Why I Would Like To Become A Teacher

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As a young child, I was, for some reason, obsessed with the idea of learning French. I tried a couple of languages, including Finnish at some point, but kept going back to French. I have no idea why because I was never exposed to the culture or the language itself at that age. I doubt I even knew anything about the country itself. I think I assumed learning French would make me sound smarter but, the joke's on younger me, I have no skill in French and never have. I tend to struggle with romance languages in general. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nicole H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When I was in high school, my...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I have 3 years of experience in teaching English in a few kindergartens in Beijing, China and some experience in teaching adults in a training center. When I started in kindergarten, it was very difficult because I didn’t have enough information about how to make a proper lesson plan. I didn’t have enough materials, games, songs, and it took me a lot of time to collect all the necessary information for teaching and creating my teaching plan. Without experience, it wasn’t easy for me to build a good rapport between me and my students. It took me a while to build a connection between me and the kids. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lidiia L. Please note that this blog post might...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Until now, I have been an English teacher for 6 months. Before that, in 2016 I was a teaching assistant. That is my part-time job. And this is a journey even though I have not yet taken a TESOL class but I am still confident that I can become a teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tieu T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For the first half of the year, I was an assistant tutor for the preschool. I had very little contact with kids before so I was very confused at the time. I told the teacher that I couldn't make them obey. She is a master of special needs education. She told me to play with them and not to care about...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I choose" establishing rapport" as the topic of my summary, cause that's my priority and very important to me.establishing rapport is often overlook and undervalued by teachers.basic my own experience, building rapport with your student makes your student value the class more. they more motivated, they participate more. and their focusing class is much better.why? because of the experience I had.in my mind we all can pass the exam to be a teacher if we study hard. but that doesn't mean you can be a "qualified" one. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Doris M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I'm from China, I'm still here. We...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Young children, even when they are learning their native tongue, learn the words before they learn how to apply them correctly and as a result, children often make mistakes in their grammar, however, even when they do, it is mostly the vocabulary or the order of the words which still provides a degree of context which makes the message they intend to convey understandably and thus susceptible to improvement. It is exactly because of this fact that in this essay, I would like to dive into teaching vocabulary. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Johnny B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. About teaching vocabulary, I could say that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In the world, there are many different professions that people dream of. If you ask someone to name some of them, they probably would say something like a doctor, teacher, singer, and so on. When I was a child, my dad wanted me to become a teacher. He thought that becoming a teacher was a great job. Not just him, but many other people also thought so. It has always been like that. Back then, I was too young to understand the reason. But now that I have become a teacher, I am starting to realize why my dad and everyone else liked it. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate OTGONTSETSEG S. Please note that this blog post might...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Cambridge dictionary defines troubleshooting as the process of discovering why something does not work effectively and making suggestions about how to improve it. In TEFL as in any other foreign language course, teachers are faced with lots of situations that make troubleshooting necessary. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Olivia L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. And the reason why it is an essential part of TEFL is due, in great part, to the fact that humans make up a primary part of the equation. Humans, in general, feel a profound need to forge associations with each other through social inclusion and as a result,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Abstraction is in essence, the formation of broader, and more difficult and subjective systems from inputs. It is a concept that can be applied to the four language skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. As an idea becomes more abstract and subjective, it requires more information and becomes more difficult to answer. Some of the easiest and least abstract pieces of language are simple Yes/No statements and questions. “Do you like ice-cream?” “Yes, I do.” “No, I don’t.” A more difficult question might be, “Who likes ice-cream?” More difficult still would be, “Why do you like ice-cream?” A simple, but by no means an exhaustive list of abstraction moving from simple to difficult...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas One of the key elements to being an effective teacher is variety. One cannot teach by using the same lesson structure, the same activities, the same worksheets, the same plan every single time. No matter how effective it may be, students will still tire from the repetition, and their engagement will wane. And that is exactly why teachers have a toolbox from which to draw a wide variety of skills, activities, plans, and ideas to keep the classroom fresh and engaging. Changing scenery, environments, and going outside is all part of this toolbox, and can be used to an effective extent to keep lessons feeling stimulating and varied. And by doing so, the teacher is opening up lessons to a fun and exciting range of...  [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]

Zainab Sadriwala Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas “The most challenging of the tasks during this COVID era has been to make my children read” states a frustrated Amena; a mother of two children, one in the primary years and the other in middle school. “It was much easier for me to monitor them and ask them to read and follow the schedule when they knew they had to report to their teacher. The school environment is just so integral for sustaining discipline in young people” she continues. Like Amena, there have been many parents worldwide trying to strike a balance for their children to maintain their healthy habits, which not only helps them develop academically but also grow in every aspect. Reading is one of such...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I would start by saying that talking about my own experience either as a learner or a teacher it is really important to love what you are doing. As a student, I like a teacher that may help me not understand the subject but also be so interested that I would start doing research and learn more about the topic. We as teachers have a lot of responsibility, we can make the difference between someone who has to learn the language only because of her or his parents told them to learn a foreign way to communicate with people from other places. I want to go further and make them fall in love with this language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Arturo G. Please note that this blog post might not...  [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]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information Many people start teaching English as a means to fund their world travels. Once they have started teaching, they find it to be an immensely rewarding experience and would like to make a career out of it. They’d like to progress within the field but are unaware of the options available to them. In fact, there are many opportunities in TEFL/TESOL beyond the classroom and below we show some of the places a career as an English teacher can take you. Here’s how to advance in your EFL career! After teaching for a couple of years, many teachers move on to this position. A teacher trainer usually works for a TEFL or TESOL language center and teaches the modules part of a teacher training course such as grammar,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Every child is born with an immense capacity for learning, with an innate sense of curiosity and creativity that are of vital importance for the learning process to become a truly exciting journey. However, as a child grows up he is immersed into the world of formal schooling that tends to be downright tedious at times. As a result, most often the child feels pressed because of the attempts to fit in the way he is being taught. Memorizing, chasing results becomes a habit, while ingrained personal strengths remain barely discovered. Hence, a huge realm of human inborn potential remains unrecognized. But what if the idea of multiple intelligences would be integrated into modern education? What if the educational...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas As teachers, we often assume that we understand what our students are going through and that we can relate to the experience of learning in school because we have been there ourselves. However, many of us who teach English as a foreign language require a different empathy element to relate to our students truly. Learning a new language is a humbling experience, and doing it as a foreigner in a foreign culture is even more humbling. The question is, how many language educators can relate to this? Personally, though I do not know how many TEFL teachers have experienced a foreign language and culture for an extended period, I have had the privilege to experience it myself for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences About the question of why has English become or is perceived to be the current global language, it is important first of all to take a step back and look at some context. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduateJustin S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As a schoolboy up to O level, I learned Latin for fourteen years. Although generally speaking, if one wishes to pursue a career in medicine or botany, for example, a broad knowledge of Latin is important as it is still used to this for the classifications and individual plant and animal names. Some might argue that this is an elitist use of the language, but Linnaeus' reasoning...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information The importance of a course such as a TEFL is easy to overlook when you consider the multitude of teaching jobs that are available around the globe that require no teacher training whatsoever. In many countries, the only requirements are that you have some form of degree and are a native speaker. For those looking to travel whilst earning some money, these countries can provide a good balance of income and culture, as well as easy access to other countries in the area. However, whilst this is beneficial to the 'tourist teacher', it can often lead to substandard teaching methods. For an example of this, I need not look any further than myself. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Timothy H....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Confidence - how many times we’ve heard about it. That it’s important, that we should have it, that we should build it, that we should help students or any other people develop it. But what does it mean? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Iuliia S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It’s been always difficult to explain what is it, as it’s something that comes from feelings of well-being, acceptance of yourself, belief in your abilities, skills, your own experience. I would say it’s a ‘self-power’, that lets you move through any difficulties, helps you to grow and become a ‘someone’. The Merriam-Webster dictionary...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences It is common knowledge that teachers play a crucial role in fostering the intellectual and social development of students during their formative years. The education that students receive is key to determining the future of those students. Whether in kindergarten, elementary school, high school, or in private schools, teachers provide the tools and the environment required for their students to develop into responsible, conscientious students. Teachers act in many different roles such as motivators, leaders, role-models, mentors, and—most importantly—a good friend to their students. Furthermore, teachers serve as facilitators or coaches, using classroom materials, presentations or individual instruction to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The English Language is globally profound more than it has been many years ago. It has become the international language of the world with most people speaking and understanding. It is taught in schools in different countries all around the world to people whose native language is not the English Language. However, are these teachings effective? Does teaching skills in the classroom have a huge impact on student learning and interest in the language? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sandie M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Each school or classroom has a mission and that mission is to enhance student learning through teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Before we dig in, I think it is very important to know exactly why we are doing anything that we do. Knowing the intention behind anything we do, gives us purpose and gives us the ability to see things from a bird's eye point of view. In this case, a person choosing to teach English as a foreign language needs to ask herself why do I want to teach English? Why do I want to be in a classroom with students from all sorts of different backgrounds? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Randa E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Depending on the answer to those questions, we get to our 'why' and it must be a 'juicy why' because that is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Even in the first language, it can be difficult to get children reading. There are many reasons they may turn their nose up at a book. In some way, I think most of those reasons can be boiled down to boredom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bailey N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I have the privilege of remembering my journey to reading. When I was very young, my parents would read simple books to me, and I would enjoy looking at the pictures. I would enjoy the way they sounded especially when they rhymed. I remember the moment it clicked in kindergarten when I was so excited to understand the correlation between the words...  [Read more]

Lourien Prinsloo TEFL Information Alumni Experiences English became the undisputed lingua franca of the modern world. Having a common language, English has led to unprecedented periods of peace in the world and opened up a world of opportunities to people of all creeds, cultures, and backgrounds. Furthermore, English achieved fame through reaching large audiences and became a communication key. Effectively communicating in English quickly became a happy medium for trading, diplomacy, and human relations. Today more than 57 countries recognize English as an official language. As if this is not enough for the English language, it also enjoys another achievement. The most commonly studied foreign language, all around the world. To...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In my summative task, I would like to speak about child development, covering some points why it is important to pay attention to the development of the kids while they are at the age of being taught. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Susanna M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. But saying child development we mainly understand physical, language, thought, and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood. During this period a child progresses from dependency on their parents to increasing independence. Child development also is strongly influenced by genetic factors. During my teaching years, I...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A leader must read to expand his scope of knowledge, to keep abreast of what is happening in his field of expertise and around the world. Reading stimulates one's thinking and processing. Before we develop a child in his leadership ability, we must develop something more foundational – the love for reading. As an educator, I believe reading develops inquisitiveness, which in turn, develops the interest to engage, hence build confidence, even at a young age. And in the process, to nurture the child towards leadership ability. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Katherine C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. 'Opening the world of...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences From my own personal learning experiences, as well as what I have learned from my TEFL certification course, I believe that the seating arrangement used in the EFL classroom can have a major effect on learning outcomes. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daniel B. I always remember one teacher in college because her class stood out from all of the others. In her Greek history class, we were forced to place our desks into the form of a circle a vast majority of the time. She warned us from the first day that this would be a class far different from the normal teaching style. She told us that this style would help ensure we stay engaged, listen to others as well as her, and would help to keep us...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Hello everybody, it's Liza here. We are just about to start today's live session that is devoted to ideas on how to improve English skills. While I'm waiting for more people to join me let me just tell you about these live sessions. So we are doing them weekly and right now there are a lot of videos to check out on our YouTube channel and our Facebook group. If you missed any of these live streams you can go to our social networks and see any of them there. Welcome to the new session and if you haven't heard already my name is Liza and I'm a non-native English teacher from Russia. I can see that there are some people from the Philippines here....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Over the years I have pondered whether or not to try and teach English as a career. Watching countless online videos and reading travel blogs of 'wandering teachers' and articles on sites such as ' Dave's ESL Café, I sort of got mixed emotions about ESL teachers. That is of course until I took the chance and became one myself. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Leon G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In the two years of being a teacher I have certainly learned a lot, I've experienced extreme highs and extreme lows in a country where basic English is a rare find. With no prior experience or knowledge of how to educate, my...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences It is true that in life, the road to success is not a clear straight upward path; rather, it is more of an obstacle race. A teacher’s life looks simple from the outside. Why, she just wakes up early, wears her uniform, goes to school, and does what any other teacher does. It looks pretty straightforward, but my personal experience has been anything but. From a teenager unsure of her future to a high school English teacher, my work life so far has been perfectly imperfect. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Pia M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. 2007: I entered the university with a small blue patch on my tie, signifying my...  [Read more]