5 things not to ask an EFL teacher (part 2)

Back by popular demand is the ‘5 things not to ask an EFL teacher (part 2)’ but this time with a twist. This time we will be talking about ‘5 things that EFL teachers need to have tattooed on their forehead’… Yes, tattoos on the forehead seem like a painful idea, but for the sinners and martyrs of our most humble industry some things just need to be out there for all to see, and what better way than getting what you really think, and want, tattooed on your head…

Using board games in the classroom

Should we use Board games in the classroom? I say hell yeah we should! Why not? They are fun, interactive and help students to practise a variety of skills that don’t always get the attention they deserve. Obviously there is a time and a place for them, and a suitable age range, however, we have used with them adults and teenagers and found that once the initial feeling of ‘why are we doing this’ wears off, the students embrace it, and don’t even realise that they’ve just spoken English for a whole class without a care in the world.

A day at a Summer School in England

Working in a Summer School happened to me through a random job application, whilst unhappy with my job in Spain. I applied; I left it and I didn’t think anything of it, but what I didn’t realise was that the 8 weeks I do every year would serve as the best teaching environment and experience I would have as a teacher, despite being in Spain for 3 years.

Not only was I being paid over the summer, which for many teachers is a dream, I got to do so in the city I went to University and where most of my formative years occurred. I could choose either 15 hr weeks or 30 hr weeks and I had a say in what levels I was interested in teaching, so as to help with my career development, something the school takes seriously, and although only an 8 week contract, I honestly felt a better teacher for it and that my skills had actually developed. I learnt a lot of new activities to use in the classroom and I actually got to use my CELTA knowledge.

To give a better idea of my experience and hopefully many others, here is what I did on a typical day in a typical 30hr week:

Survival guide: 5 things every teacher should do in the summer

Summer is coming! Whether we like it or not the year has a habit of going at lightspeed, some months, and a snail’s pace another. With academies and schools closing for the summer and the money drying up, we all need to diversify and find ways to keep ourselves entertained, moving forward and earning a few pennies too. Here are 5 things to do in the summer: