3 questions about being an English language teacher

 In CELTA, Teacher Training

Is it possible to live well on an English language teacher’s salary?

As a rule, you will be paid a living wage for that country.  There are countries where salaries are higher and you can actually make quite a bit of money but the conditions may be less attractive, such as longer contracts or longer working hours.  Reputable organisations such as International House, the British Council or Bell will pride themselves in looking after their staff.  Look at their websites for more information on the kind of conditions they offer prospective staff:

International House: https://ihworld.com/job/

British Council:  https://jobs.britishcouncil.org/

Bell:  https://www.bellenglish.com/vacancies/latest-vacancies

What, for you, is the best thing about working for International House?

I had been a teacher and Director of Studies before I joined IH in 1990, but immediately upon joining, I felt welcomed into a supportive, challenging environment. I think that is most people’s experience.  IH prides itself in looking after its teachers and helping them develop and grow as professionals.  Many of the teachers at IH have been taught by IH trainers:  people know each other and more importantly, respect each other.  Most schools and the International House World Organisation at large offers members of staff constant challenges and opportunities to develop.  What could be better?

What’s the best thing about being an English language teacher?

For me, spending time with learners always feels like a real gift.  I love the fact that there is often laughter in the ELT classroom and that learners leave the classroom smiling.  I find learners’ generosity amazing – they are willing to share their lives  with their teachers and are extremely tolerant when we have a bad day.  If you’re well-prepared and basically like people, every lesson can be successful:  sometimes, you don’t quite achieve what you had set out to, but the following lesson, you get a chance to fix it.

Lastly, I like the constant challenges of being a teacher. After 36 years in the classroom, I still look forward to the start of each lesson.  I never quite know how it’s going to go exactly, but I am always keen to find out.

What about you?  What is the best thing about teaching for you?

Want to find out more?  https://www.ihlisbon.org/teacher-training/celta/

Author – Paula de Nagy

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