It was a hot afternoon in June 2019 when I stumbled across a post on Twitter publicising the fast-approaching deadline for the IATEFL scholarship programme. As I clicked on the link and read the information I realised that this could be my way of attending the conference which I had never managed to up until [...]
As we take our first tentative steps into 2021 it is fair to say that while I can't wait for a fresh new year to begin everything seems to be progressing with caution (apart from the diet, that is). Here is a lesson that looks at what we want to build on rather than acquire, [...]
As a new school year is about to kick-off, I've looked back at the last one and tried to make sense of how I feel about this year. A little shocked, a little numb, very relieved, proud of what I've achieved, regretful over what I got wrong, but overall, I'm left with a feeling of [...]
Now that the dust has settled, online teaching is fast becoming the new 'normal' for many of us and the knee-jerk emergency teaching measures are slowly being replaced by a renewed drive for ways of delivering quality lessons. One observation from the last two months of teaching online is that at times the digital platform [...]
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Tinder; digital photos are everywhere. It seems like a lifetime ago when we were able to do anything we wanted without the threat of it being immortalised thanks to someone's smartphone. Selfies have become so ubiquitous that the thought of asking someone else to take our photo in a beauty spot or [...]
It's that time of year again, the time when finding time is difficult, when stress levels rise as teachers frantically plan exciting and engaging first lessons to make their students fall in love with them, while managers frantically juggle book orders, student enquiries, entrance exams, and new teacher inductions. It's the nice kind of stress [...]
I still to this day remember the first time I stood before 15 pairs of eyes, a board marker in hand and the overbearing sense of foreboding that weighed down on my shoulders as they waited for me to teach them something. That nervous anticipation thankfully now feels very foreign and I barely bat an [...]
Why the only teaching voice you need is your own: an important point to remember if you are a developing teacher
Here in Europe, it’s that time again. The time when people start putting away their summer gear and turn their focus instead to the new academic year that’s on the horizon. And the new school year usually entails a new academic team in some capacity, whether it be teaching, managing or offering admin support. I've [...]
“There's just not enough time!” Ever said that? Funnily enough most ELT teachers have. Read my latest guest blog on elt.training here to find out what you can do about it and how you can gain both time and motivation to realise your goals.
When thinking about successful learning classroom management is key and in my opinion, the best way of achieving a harmonious classroom is by building a classroom community. Creating an environment where students feel safe and supported means creating the correct environment for language learning. Language learning means growth through making mistakes and that will only [...]
Reflection is the most important part of personal develop and the only way to foster a growth mindset, as I’ve written about here and here. So it’s no surprise that I jumped at the chance for a 5 day CPD challenge, which ELT.training have been running on their Facebook page. But what have I learned? [...]
Learning lessons from TEFL 