Hi all, As I start to communicate with my niche a bit more, I'm noticing more and more the discussion of native English speaker teachers vs. non-native English speaker teachers. English is my second language, but one could not tell from my accent. My experience with learning English and post-secondary education in Canada will allow me to connect with and help my students. On the other hand, there's this emphasis on English teachers being native speakers, and even a previous employer has specifically told me (and others) not to say to our students that English is our second language. I even had students decline to work with me because of my background. I want to be true to myself and my roots, and I think that, if that is the case with the students, then that student is not for me. However, I am curious if anyone has encountered this and how you handled a situation like that.