Rather than just pushing through, I chose to stop and ask an honest question: what do I actually want to do next?\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-860c82f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"860c82f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Language coaching was not a pivot away from teaching \u2014 it was teaching finally grown into something deeper.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6341da1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6341da1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Completing language coaching programmes, and going through my own quiet process of self-discovery, I came to understand something I now hold at the core of my work: people do not struggle with language simply because of grammar or vocabulary,\u00a0 they struggle with confidence, fear, and belief in themselves.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I bring to our work together is not a method imposed from outside. It is the ability to ask the kind of questions that help you find your own path \u2014 your own pace, your own approach, your own voice.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I know what it takes to change direction \u2014 and every person I work with carries their own story. I show up for that fully.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-256560d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"256560d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A personal note &#8211; Wife, mother of three, grandmother of three \u2014 and still a learner myself.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59dea8b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"59dea8b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ca3054 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7ca3054\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why Choose Elen?<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-780de2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"780de2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Sets Us Apart<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-45a9ee8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"45a9ee8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b118871 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b118871\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eb56263 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"eb56263\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0fda25f elementor-widget elementor-widget-hfe-infocard\" data-id=\"0fda25f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"hfe-infocard.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-title-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"hfe-infocard-title elementor-inline-editing\" data-elementor-setting-key=\"infocard_title\" data-elementor-inline-editing-toolbar=\"basic\" >Real experience, not theory<\/h3>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-text-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-text elementor-inline-editing\" data-elementor-setting-key=\"infocard_description\" data-elementor-inline-editing-toolbar=\"advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t30 years of hands-on language education \u2014 as a teacher, lecturer, mentor, and the Head of a Language Centre \u2014 before becoming a coach. I know how people actually learn, where they get stuck, and what genuinely works, because I have seen it for decades, not just read about it in a course.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e112c5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9e112c5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6ea302 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d6ea302\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bbdd40f elementor-widget elementor-widget-hfe-infocard\" data-id=\"bbdd40f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"hfe-infocard.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-title-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"hfe-infocard-title elementor-inline-editing\" data-elementor-setting-key=\"infocard_title\" data-elementor-inline-editing-toolbar=\"basic\" >Coaching, not curriculum<\/h3>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-text-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-text elementor-inline-editing\" data-elementor-setting-key=\"infocard_description\" data-elementor-inline-editing-toolbar=\"advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\tNo fixed programme, no one-size-fits-all course. Every session is built entirely around the individual's real goals \u2014 a meeting, a move, a career step \u2014 not a textbook chapter.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b342883 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b342883\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-560e6f3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"560e6f3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96380ab elementor-widget elementor-widget-hfe-infocard\" data-id=\"96380ab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"hfe-infocard.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-title-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"hfe-infocard-title elementor-inline-editing\" data-elementor-setting-key=\"infocard_title\" data-elementor-inline-editing-toolbar=\"basic\" >I understand the struggle \u2014 personally<\/h3>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-text-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hfe-infocard-text elementor-inline-editing\" data-elementor-setting-key=\"infocard_description\" data-elementor-inline-editing-toolbar=\"advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\tI'm not asking you to do something I haven't done. I come from Estonia, and I'm learning German myself right now \u2014 so I know what it takes to find your voice in a new language, at any stage of life.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7d23728 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7d23728\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15db77f elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-box\" data-id=\"15db77f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-wrapper\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-icon-box-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span  >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJoin Us Today!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-icon-box-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTake the first step towards mastering your English skills with personalized coaching tailored just for you.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f04b06 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"5f04b06\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"\/gert4\/contact\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get Started<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My story Thirty years of teaching brought me to a moment of honest reckoning \u2014 and something far better. Hello, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-445","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":706,"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/445\/revisions\/706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elchallenges.de\/gert4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}