TEFL certification does not come in a cornflake box. It's bloody hard work, hence the lack of blog updates in the last four week. When you get it, you know you've earned it. And I got it .....
The course is over four weeks. Each of the weeks contain two teaching assessments which are carried out at real schools teaching real students.
My first week was a bit of a challenge, at the risk of sounding think I just didn't get it, at all. After being sent off to prepare fir the first lesson I had a bit of a moment and seriously did consider if this was what I really wanted to do. I had problems assimilating the model and then applying it into creating a real lesson. I have to congratulate Pete, the head trainer and Judy, the assistant. They were incredibly patient and supportive and I got to the first teaching assessment with a cogent plan which I sort of understood. The requirement is to pass six of the eight 50 minute teaching practices. After a night of little sleep I got to the first lesson, delivered it and really enjoyed it. I was as nervous as a nervous thing but I had as much fun as the kids. And it got better.... Again, not without it's challenges. I can't remember how many times I came out of Pete's office having had a bit of coaching only to be back there 10 minutes later with a 'sorry, I still don't get it' . As the door opened for the third or fourth time, I'm sure Pete was thinking, oh fuck, he's back again. But it didn't show and eventually the model was pretty much engrained in my rather thick skull. Which is good. As I started it was probably taking me around five hours to prepare and plan for a 50 minute lesson. Thick as I may be it didn't take that long to work out that this type of planning to delivery ration did not stack up. Fortunately I drove bat down somewhat.
The great news for me is that I came out with 8 passes in the teaching assessments and a pass in the exam.
My marks were:
2.25
1.75
2.0
2.0
1.5
1.5
1.0
1.25
I was well pleased, especially with the 1.0 mark. The required mark in the exam was 70% and I logged an 88% not the best mark, but achieved my objective. I really fucked up on the Phonetics and the sentence structure but I know where I went wrong and the I-Pad apps available that cover the subjects are now all safely installed on my I-Pad.
I'm now an ESL English teacher. yippee indeed
My fellow students were a great bunch. A wide range of ages from 21 to 62. I wasn't even the oldest. There were good dynamics, the normal dramas as we went through the Norming-Forming-Storming-Performing process. It would have made a very interesting 'fly on the wall' documentary. I'm pretty sure of that.
I have claimed the award for first sale. I managed to do a deal with an Ethiopian at the bar we went to for the end of course celebrations. 6 hours 1-1 English tuition at 150bht an hour. You can take the boy out of sales but can't take sales out of the boy.....
A new chapter and an exciting one at that......
Location:Suthep 5,Mueang Chiang Mai,Thailand
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