How To Get Certified To Teach In Another State

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As both an individual tutor and group teacher of High Beginning Conversational English for the ESL division of Literacy New Jersey, I have become familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of volunteer teaching. While the drawbacks can be challenging, the rewards of volunteer teaching far outweigh any drawbacks that I have encountered. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Charles M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Currently, my tutoring includes students from West Africa and Israel. My High Beginning Conversational English class has students from around the globe including Guatemala, Venezuela, Israel, Liberia and more. This...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I think to best address this question you need to know why I took this course. I am a USA certified teacher who arrived in China almost 6 years ago after a teacher in the Florida school system for 13 years. I was an ESE (Exceptional Student Education) certified, Middle School Math and Science teacher. When I first arrived, I assumed all the foreign teachers I worked with were also certified teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jennifer K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I quickly discovered this was not true and began to experience working with TEFL/TESOL teachers. There was a distinct lack of understanding in many...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Put simply, children think and learn differently than adults. Jean Piaget, as one of the leading psychologists to explore these differences, puts forth the four stages of cognitive development, unified by an overarching idea called constructivism. He specifically focuses on children rather than all learners and, further still, focuses on development rather than learning. His constructivism theory posits that children form an understanding of the world around them and modify that representation based on their experiences and shifting environments that either contradict or confirm what they have built. (1) Therefore, in working with young learners, teachers should be mindful of this as they promote the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There are many reasons why a person might be interested in becoming TEFL certified. Initially, I only really had one reason, is that it’d be an interesting way to start my career as a teacher and would determine if this was something I wanted to do with a big portion of my life. One of my major life goals is revamping the American education system and making it more efficient, especially on the public-school level. I’ve learned a decent amount about how education is handled in several countries outside of America and while no system is perfect, there are things we could be doing better. By finding a TEFL job in another country I’d be able to gain experience as a teacher as well as study teaching methods...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A lesson plan is a working document that serves as a reference point for teaching. A lesson plan is also a record; it can be referred to in any future lesson by the teacher. It also serves as a guide for a teacher who is covering an absent teacher. It helps the teacher to know how to carry out the lesson. This means that a lesson plan has to be simple and clear for another teacher to understand. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Esther O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It is important to know the number of learners you will be teaching. It helps in planning how to pair or group learners in an activity. The planning for a large...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this summative task, I'll describe the best thing I've learned from my TEFL/TESOL course. Firstly I would like to state that the lesson planning learning was the best part of this course for me. For this task, I will include the methods of planning that I have learned about in this course such as materials, songs and movement, and also a short lesson plan I have come up with myself. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lorna A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The best part throughout this course I have learned how important lesson planning can be and how being organized and prepared for a lesson is. Disorganization can...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A lesson plan is one of the English teacher’s most useful tools. A lesson plan makes a teacher think concretely about what they want the students to have learned by the end of the lesson, and the steps for making that possible within the allotted timeframe. It allows a teacher to estimate how long various activities will take, and to think about what students will ideally learn from each activity. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Katherine V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A lesson plan also functions as a record, helping a teacher to remember exactly what was covered, and when. Such a record will show the teacher...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A highly motivated student is one who is goal-oriented, driven by passion and focused. He/she does things from the bottom of the heart. Motivation can be viewed as an internal impulse that brings us to complete an action. Without motivation, there is no action. Motivation is what moves or inspires the learner to achieve set objectives. It's the motor that drives the student to achieve pedagogical objectives. Hence it's an essential tool to equip students with, so that whatever they do it effectively and with perfection. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Owen G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Behavior can be a very close...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When I first made the transition from primary school to university, I knew that my lesson plans were clearly going to have to change. As I began to come up with ideas for my new job, I was disappointed that most of the content I previously used had no place in the university. Games, such as Hangman and Pictionary, worked excellently in capturing the interests of my young students, but I didn’t think these childish games had any place in a university classroom. I found out weeks later how wrong I was when I used Pictionary at the beginning of one of my courses to ‘preview’ the vocabulary we would be covering in class that day. I discovered that day that games can support a lesson if the educator...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning and teaching process requires awareness of types of intelligence and learning styles. Some people use a mnemonic device Method of loci, or memory palace, to recall information. This method is based on spatial memory to learn by heart names, numbers, or objects. Others may need to move or use the so-called Total Physical Response that helps them to start thinking. Every student is unique and uses different learning strategies. One of the reasons is the variety of intelligences. Multiple intelligences concept helps to develop the abilities of different students. For example, the focus is on children learning English as a foreign language. If a teacher wants to design diverse and interesting lessons,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Over the last few years, Teaching English in a foreign country has become very popular for the younger generation in the United States of America and other countries where English is their primary language. The reason is that nowadays, many people want to travel the world to explore cultural differences, especially among the younger generation. However, not everyone could afford to travel the world due to daily expensiveness when traveling overseas. Many young people have chosen to teach English while they are traveling because it is a good and easy way to make a decent amount of money while they are traveling to different countries. Even though most of the teachers had completed the English Teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Second language acquisition is used to refer to any language other than the first language, so it refers to the acquisition of any language after the acquisition of the mother tongue. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Abdelkabir E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It functions as a recognized means of communication among members who speak some other language as their mother tongue. For example; English as a second language is learned in the United States and some countries in Africa. There are two types; the learner focuses on communication in naturalistic second language acquisition, In instructed second language...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As with many languages, English has so many different dialects. When one travels to a different region of the United States, for example, one will likely encounter different accents, vocabulary and different meanings of the same words. This is also true for British English and American English. For the purpose of this assignment, we will look a little deeper into these. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarah Jane G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Many people enjoy traveling. In many parts of the world, English is the primary language, because of this, many people think if they pick places like the U.S. or the U.K. that they...  [Read more]

Ramon Perez Teaching Ideas With each passing day, we learn something new. We build upon the previously attained knowledge and expand our understanding of various subjects. As teachers, we have the responsibility of expanding our students’ knowledge and abilities. As much as we would like to provide fun and innovative ways to present the information, it can be difficult to keep it fresh on a daily basis. There are many factors to take into consideration when teaching a new subject: what, when, how, where, and why. Because we have many factors to consider, it’s vital to be as organized as possible. The tool we use to achieve this, is a lesson plan. In today’s blog, we will briefly discuss what a lesson plan is, the 5 elements mentioned above,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For this task, I have selected the course structure. As a teacher, a lot goes into the daily operation of the classroom. They need to consider their classroom setup, their management style, and the students they will teach. However, one very important facet of teaching is lesson design and teaching students appropriate standards to help them in their English acquisition. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Heejeong K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Even though there are lots of teaching methodologies such as grammar-translation, audio-lingual approaches, task-based learning and PPP (presentation, practice, and production), it...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences TEFL Reviews & TESOL Reviews For ITTT, our community of students and alumni is the most important to us. That’s why we’d love to share what our course grads have to say! This will not only have others make a better decision in whether TEFL/TESOL is for them, but it will also help the ITTT community grow bigger and stronger! The below answers were given from real ITTT alumni who have agreed to share their thoughts for our blog section. Sabrina Oliveira I am from and currently residing in Brazil. I took the course to be able to teach and live abroad. I thoroughly enjoyed learning new techniques and methods to help the students. My dream is to look for jobs in my country, then open my...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas ESA is a common methodology that teachers use when teaching students another language. It is also a large part of your TEFL certification course. By using the layout of the ESA method to plan your lessons, they will be more structured, organized and effective. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Casandra L. ESA stands for engage, study, and activate. By using ESA, it gives teacher's the flexibility to conduct a classroom in an organized and productive way. ESA is extremely important when it comes to teaching, because it keeps the students interested, motivated, and eager to learn more. That is why all teachers, especially new ones, should learn the ESA method when teaching students a new language. The first...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The best thing I have learned from my TEFL course is the ESA method. I discovered this method in Lesson 2 of our course which, for me, is one of the best and useful lessons in the whole course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Horacio A. In my previous experience, I had learned most of the methodologies explained in Lesson 2, but I had never had the chance to know about this method before. ESA stands for Engage-Study-Activate, the three stages or phases of this method. This method was introduced in 1998 by Jeremy Harmer. It is the most dynamic and creative method, suitable to any level. It is an eclectic method, because it combines the best of previous methodologies used in language...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas One common problem the EFL teacher may confront in the classroom is a group of learners who are confused, intimidated, or anxious. In a word, classroom stress has the potential to significantly hinder the prospects of a successful learning experience. What are some techniques the teacher can employ to overcome this obstacle or to prevent it from emerging in the first place? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brian J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A useful way to begin answering this question is by referring back to the two videos presented in unit 10 of this TEFL course. In the first video, one sees a classroom of confused and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Walking into a classroom for the first time can be an intimidating experience! It can be even more intimidating if the teacher has moved to another country to teach English, as communication can be quite a challenge. Also, the teacher is often in an unfamiliar environment and dealing with cultural differences. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Janet K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. So what makes a good teacher? Well, personality-wise, a kind and patient person who loves teaching and has a lively and entertaining personality would be an ideal candidate. Of course, a good knowledge of the subject and an ability to create a good...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas We all know that exciting lessons make you learn things easier and faster. So how do we bring some life into the boring lesson? There are a lot of ways. Some teachers use songs and cartoons, which are great for kids. The others find class discussions and debates helpful. They are a good choice for older students. But what do all of us love? Of course, games! Both children and grown-ups enjoy playing games. They bring fun into the studying process and can be productive. Games can be used at every stage of the ESA lesson. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Oleh K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas We are living in a digital era, where technology is starting to become a very prominent existence in our world. It is something that surrounds us daily. With that being said, it is very hard to get away from technology. The only place you would get away from it would be school, but even then, it is starting to get more difficult. I see more and more technology being used in school nowadays. I feel that if we bring technology into the classroom in a safe manner, it will be very beneficial for the students. It will help them learn in ways we would not have been able to in the past while having fun. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gina J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas There are many important personal qualities that an English teacher should have. The first I believe is an English teacher should have is great communication skills. As an English teacher, you are communicating with people who want to learn the language. A teacher may not be able to communicate with them through the language they are learning so a teacher must utilize other communication skills to be an effective teacher. Meer states, “If a teacher's communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, and visual, which involve speaking, writing, imagery, body language, and the organization of ideas into understandable structures) are good, they can convey knowledge with better skill and results” (Meer, 2018). With the use of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas To begin with, I have been teaching English for more than 30 years. I teach groups of students and individuals of different ages and abilities. That is why I have always had a problem how to raise my students’ motivation, how to make my lessons interesting and exciting so that the bell at the end of the class would be for me, not for my students. I have always wanted them to be upset that the lesson is over. As a result of this research, I concluded that along with having different games, quizzes, puzzles, crosswords and project works, learning and singing songs is as challenging and helpful as doing grammar exercises. The results of learning English songs by heart is stunning. Do not think that I do this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this essay, I will not only take a closer look at how to deal with difficult students and how to properly react to and solve challenging situations in the classroom but I will also highlight possible solutions outside the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dennis S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, teachers need to be aware of cultural differences that might spark conflicts within the classroom. So it is vital to study the local culture in-depth and make sure one is familiar with the dos and don’ts of the particular society before starting to teach. This also includes gestures that may be normal...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There are many reasons that using songs in the classroom is important. The first, music speeds up learning. The 1960s was the moment when scholars began to examine the possibility of increasing memory abilities with music. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Huong T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A series of creative experiments performed by Dr. Georgi Lozanov and Evelyna Gateva and their findings revolutionized teaching methodology. It initiated the whole brain learning method called Accelerated Learning. Knowledge about human learning processes gained during the trial sessions of the method is of great interest to teachers...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Reviews & TESOL Reviews For ITTT, our community of students and alumni is the most important to us. That’s why we’d love to share what our course grads have to say! This will not only have others make a better decision in whether TEFL/TESOL is for them, but it will also help the ITTT community grow bigger and stronger! The below answers were given from real ITTT alumni who have agreed to share their thoughts for our blog section. Vu Thi Van Anh (Claudia Vu) I'm from Hanoi, Vietnam, I did not major in English, however I wanted to become a teacher of English. My favorite part of the course was Unit 3: Methodologies and Techniques. I would like to implement my own courses with its focus on TOEIC training and English for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lesson planning is not a task that should be taken lightly; it is the foundation for all EFL classes and plays a significant part in determining how successful students will be. While motivation and desire to learn are factors in each student’s success, a good teacher should be able to inspire motivation through interesting and student-centered lessons. However, this can only be achieved through careful consideration of all lessons. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Natalie M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First, teachers need to understand the general format for EFL lessons. Lessons should always begin with an Engage...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Language is the main part of our identities as human beings. It provides us to connect to another person, learn about our roots from the written and unwritten side in the world. Historically, language has been linked to culture, customs, and beliefs. Also, people need to get in touch with each other to communicate and continue their social world. Therefore, they use the language. From the past to today, one of the biggest effects on language is that technology which brings people closer and creating the global world. For instance, emails, digitals photos, e-texts, video files. A person who lives in Dubai can send a message to another person who lives in İstanbul or vice versa. Another example is that internet...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There are many advantages for any person to learn a second language. More important learning English can influence a student’s future career. English is the most widely spoken language in the world. This means that there is a high probability of using this language in the future or encountering someone who speaks English. This will allow you to be able to communicate with other people when traveling outside of your country. An example of this is when I travel to Asia in the tourist area I have noticed that English is the common language that is used to communicate between people from different countries. I observed that there were many tourists from Russia, China, and Japan. English is taught in many of these...  [Read more]