3 Reasons Why TEFL Teachers Should Never Stop Learning
Imagine that you finished your TEFL certification program and you landed your first online teaching job. Congratulations! Once you adjust to the double shifts and the lesson plans prepared for you to teach it’s pretty easy to get comfortable with your job, especially if it pays well enough for you to live. In this post I’m going to share why you should keep learning after you’ve acquired the certification and the job.
1. Business Trends Are Constantly Changing
Business trends change because consumer preferences are always changing. When you are teaching on an online platform you have to adjust to the many different students you will meet who have their own preference on how they want to practice their English. Their preference also includes how you will have to teach them. I’ve lost count of how many times I thought I found a teaching method that worked for most of my students then months later I’d have to toss it away and try a new way of teaching because my new students didn’t like it.
A perfect example of this is TPR. TPR stands for total physical response. It is the most common method that is expected to be used by online ESL teachers. For most of the schools you’ll apply for it is required. When I applied for online ESL jobs, most of them expected me to use TPR during the interview process. I was rejected by most of the schools until I got hired by the school I teach for today. Guess what? My current school doesn’t require TPR and most of my students don’t like it (Thank Goodness!).
I understand how TPR could work in some cases (mainly for children) but for teenagers and adults I honestly think it’s really stupid. What if you use a gesture that you think is normal in your culture (a thumbs up) but it might be considered an insult from your student’s culture? A great example of this is Kimmy and Dong’s relationship on the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Kimmy crosses her fingers and Dong found it offensive. Great show by the way. You should watch it!
Anyway, that being said, you have to be very careful with that. Especially if you teach for a multinational online school.
In case you’re wondering what TPR is, here is how it looks like:
Photocred: VIPKID
Solution(s): Keeping in touch with your TEFL program is a great way to stay up to date with business trends. You can complete one of their mini certifications for as little as $30 a program. Since you already have your TEFL certification, the program won’t take as long. Another option is to join Facebook ESL teaching support groups. You can communicate with other teachers who have a variety of experiences. They usually offer suggestions to help make your classroom experience more engaging for your students. One of my favorite options for staying up to date in business trends is--depending on what school you teach--is also joining webinar sessions hosted by the school you teach for. 2. It Makes You Marketable
The more skills you learn the more marketable you will be. Whether you want to grow in the company that you are working with, work somewhere else, or become fully independent by opening your teaching service on an online marketplace, acquiring new skills will attract more clients/students to want to work with you.
Solution(s): As a TEFL teacher it’s always a plus to know a second language. It is not required, however, if students know you speak their language there is a higher chance they will book you. Depending on what school you teach, they might pay you a higher rate because you can speak the student’s language too.
3. It Provides Room For Growth
Maybe you enjoy teaching, but you don’t want that to be the only thing you do forever. As much as I love teaching I will be honest, sometimes it can get boring. You work alone and you’re in front of a computer for hours, sometimes asking the same questions to your students over and over again. Just like any job, sometimes you’re not going to have a good day. It’s good to continue to learn new things to challenge yourself and keep things interesting.
Solution(s): You can get into marketing by writing blogs or you can be an ambassador for your school and promote their platform. Maybe there is something else you might think of outside of all the examples I’ve given! If you have that TEFL job, congrats! Don’t stop there!
I’ll give you another example. You can start as a TEFL teacher and become a trainer for new teachers at the school you teach. Maybe you can get promoted from independent contractor to an employee in one of their departments. You never know! Continuing to learn about your school, profession, and industry can open a lot of doors for you.
Online TEFL teaching can become a lucrative career if you let it. Good luck!
