Taking a deep breath

I recently completed my CELTA training in Chicago with Teaching House, and wow..... I think I'm still recovering! I wanted to find an ESL certification class that was widely recognized and respected and one that would actually prepare me to walk into a classroom and know what to do, instead of a dime-a-dozen certification program that offered none of that. In fact, I recall checking out the reviews on this site when I was researching my options.

The CELTA course is no joke. My fellow trainees and I worked very hard for four weeks, and it was most definitely initiation by fire. In the mornings, we learned theory, strategies, and frameworks from our tutors (who presented the information by using the very frameworks they were teaching us). And in the afternoons, we put these sessions to use by teaching our own lessons to the local ESL students. "Free time" (or time not in class) would be more accurately described as time used to prepare lesson plans and complete written assignments.

I was one of six trainees, and with two tutors between us, this made for a lot of personal attention and guidance. Jennifer and Eric were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and very dedicated tutors - always available and willing to help when we had questions. It is an incredibly intense course, and you spend a lot of time with the people at your CELTA center. I feel very lucky to have had exceptional tutors, fellow trainees, office staff, and ESL students.

An easy, blow-off class it is not, but while it is very challenging, it is also rewarding (isn't that often the case?). I learned a ton, improved my skills, and although I never shook my nerves before I had to teach a lesson, eventually, I found I was actually enjoying it - which is one of the main points, after all.

I'm so very glad I found this course and decided to take it, a little surprised I somehow managed to get through it, and super excited to go forth and tackle the world - now armed with my CELTA certification! : )

Go for it!