TEFL Tip Tuesday: What Makes a Good TEFL Teacher?
It is very common for people to sign up to a TEFL programme expecting it to be one big holiday, this is not the reality. Teaching English as a Foreign Language is a real job that requires you to show up every day and give it your all! So what makes a good TEFL teacher?
Educating Girls: What I’ve Learned (So Far)
The education of girls is important, it’s 2020 and I still have to say it which is honestly not good enough.
A Reflection on Digital Detox Day
If I’m honest I wasn’t planning on taking part in Digital Detox Day. I thought it was a great idea, but I was going to let it just slide by much like I would National Talk Like a Pirate Day.
TEFL Tip Tuesday: 15 Warmers and Coolers That Definitely Work Online
Not every game is suitable for online, but through trial and error I have discovered the ones that definitely do work! Whether you have just started your TEFL journey through online teaching or have had to deal with the headache of transitioning from in-class to online these games and activities are guaranteed to spice up…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: 5 Things I’ve Learned Since Teaching Online.
At the beginning of May my school here in Yangon, Myanmar moved some of its classes online. Despite having been an ESL teacher for two and a half years now I had no experience with teaching online and I was honestly dreading creating my first lesson plan! Now one month in, I finally feel like…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: How to Use Interactive Videos in Online Classes
Since the beginning of May I have been teaching English online and by far one of the most useful resources I have found are the interactive videos available on ISLCollective. These videos have been a life saver for me as my classes are two hours long and I am solely responsible for the content of…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: How To Structure an Introduction Lesson (Grade 1 – 3)
When I first arrived in China and asked the school what they wanted me to teach in my lessons the reply I got was simply; “Have fun, play games.” No topics, no vocab, nothing! From talking to other teachers this is a pretty common instruction and it can leave you feeling a bit lost…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: Top Ten Warmers and Coolers That Can Be Adapted To Any Topic.
Anyone who has studied TEFL will know how important warmers and coolers are; warmers get your students excited and energised for class and coolers keep them coming back for more! There’s no doubt that warmers and coolers are the bread that keep your English Lesson sandwich from falling apart but sometimes it can be hard…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: How To Set Classroom Rules and Why They Are Important
Rules might make you feel like you are sucking the fun out of your classroom but they are absolutely vital in order to establish structure within your lesson. Without them it is going to be hard to have any fun at all!
TEFL Tip Tuesday: My Five School Bag Essentials
The list of things that would make your life easier in the classroom is endless, but these are the five I never leave the house without!
TEFL Tip Tuesday: 5 Games to Play with Middle School Students.
When I first got given my grade eight classes I had no idea how I was going to teach them. Coming from six months of grade one, who were happy to sing baby shark and play “Teacher Says” every lesson, trying to entertain teenagers was an entirely foreign concept to me! It turned out it…
TEFL Tip Tuesday – Top Five Resources For Any ESL Teacher
I’ve been teaching English for about a year and a half now and in that time I have discovered a few resources that I find myself returning to again and again. Whether it be for lesson inspiration, warmer and cooler ideas or worksheet creation, these are the books and websites that supply me with engaging…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: In-class vs Online TEFL courses, which is better?
I have completed two courses since I began my TEFL journey way back in October 2017. The first was an online 120 hour TEFL course which I completed in my own time back in Scotland and the second was an in-class 120 hour TESOL course which I completed in Thailand with 14 other participants and…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: Why Your First Day of Teaching Will Probably be a Disaster and Why That’s Ok!
It’s been a while but I’m back with another TEFL Tip Tuesday. This post was inspired by a recent Q&A we held at the language centre I work in. It was for new teachers arriving in Myanmar and teaching English for the first time, we were asked to give them one piece of advice about…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: A Year of Teaching English, What Has it Taught Me?
A year ago today I landed in China, I had no idea what to expect. My original plan was to spend six months teaching in China and then move onto Vietnam. There I would spend another six months teaching and move onto Australia for a year before finally heading home to the U.K. It’s safe…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: Cultural Differences and How to Handle Them
If you are a TEFL teacher then you are probably about to move to a completely new country with completely new and sometimes confusing cultural differences. The first thing I want to say is; don’t see this a bad thing. It can be and is a wonderful learning experience and a way to open your…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: The Power of Pictionary
Pictionary; the Christmas day family games sesh is never complete without it but in the classroom it becomes more than a party game, this is where Pictionary becomes a powerful tool for learning. Pictionary is great for teaching English because it requires the whole class to participate. It is the perfect game to get students…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: Laughter is the Best Teaching Method
It doesn’t matter if you are teaching six-year olds, teenagers or adults; if your lessons are entertaining then your students will be engaged from the word Hello. One of the easiest ways to make a lesson entertaining is to use material that will get them laughing. How you do this is really up to you…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: Back it Up!
Computers are unreliable. Computers in Chinese schools are extra unreliable! There will be times when you arrive in class only to be told by a student that the computer is not working today. What are you going to do?! You spent a whole hour on your lesson plan, you have funny videos to show them…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: Thinking Outside Box.
Welcome back to TEFL Tip Tuesday! This week I’ve been experimenting in my classroom and it has completely changed the way I think about teaching. These posts usually come from something I learned last semester and now use in class but if there is one thing I know about life, it’s that you never stop…
TEFL Tip Tuesdays: Speak Their Language.
Welcome back to TEFL Tip Tuesdays, this week I want to focus on speaking the same language as your students. I know this sounds counterproductive, but stick with me… When introducing a new topic in English it is important to keep students interested and the easiest way to do this is to make it relatable…
TEFL Tip Tuesday: Confidence is key!
For the first TEFL Tip Tuesday let’s start at the beginning; confidence! Confidence is key, even if you don’t think you have any. Being outnumbered is never a fun experience, the first time you walk into a classroom it might just feel like that dream you had as a teenager, the one where you realised…
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Well Travelled Lass 