Lessons from the Classroom
CELTA
K.S.
ASSIGNMENT 4: LESSONS FROM THE CLASSROOM
I decided to take CELTA course as part of my continuing professional development. I am working in a FE institution and I am training and assessing NVQs at the moment, but have wanted to move on to full time ESOL and literacy for quite some time. I also really wanted to go travelling and thought that teaching could be the answer to any cash shortages on the way. The three month-journey I put myself through with CELTA proved to me that I can actually start thinking seriously about pursuing a career in ELT and gave me confidence to kick start my travelling preparations, because I do not have to worry so much about coming back and finding myself without a job, money and career perspectives. All through my life people told me I would make an ok teacher and now I think I believe them. I thoroughly enjoyed the “ride”: the lesson planning, the stress of standing in front of a group of people, the hectic atmosphere of working and studying at the same time, the deadlines, the madly long hours in the library and most of all, the overwhelming feeling of wild satisfaction I get after a successful lesson. I do realise, however that there is a long way to go before I reach the standard I set for myself, but the end of the course does not, in any way mean the end of development for me. To learn language teaching in three months is really a challenge, but because of its structure, the course facilitates a tremendous learning curve in all students. When I think about it now, at the end of the journey, I think that part time course is the only option that could work for me, not only because I am in a full time employment, but because the course lasts over 12 weeks, it provides an opportunity to finish my lesson, sit back and really think about the strengths and weaknesses and the progress and areas to improve. My TP experience started with some good comments; Fay wrote that my “presence in the classroom is flawless and you are
K.S.
ASSIGNMENT 4: LESSONS FROM THE CLASSROOM
I decided to take CELTA course as part of my continuing professional development. I am working in a FE institution and I am training and assessing NVQs at the moment, but have wanted to move on to full time ESOL and literacy for quite some time. I also really wanted to go travelling and thought that teaching could be the answer to any cash shortages on the way. The three month-journey I put myself through with CELTA proved to me that I can actually start thinking seriously about pursuing a career in ELT and gave me confidence to kick start my travelling preparations, because I do not have to worry so much about coming back and finding myself without a job, money and career perspectives. All through my life people told me I would make an ok teacher and now I think I believe them. I thoroughly enjoyed the “ride”: the lesson planning, the stress of standing in front of a group of people, the hectic atmosphere of working and studying at the same time, the deadlines, the madly long hours in the library and most of all, the overwhelming feeling of wild satisfaction I get after a successful lesson. I do realise, however that there is a long way to go before I reach the standard I set for myself, but the end of the course does not, in any way mean the end of development for me. To learn language teaching in three months is really a challenge, but because of its structure, the course facilitates a tremendous learning curve in all students. When I think about it now, at the end of the journey, I think that part time course is the only option that could work for me, not only because I am in a full time employment, but because the course lasts over 12 weeks, it provides an opportunity to finish my lesson, sit back and really think about the strengths and weaknesses and the progress and areas to improve. My TP experience started with some good comments; Fay wrote that my “presence in the classroom is flawless and you are