Best Year Of My Life

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Motivation in the classroom is the biggest reason why I teach students in a high school setting. I am a public-school teacher and I get English as a Second Language students all the time in my classroom. I am a 10th-grade teacher but my students' ages range from 14 years old to 19 years old. The number one factor that I teach is for motivation. My students are already matured and have seen things they probably should not have at their ages. Once they get to my classroom, they are mine to teach. I do my utmost best to teach my students. I have students from all over the world, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Egyptian, Asian, Africa, to name a few countries. I now have wonderful scores. I...  [Read more]

Anastasiia Ovchinnikova Visa and Legal Budget and Salary Destinations Alumni Experiences When we think of moving to China, we often imagine this marvelous picture of futuristic cities, glass skyscrapers, and 24/7 buzzing big city lifestyle. That was me 4 years ago while packing my suitcases to start a new chapter of my life in this far and foreign country. I was so fresh yet naïve having graduated with a BA in Linguistics when I was offered a job as a kindergarten teacher in Tianjin. After just a couple of Internet searches, I learned that it is one of the biggest cities in China with a population of 15 million and that I could easily get to Beijing in under 20 minutes on a speed train....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The year was 1992, I was going to my first English class. I was so excited to begin. I’d always wanted to learn that language. The movies, music and everything I loved the most was in English. I was ten years old, my whole class was the same age, but the only thing I didn’t know was they were much ahead of me. The course placed me in a classroom with kids that were already speaking English since they were six years old. They spoke all the time and I couldn’t understand anything. I felt so disappointed and ashamed, I couldn’t even comprehend the difference between him and her. Even my teacher made fun of me. As a result, I got out of the course after lots of swollen eyes and arguments with my parents....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I was born in the United States in a big Italian family, where Italian customs and tradition played a key role and influence in my upbringing. My Mom and Dad were travelers of a different kind and would take many hiatus to exotic lands in far off places, leaving us children behind. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rosella P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. However, one year when I was just a little girl, my parents decided it was time to take the entire family on an 8 months travel excursion throughout all of Europe. On our travels, we were introduced to many different cultures and experiences that ultimately changed the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A life long learner, to me, is one who desires to learn new things based on interests, motivations, and knowledge to be gained. As one who is a certified teacher in first through eighth grades (in Louisiana, USA), possesses a master degree in education, as well as having a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a minor in Leadership and Supervision, does not mean that I know it all; far from it. In my middle school teaching days and years of teaching in higher education preparing teachers to teach, I encountered students from other culturally diverse backgrounds; yet, I did not have the basic fundamentals of teaching students whose first language was not English. This I regret. This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I decided to write about the subject I’m an expert in, my personal teaching experience. The focus will be on what I’ve gained from the last nine years as an EFL instructor. I’ll begin by telling you about my first teaching position in rural South Korea. Next, I’ll share my experience taking the TEFL course. Finally, I’ll discuss my efforts to become an independent online English instructor. I hope my experience can provide some insight into some of the many options for EFL teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karissa B. After too many hours in an airplane and another two hours in a taxi, I finally arrived at my new home. My co-teacher was there to meet me. He would become...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The one thing l liked most about teaching was the many jackets one gets to wear. To some l was a fashion icon, to others a role model, to others someone they could easily go to and talk about their life and personal challenges. Hence, the code of conduct for teachers stretches even to their communities and homes. Their mere being impacts the lives of the country's generations and helps build a nation, academically and socially. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Trish A. In 2002, l was doing my grade 4 level, taught by a tall slim and soft-spoken woman from Bulawayo. During the second term of that year, she got married to a local pastor and she had just turned thirty years old. I remember...  [Read more]

Latrice Coates TEFL Information Alumni Experiences I am sure you’ve seen the sponsored posts floating around your social media feed of travelers in these candid, well-desired places with the caption “I quit my 9-5 to travel the world & so can you”. You immediately get excited, then you look at the stack of bills on your dining room table then your bank account, and then instantly become discouraged and continue scrolling through your feed. Ha...yeah… that was me two years ago too. But now, here I am.. I DID quit my federal 9-5 job to travel the world full time and I’m here to give you the scoop that most influencers don’t tell you about moving abroad... Most of us did not just walk into work one day, went to our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Having completed my Bachelor of Arts in Drama, I started my international teaching career straight out of university. What was meant to be a gap year opportunity of traveling and earning money has become a professional career in education spanning over ten years in more than five different countries. What was once a means to an end, has become a passion and a calling. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Desmond K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first time I became aware of the ESL job market was in my third year of university when one of the alumni from the Drama department returned from a year of teaching in South...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have been a teacher my whole life. First, I coached volleyball to a group of eleven-year-olds. Afterward, I became (and still am) a yoga teacher currently looking to extend my teaching qualifications towards teaching English to kids online. Through all this experience I have come to know that the true power of a teacher revolves around his/her ability to involve and motivate students; to inspire and elevate them. That alone can bring about faster development than any amount of grammar exercises and drills ever would on their own. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Hristina M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Before I began...  [Read more]

Anastasiia Ovchinnikova Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas It's already been a year and a half since I said goodbye to my young English learners at a small bilingual kindergarten in Beijing and packed my suitcases to start a new life chapter in Spain. The memories of this time, 10 GB of pictures and videos on my hard drive, and a little notebook with local recipes still warm up my heart. The life of an expat is not that easy, but it's worth it in so many different ways. This blog post talks about the most important things that I've learned after almost three years of living and teaching English in China. The first month after you arrive in a new country is...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by recent ITTT graduate Kaitlin F., who shares her 10 years of teaching experience with us talking about the many different jobs in the English education field she was fortunate to work in. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Katilin F. An educator by definition is a person who provides instruction and/or education. In my own personal experience, educators in my life have not always been individuals that have gained their qualifications via professional schooling, but also by training or from their own experiences. This has transcended into what I believe an educator truly is. My first experience with teaching began at the tender age of thirteen at my dance school....  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I was scrolling down the list of the topics for the summative task. I was looking for something less technical, less methodical, something more ‘human’ I’d say. A title straight away jumped to my eyes: ‘How can English influence a student’s future career’. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christian A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. While reading that line I felt that whatever I was doing at that moment, in that stage of my life, that surrounding, whatever I was doing in that instant, in that specific part of the world, would be pure imagination If I had not learnt English. I needed a personal approach, a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I came to China about a year ago now, I left America with just the items in my backpack and enough money to eat for a few days. Coming to China was the biggest change I have had in my life (for the better) and it has opened my eyes to many opportunities I could potentially pursue. I came here alone to meet my best friend and his uncle, who runs an English school with foreign teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate mitchell c. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My best friend’s uncle suggested I go to college and get my TEFL to become an English teacher for him. All my life I had never imagined I would ever become an English...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences One of the most rewarding times of my life is my career of teaching kindergarten for the last fifteen years. These young learners bring curiosity, energy, and enthusiasm to the classroom. Five and six year olds are still accustomed to needing help, and making mistakes; therefore, they are less self-conscious and are eager to learn in order for them to become more self-reliant. My husband and I are embarking on a new adventure to Indonesia where I will be working in a school in the early childhood department. The information I learned from my TEFL course will be very useful. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate JoAnn S. A kindergarten classroom needs to be a pleasant, cheerful and inviting...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I chose to pass “teaching English as a second language” because In my opinion I have great experience and practice in my life and I would love to give knowledge to young learners after what they could open the whole world for themselves, because the English language is international, everywhere you go, you can communicate with others. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Iuliia K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I always loved to be one step ahead of others especially in doing everything to have a better life, to have a work opportunity, and travel all around the world. All my school years I dreamed of being a flight...  [Read more]

Kristin Hoppe TEFL Information At 25 years old, I heard Peru calling my name and could no longer ignore it. I dreamed of moving abroad alone again after teaching English in France — and it was finally happening, with TEFL certification in hand. Unfortunately, many friends, family members, and acquaintances had a different reaction. I saw wide eyes and heard words of concern. Instead of sharing in my excitement, I spent most of my time fending off people’s fear-mongering questions or convincing them that my plan was actually a good idea. Spoiler alert: it was a fantastic idea. Women have all heard the warnings before: Don’t walk alone at night. Keep your purse close to you. Never leave your drink unattended. We’ve been raised listening to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching is a profession that has always been appealing to me. Being able to share your knowledge and witness improvements with the students must be quite satisfactory. Moreover, there is quite a lot of psychology involved, and I am very keen on this topic. Each student is different from its background, culture, ideas, and emotions. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sean C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Altogether this makes a very interesting, varied, and fascinating landscape in which you can become a better version of yourself. I grew up speaking English and French and later on I went to learn Spanish by traveling for...  [Read more]

Ron Borland Alumni Experiences When I think back to my time teaching English in Chile, I can say that it has been an awesome experience for me because of how wonderful it can be to share one’s native language with someone else. Probably the best thing about it was to see the others in gaining their experience overall in adapting to the new way of thinking. I know I had my troubles as I had to teach sometimes in Spanish what the rule was in English. For that, I relied on the help of other teachers to help with some of the grammar. When I think back to how it all started, I remember being asked to help at a local fitness center to help with swim lessons. But since I had such a knowledge of English from my years of reading and writing over the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences From my heritage of teachers to multicultural experiences, I feel that events in my life have prepared me to be an effective English teacher. Teaching is something I’ve always enjoyed doing and I have wanted to become a teacher for much of my adult life. Teaching English will be a new experience for me, but I’m at a point where I am ready to take on this exciting chance to not only make a difference in students’ lives but to also see new parts of the world. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph Brent W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My grandmother was a school teacher and some of my earliest memories are of her...  [Read more]

Sabrina Segal Alumni Experiences Language skills begin in the womb when a fetus's hearing first develops, they begin to listen to the language of their mother. Once the baby is born they recognize their mother tongue. Though, a baby is born with the ability to learn any language and multiple languages. When babies hear a word repeatedly their brain forms neural connections, which is a step towards their speech. The brain of a child is like a sponge. It retains so much information that by the time a child reaches 3 years of age, their brain has formed double the amount of connections that adults have. Young children learn language through simple exposure. It is possible to learn a language later on in life but the process is slower and more...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In a globalized and fast-growing world, the English language has grown to be considerably important. But let's analyze a bit further into the topic. The English language is the second most spoken language in the world only after the Chinese mandarin. With English speakers all around the globe, It's been a big part of tourism and other industries around the world. There are many reasons why the English language has grown to be so important in the past few years. The great development of a great powerful and influential country like the United States is one of the main reasons. Media from this country is consumed everywhere and has gained the interest of people from different cultures, languages, and countries. In a...  [Read more]

Gianluca Costa TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Many of us, at least once in our life, have the desire to change our careers. However, when you spend many years in the same field, it is hard to change to another for various reasons. Mostly it's that your mindset is orientated in a certain way. The idea of change completely seems to be impossible and gives you a feeling of uncertainty but the benefits of undertaking such a big step can be plentiful. I'm here to give you some tips and encourage you to make this huge step. I worked in hospitality for almost 12 years. It was a fun career at the beginning. A chef or a waiter is like an artist, it's a passion and you produce something for people that makes their day simply by...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Since time immemorial teaching and learning have been the most effective developments of humanity, be it morally, socially, spiritually or intellectually. In my opinion, the fundamentals of teaching are solely based on the educator’s ability to administer learning in such ways that are innovative and creative to the learner’s potential to grasp concepts. Thus, this essay will discuss my personal teaching experiences in the classroom with young and middle-aged learners in a large classroom using a pragmatic approach. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nikisha L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. To commence with my teaching...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences What does it mean to volunteer? According to the Oxford Dictionary: "A volunteer is a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task", according to me, volunteering is a life-changing experience where you are able to help others. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zayra R. I volunteered for the first time 7 years ago and I remember to be very excited and a little nervous, not knowing what to expect. The moment I arrived at the shelter house for abandoned girls, I knew right away that I had to give my best every day. During that week, we fixed the garden, planted flowers and vegetables and I also helped building rooms and decorating them. I taught basic English to...  [Read more]

Hadassah Roberts Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One should know that a healthy classroom stems from a healthy teacher. When the teacher is healthy, then the whole class atmosphere will be much more alive. The students will see the healthiness of the teacher and will be inspired to protect and build their health. This, in turn, will cause increased happiness and progress in their studies. Over the years in my teaching experiences, I have worked hard to increase my health for the benefit of not only myself but also for the benefit of my students. I have found some life habits that have greatly improved my health and helped me to maintain my health. I want to share what I have learned with other teachers so that we can increase...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences At the cafeteria during lunchtime, a student of mine approached and asked me, “Why did you become a teacher?” Dumbfounded by this brazen question, I did not know what to say. I could have chosen motherhood statements like “I want to make a difference in the world,” “to have a positive impact on my student’s lives, “or that “I love children.” I ended up saying to him, “Well, I am good at teaching.” However, the truth of the matter is, I needed a job and there was an opportunity so I took it. You can say it was fate that called me to be a teacher. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself being a Grade 3 homeroom teacher! After having experienced a variety of jobs in my life from...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas We live in a community where we can have everything we desire with one click, with one single device, on one single screen, we can see the infinitive things the whole world has to offer, and we do not even need to stand up from our sofa to get whatever we want. We live in a world that makes us believe that what we have is never enough; we are always seeking what is not in our house, what is not in our bag, what is not in our garden; human beings are so overwhelmed with a constant creation of any imaginable thing, there is such an overproduction that not even in a thousand years we would be able to benefit and make a true usage of everything...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching is a very enjoyable job and can also be highly rewarding. I had the opportunity to learn that by having an eighteen-month religious experience in which I shared all my beliefs with the people in Ecuador. Even though it wasn’t a job I gave it my full commitment and that might be why I gained so much knowledge and life lessons from it. After returning home, I realized that I wanted to keep having that feeling in my life. I wanted to teach people. Now, the question was what to teach. After talking to some of my close family members and friends, I remembered an old dream that I had when I was younger: Being an English teacher. I started having a passion for this language since elementary school or maybe...  [Read more]