On Being A Teacher Trainer

By TedKarma
(This is the latest in a series of posts by experienced EFL teacher – and teacher trainer – TedKarma. Ted has spent time teaching in Saudi Arabia and Korea and now calls Thailand his home.)

Meet the World! One of the most interesting aspects of teacher training is that you get to meet people literally from around the world, from all occupations, and from all social and economic levels. A good example is my most recent class of trainees. In this classroom we had:

A sushi chef from Canada
Two EFL teachers fresh from Korea (Americans)
A corporate trainer from New York
An Australian – whose father had taken this course four years ago
A publishing exporter from England
A lawyer from the southern United States
An EFL teacher with several years’ experience in Korea and Thailand
A Tucsonan, from my home town and where I went to university(!), and
A construction manager from Ireland who has spent much of his life with projects in Africa and the Middle East.

The age range of this group was from 23 to 62. What a great mix of people! Every one with a different story, different interests, skills, experience, education – yet all working cooperatively together in one room to learn to become skilled teachers of English as a foreign language.

New friends made – and many will be friends for life. And yet, this group was not typical, because there is no typical group, except for the interesting mix. Every group is different and full of surprises, and people with great stories about their lives and their experiences around the world.

TEFL gives you an opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with people you would rarely get to meet and know in your previous life, and an opportunity to learn much more about the world and what might be out there for you.

People often ask if it is better to take a TEFL course in their home town, home country or overseas. Easy choice! You would never see such a great mix of people as this in a TEFL class in your home country. It just won’t happen. This mix of people provides you with a lot of learning and opportunity above and beyond the TEFL course itself. Combine the two – and you are energized for a new life overseas. And ready to teach!

For more information on TEFL, stop by TedKarma’s site at www.TEFLDaddy.com.