Byron Bay’s first (10429NAT) Certificate IV in TESOL ends tomorrow. So, today, I took the opportunity to catch up with one of our 5, now almost qualified, trainees, Susan.
Why did you decide to do the course?
I’m already a primary school teacher but I wanted to be able to teach overseas. Then I saw the TESOL course was running in Byron Bay and I thought what a great place to study; It’s gorgeous here and I can go to the beach and go swimming when I’m not studying.
How did you feel on your first day?
I was looking forward to it but also worried about how much homework we would have as wanted to enjoy Byron Bay as well as study. Luckily I was able to do about half my work at school, half at home, and still enjoy the beautiful location and weather.
One of the first things you did was observe some Lexis English classes. What was that like?
It felt unreal.I thought it was really nice of them to have us in their classrooms.It was also interesting to see the different teaching styles. I could borrow ideas from the way they structured the lessons their board-work, and how they interacted with the students.
And how did you feel about teaching your first lesson?
Actually, it went well. I had planned very carefully and knew exactly what I was going to say. I remember it was about sports and leisure and I had 5 or 6 students in the class, who were lovely. In a way, I probably put more pressure on myself because I was a teacher, so I had to do a good job, but luckily all my activities went to plan.
And did you feel very different when you taught your last lesson?
All of us improved so much and we understood what we were doing and why. The planning became faster and easier and I found my plans became more efficient.
What were the best things about the course?
Our tutor Anji was excellent. She had to manage five quite extreme personalities and did so with ease. She also brought the material to life and instructed well but at the same time made us work things out for ourselves.
I also enjoyed playing the part of the student when there weren’t many students from outside to participate in the classes and it was always good to observe different classes and the interactions within them.
I learned a lot about how to structure an English lesson and also gained an awareness of the grammar terminology. And one day we did a full IELTS test, which was really interesting.
So what are you going to do next?
Tomorrow, I’m going to visit my mum but then, next week, I’m leaving for Peru. Then my plans are flexible, I’m going to Bolivia, meeting a friend in Cuba and then heading to Mexico to work my way southwards. I might try and do some teaching work while I’m there or I might save that for when I go to South East Asia.
That sounds like a wonderful plan and I’m sure you’ll be able to put your training to good use. Thank you so much for talking to me today, Susan, and good luck.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students can study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Like this:
Like Loading...