How are the practicums administered with online students?

Hi Victor! Participants in the course have a couple of options to complete their practicum: they can 1.) Independently research their local schools and community centers (or other institutions) where ESL classes are taught and request to complete their 20 hours of observation and teaching there, or 2.) Take part in our Destination programs wherein participants spend two weeks in Italy, England, Spain, Czech Republic, Vietnam, or Thailand observing and student-teaching for a total of 60 hours (You can read more about our Destination programs on our homepage or at ciee.org/tefl).

In both cases, we ask for evaluation and reflection from both the participant and their supervising teacher in order to complete the course and gain certification.

For those students who are taking the online TEFL class, you are expected to personally get in contact with ESL schools or institutions in your area. That is what I did. CIEE provides a list of schools and organizations they have worked with before - i.e. where former TEFL course trainees have done their practicums - but that is really just a starting point. You can choose to contact any of the places on the list, or do your own research to see what's in your area. It will then be up to you to set up your practicum and ensure that you have completed the required 20 hours. Best of luck!

Hi Victor! Yes - as Joanna said, you are expected to find your own practicum in your area. I found it intimidating at first but it is actually a great way to prep you for the job hunt that is ahead of you. CIEE's list is a good starting point but don't limit yourself to it, I am sure you will find plenty of schools, non-profits that work with immigrants, churches, etc. in your area that will be happy to have you. I made a list of them in my city, wrote a template email in which I introduced myself and the certificate program and described briefly what are the practicum guidelines and sent it to the contacts I found online. In one of the last lessons the course talks about creating a resume and contacting potential employers but don't wait until then - the sooner you start experiencing a real-life classroom, the better you will do on the course. Good luck :)