Congratulations… you passed your CELTA! Now, certificate in hand, you’re off on your TEFL journey. Setting foot into your first year of teaching English as a foreign language can be a scary prospect, so we’ve put together a ‘to-do’ list of strategies to help you along on your way
1. Do your research
Though really, this starts with knowing what you want! The world truly can be your oyster when it comes to TEFL work and if your search radius currently consists of ‘the world minus my hometown’ then that’s a lot of job adverts to sift through! So, spending a little time initially thinking about where you want to be based before starting your search can be really helpful (even if that means just narrowing it down to two continents, it’s a start!).
Having a vague idea of the type of work available and what appeals to you is also important. Are you heading for a private language school? International school? State school? Adult education? Business classes in-company? University work? Tutoring? While there’s merit in keeping an open mind about new opportunities, it’s worth having some kind of plan to get you started. You can always deviate from it later when something interesting catches your eye.
2. Choose a good quality school
This we cannot stress enough. All schools are not the same and when we’re talking about your primary reason for being in a new place, your choice of school has to be something you can feel confident about.
Look for accredited schools with affiliations to major bodies or organisations and focus your time on schools who can be upfront about all the key information – teaching hours, salary and pay dates, taxes, health care, accommodation, flight packages, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), the teaching team, the qualifications and experience of the academic management team, the student population, the school ethos, off-site work and travel, teaching and classroom resource – these should all be things a school can discuss with you and give you positive information about.
Ask to see a copy of the contract in advance and don’t be afraid to ask questions about it. This is a big decision and your new employer will want to know that you’ve given it due consideration.
3. Prioritise establishing your life outside of work
Having narrowed down your search, chosen a good school and accepted your first job, be sure to give yourself time to get settled in your new home if you’re moving to a place for the first time. Most schools run an induction programme for new teachers, but the length and intensity of these vary and you need to make sure there’s also enough time to sort out life essentials before teaching begins.
Key things to think about are a place to live, a bank account, registering in the tax system and healthcare service, getting a SIM card and finding key things in your local area like supermarkets and public transport info. To help you focus on the task at hand once the year kicks off, you’ll want to have as many of these essentials as possible sorted before you step foot in the classroom.
And remember to keep this focus on self-care and the outside world up once the year gets underway… no matter how busy your school week might get at times, make sure you take time out for life and enjoying your new home. Whatever your interests may be, find ways to continue to engage with them so you can switch off from work and get to know new people.
4. Take time to get to know everyone
The beginning of the school year is busy and it’s easy to get bogged down in everything that you need to think about with your classes and students, whilst also getting to know a new school and figuring out how to use your washing machine in Japanese. But your new colleagues are going to be a huge part of your year and spending time getting to know people and building positive relationships with the rest of the staff can make a huge difference to the year ahead, helping you to establish a support network and feel settled from the word go.
Fellow TEFL teachers often become friends for life and, no matter where you find yourself in 10 years time, having a friend in Portugal or a former colleague living in South Korea is never a bad thing! Equally, your returning colleagues, both teachers and admin staff, come with great working knowledge of the school and local area, and their support will be invaluable to you throughout the year, so feeling comfortable talking to your colleagues is super important.
5. Engage with CPD
Many a first year teacher, buried somewhere beneath a pile of textbooks, language reference books, post-its, flash cards and an ever growing collection of written work to be marked, wants nothing more than to be left alone to get on with the task(s) at hand. The idea of spending 90 minutes in an input session, or several hours a week working towards a qualification, fills them with dread at the thought of missed planning time.
But CPD is there to help you develop as a teacher and, in the process, make planning and teaching a more successful process. So take every opportunity you can to attend a conference or seminar, to share ideas or to sign up for a CPD course, and then get putting all that learning and training into action.
Although not strictly CPD, try to take advantage of any language lessons your school offers too. Not only will it make your day to day life in your new home easier, but it’s a great way to put yourself in your students’ shoes from time to time!
And there you have it, our ‘TEFL to-do’ list for anyone entering into the exciting world of teaching English language for the first time. There’s no denying that your first year will be tough, some people liken it to doing back-to-back CELTAs, but it’s the time when you’ll really learn and develop, and hopefully begin to fall in love with your new career. Good luck, and remember to enjoy it!
