I had previously studied abroad in the Dominican Republic with CIEE, so I was familiar with the standards to which they hold their company. With CIEE's TEFL Online certification, I was able to receive a quality education, gain the first-hand experience, and receive a World Accredited TEFL Certification while working at a pace that was beneficial to me.
Alumni Spotlight: Kyndra Leigh Johnson
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Kyndra is an outgoing woman who is severely enamored by language. In college she studied Spanish Language and Linguistics in both English and Spanish. Kyndra wanted to continue her language acquisition by also learning German. This experience with second language acquisition lead Kyndra to the decision of becoming Teaching English as a Foreign Language certified (TEFL).
Why did you choose this program?
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Since I attended this course after I had graduated college, I did not have a program provider or university. I was in direct contact with CIEE the entire time.
CIEE's staff was very helpful in my registration and navigation of my online course, and they were attentive to any assistance I may have needed. Allie Freed, the Operations Coordinator, and the rest of the staff were very easy to get in contact with.
The main responsibility I had to organize during my course was finding a location for the practicum experience.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
The best piece of advice I could give to those interested in the CIEE TEFL Online certification is to attend all classes and ask questions. It is so beneficial to give and received ideas from your fellow teachers.
My course was full of so many different people from all parts of the world and being able to learn from their views and experiences was just as important to me as the material in the modules.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
The program is a 10 week online course. The student has the ability to work ahead up to two weeks, but they can not fall more than two weeks behind. I found this to be plenty of time, and it allows the student to work freely though the lessons.
Each week has a module that contains 4-5 lessons. Each lesson takes about 2.5 to 3 hours, so it is important that the student allots enough time for each lesson.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
This summer (2018) will be my first summer abroad teaching. I am most nervous about the cultural expectations that students have of their teacher in Italy. However, CIEE touches on this topic many times throughout the course of the program and it has a module that is dedicated to this topic. They have thoroughly equipped me with the knowledge and training on how to handle these situations.
Does CIEE TEFL still help you once your course is over?
CIEE has a community on Facebook of alumni and staff that share ideas and methods of teaching, as well as new/open programs that are searching for TEFL teachers. That is how I found my program with EDUCO Italy. Not only are you getting a quality education from CIEE, but you're also gaining lifelong job security and assistance!