I started my TEFL journey as a graduate straight from University. I’m a teacher trainer now, but I’m still teaching alongside; this will be my ninth academic year in the classroom. I’ve been doing in-house teacher training since 2015 and qualified as a CELTA Tutor in March 2019. So, I can still see things from both sides of the coin.
What I (still) like the most about teaching is the amount that I learn from my students thanks to their life experiences and expertise, so I try to treat teaching as a two-way interaction. During a CELTA course, this translates into encouraging genuine interaction between trainee and students. It can be necessary to remind trainees not to leave their humanness at the classroom door, despite any nerves or stress they may be experiencing.