How it all began
This post is a glimpse into the journey that led to the creation of ESL Escape Room and a little about the person behind it.
The story likely begins in my childhood. Like most kids, my world revolved around games—whether with family or friends, I was always playing. Board games, card games, fantasy role-playing (where we’d run around pretending to shoot each other), hide and seek, kerbsy (a classic for my fellow Brits), and of course, the PlayStation—specifically, the iconic PS1.
One of my most memorable games was Worms Armageddon. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a quirky 2D game where you control a team of heavily armed worms (yes, actual earthworms). Your mission? Wipe out your opponents before they destroy you. Sure, the over-the-top violence was fun, but what truly captivated me was the strategic puzzle-solving. Yeh, you could fire rockets or unleash explosive sheep willy-nilly. But you could also dig tunnels, build bunkers, and craft clever strategies to outsmart your enemies. That problem-solving aspect fascinated me—and if I’d applied as much focus to my schoolwork as I did to perfecting my Worms tactics, I might’ve scored a few more high grades in GCSE!
Despite my virtual escapades, I managed decent relatively grades, earned my A-levels, and eventually graduated from university. That’s when my teaching journey began. A friend convinced me (though “convince” makes it sound harder than it was!) to move to Xi’an in China and teach English as a Second Language.
Thrown in at the deep end doesn’t even begin to cover it. With no experience, I was handed a book, dropped into a classroom of 25 children, and told to “crack on.” It was trial by fire, but that first year taught me more about classroom management, engagement, and creativity than any course ever could. They say the best way to learn to swim is to dive into the deep end. If you don’t drown, you’ll emerge swimming like a champ!
After two amazing years in Xi’an, I ventured further—teaching in Myanmar, Cambodia, Spain, and eventually landing in the Basque Country, where I still live today.
Over the years, I’ve worked with students of all ages and levels, in classrooms ranging from cramped spaces barely bigger than a bathroom to sprawling conference halls and even town squares. Each setting brought its challenges—tight resources, packed schedules, and, of course, the universal question: How do I make this class fun, engaging, and effective for everyone?
The answer, for me, was always games. If it’s fun and gets students involved willingly, they’ll learn. That simple truth became the inspiration behind ESL Escape Room.
And so I set out to create a game that would:
- Give teachers a ready-to-go lesson plan with less than two minutes of prep.
- Cover essential vocabulary and grammar key to building confidence, and enthusiasm that carries students from the foundational stages through to advanced fluency.
- Adapt to any curriculum so teachers can focus on the topics their students need most.
- Strike the perfect balance of familiarity and novelty—enough consistency for students to develop strategies, but enough variation to keep it exciting.
After countless hours of development (many of them during the first COVID lockdown), ESL Escape Room was born.
Today, I run my own English Language School in a beautiful coastal town where I use the Escape Room game at the end of each trimester with my older students and monthly with younger ones. Their excitement when they see the timer projected on the whiteboard is priceless.
If you’re looking for an activity that engages your students and keeps them begging to learn more, I invite you to give ESL Escape Room a try. Seeing my students enjoy it is the greatest reward, but your support helps me create expansion packs and games for other levels.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy exploring the site!