Summer schools provide great opportunity for new teachers, summer work and a more involved teaching experience than TEFL academies. We look at how to make the most of your summer school experience.
Engage outside of classes
Summer schools provide great opportunities to EFL teachers, especially those who are new to the profession looking for their first job. They are also very popular for those who work in Europe and are looking for summer work to provide an income during the holidays. Living on-site and working up to six days a week means that summer schools can be an intense experience at times but this is often outweighed by a positive team spirit and great students.
Who runs summer schools?
Firstly, you need to choose the right summer school for you. In some cases, independent and private schools will run their own summer schools, and these are often regarded as good places to work. These schools do not always advertise through the main websites such as TEFL.com so it helps to do a bit of research first.
It is more common that companies who specialise in summer schools will rent out school sites and run their own summer programme at these sites.
Where will you be staying?
During the interview, make sure to ask about the accommodation arrangements at the site where you will be working. At most summer schools, you stay on-site in halls of residence whilst at other schools, teachers can be given their own accommodation off-site. The concern for most teachers is to make sure they get a private room, which will often be dependent upon the school site rather than the employer. A company may have shared lodging with other teachers at one site and private rooms at another. Asking at interview will give you the opportunity to secure a site with the facilities you need.
Tip: If you have certain requirements for your accommodation, get in early, speak to summer schools and find one that provides the arrangements that best suite you. It will save a lot of frustration later on.
What will be your days off?
Many summer schools will require teachers to work up to six-days a week, often requiring teachers to take students on excursion or undertake airport pick-ups on weekends. This means that days-off for teachers can fall during the week rather than weekends.
In light of these work arrangements, it is important to ask your potential employers the right questions, to ensure a summer schools fits with your expectations.
Tip: Read the contract and establish the arrangement for days-off before you start the job.
What are the hours like?
Almost any summer school you sign up to in the UK is likely to get you to sign a waiver in your contract which acknowledges you will be working beyond a normal hourly week. You will be working long hours, especially in the first week or two as you adapt to the system. The benefit for those teachers who stay longer is that later on in the course, they will have opportunity to reuse previous lesson plans as often classes repeat for new students.
Tip: Keep hold of lesson plans and remember that if you can handle the pressure of the first week of summer school life will get a much more straightforward later on.
How’s the teaching?
It is likely that you will be teaching general English classes for the first two-to-three hours of the day. These will be your traditional EFL style classes, but with a stronger emphasis on revision and communication practise. This means lots of communication exercises. There will be an emphasis to plan classes that are not heavy on the use of textbooks. This can create extra planning challenges but can be offset by a good library of resources, helpful academic managers, and sharing ideas with other teachers. Some late evenings will be inevitable at the start of the course while you’re getting to grips with what you’re teaching.
One trait that is common in the least stressed EFL teachers at summer school is an ability to not over-plan and know when to get out of the office and do something different for the evening. Read a book, go to the pub or take a walk – whatever you fancy. When living on-site, it is crucial to mix up the routine otherwise it will drive you mad.
Tip: Make a list of warmers / mingle activities / games that can be adaptable for different classes and save a bank of resources you can plan in flash.
Are there non-TEFL classes?
There is usually an opportunity to develop some activity lessons that aren’t traditional TEFL classes. This is a chance to use any interest you may have in music, sport, puzzles, etc., and develop this into a lesson that gives some input language and gets students speaking. If you play an instrument you should bring it along and see if you can integrate it into a lesson plan. If you are not sure, you can always Google lesson plans or ask your teacher colleagues; adapting other lesson plans is a great way to develop you own style of classes.
Tip: Before summer school, start thinking about what classes you could give that align with your interests.
Out of class duties?
A typical timetable for students will involve English language classes during the morning, with some more free learning activity classes after lunchtime. Then in the afternoon, students will undertake non-academic classes such as sports, drama or arts. Depending on the school, teachers may be required to participate in afternoon activities thereby assisting with sports classes or drama classes.
For some EFL teachers, this is a welcome break from the classroom; an opportunity to interact with students outside of the classroom and run activities that you enjoy. However, it is important to note that not all teachers enjoy activities, and some would prefer simply to focus on EFL duties.
Tip: Find the right summer school for you – be an EFL classroom specialist or take the opportunity to enjoy other activities in the afternoon.
Do summer schools require teachers for pastoral care?
The majority of UK summer schools will have dedicated house parents for the pastoral support of students and their evening activities. However, summer schools will only look to employ the number of staff necessary and therefore sometimes teachers can be asked to pick up the slack and do activities such as waking-up and registering students for breakfast or managing lunch queues.
Tip: Once again, check with employers first. For some teachers, the House Parent role can be a welcome break to teaching the rest of the year and develop new skill sets, such as First Aid.
If you are a team player and don’t mind throwing yourself into school life for a few weeks, summer schools provide a chance to save some cash, teach in a fresh situation and make new skills and friends. Just make sure to look at the details beyond the paycheck and choose a school that suits you.
