Our Teaching Philosophy
Our approach builds a strong, sound foundation in the basic principles of playing good bridge.
We don’t believe in overloading you with a bunch of fancy gadgets, but rather introducing conventions in context so you can understand why they are valuable and how they are used. Our approach applies the general principle of flexible thinking to defense, hand evaluation and declarer play. We teach you to think creatively and constructively about how to handle the unique challenge of each new hand.
We help you create a balance between understanding the rules – and knowing when to break them. We believe in the ACBL “zero tolerance” policy and work at creating a comfortable, positive and FUN environment for learning. Whether you are new or experienced, interested in social or duplicate bridge, we’d love to help you.
Our Qualifications
We are both ACBL Life Masters. John has taught bridge for many years, in the classroom, in small groups, and individually. Carol is an ACBL Accredited Bridge Teacher, an ACBL Accredited Online Bridge Teacher, and a member of the American Bridge Teachers Association.
Testimonials
Here is representative feedback from our students:
- “Thank you so very, very much for the attachments for the hands we played tonight! I am so very, very grateful that I decided to take this follow up class! It is tremendously helpful!!! I really like learning about bridge strategy and playing bridge with direct supervision from you. I am so very grateful!! I feel very optimistic! Thank you!”
- “Your teaching style is so encouraging and positive. Plus of course you have infinite patience.”
- “Obviously I am a huge fan and supporter of the classes since I’ve taken every one of them! In addition, I am both very thankful and awed that you are so responsive when we have questions about things outside of the class. If I haven’t told you before, I’m so grateful to you and John for everything you do. Thanks, Carol!”
- “If you are looking to have a relaxed conversation about improving your game in bridge, I highly recommend this class.”
- “We’re all so happy that you both love bridge so much and are willing to shepherd us novices along!”
- “Thanks so much for being patient and positive!”
- “Thanks to you both for trying to teach us!”
- “I can’t tell you how much you and John have contributed to expanding my enjoyment of bridge by increasing my expertise. Your style of teaching is perfect: breaking everything down into bite-size pieces and taking a logical simple progression through the maze of infinite variations. Your own love of the game and commitment to sharing your knowledge is so appreciated. So is your willingness to adjust and adapt your lessons according to our own individual needs. You and John have shone a bright light into this dark COVID-19 confinement. So looking forward to continuing our endless quest for mastery…”
- “Thanks, Carol and John, for all you do to keep us sane and entertained during this horrible period. I’m looking forward to the next series of lessons.”
- “You both give so much to everyone. Thank you! COVID-19 has been tolerable with all the bridge lessons, games reviews, etc.”
- “We have so enjoyed your bridge classes. It’s such a fun way of sharing a mutual interest with each other and learning to be a better (much better?) player along the way. I have gained so much confidence in the classes, because you never seem to run out of patience and I feel “Safe” to make mistakes within our supportive group of students. The format works well for us, with the short class at the beginning, followed by the hand play immediately after. It definitely reinforces the learning. We will continue with the classes. Thanks for the handouts, homework (!), and sharing your time with us so generously. I’m so grateful that you also run the tournaments and keep us in the loop for local times/places for more bridge experience. Thanks to you and John, I made it through the Pandemic year from hell. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
Questions?
Please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.