Program Reviews

The experience was unique because it was something I’d never done before and I wasn’t too sure what I was letting myself into! Therefore this was a good oppurtunity to learn something new and see if it was for me. I learnt a lot of new skills and ideas which has really helped with going forward in a job. However, future participants should be aware that although it’s a fairly laid back course with a friendly atmosphere and lots of support there is also quite a lot of work involved in completing the portfolio so time management is key. A useful tip would be that if you’re completely new to teaching like I was, dont be nervous and assume from the start that you will be bad, once you start you completely forget about anyone else in the room that may be observing and realise that it is a lot easier than expected. It was good that we had teaching experience in two different types of schools, one with around 15-20 students in a class and one with around 40 students. This taught us different types of class management which is a necessity in any sized class. Plus it was good to see and experience a different part of Shanghai.

Ali did a wonderful job with providing me with information at every step and making sure I was feeling comfortable with the process. I wouldn't have received my job offer if it wasn't for Teaching Nomad, they made the process so much easier and I felt reassured in the schools I was applying to. The job that I received was from a government school and Ali always made sure my questions were answered and if I felt like something was not right, she would always be willing to provide me with more information.

I also took the TEFL course which was useful in some aspects as I did learn much about teaching but for me, the presentations and videos made the course as interactive as possible and for the price, it is a very good course.

I would definitely advise using Teaching Nomad to anyone who wants to teach in China. It will make the process so much easier.

The course was very informative, inspiring and insightful. It stimulated my intellect and shaped my role as an educator. I now have knowledge about classroom management. I gained vast knowledge about learning theories and how to incorporate the elements from different theories into my lesson plan.

The TEFL course provided insightful information about the role of the teacher as a manager, organiser, motivator, facilitator, tutor and co learner. These different roles illustrate how the teacher is the number one instrument to learners and how each role is vital in their learning process. I loved watching the videos as it provided me with guide lines . I loved how the children interacted with their peers and how open they were to speaking English and they respected the no Chinese rule. Most of the activities enhanced communication in real social contexts.

I enjoyed this course. It was challenging, yet doable. The information presented was clear, and I was able to test my understanding through quizzes. I was given practical experience through creating my own lesson plans. There was adequate information available to help me do this. The course provided videos and sample lesson plans and really helped me understand how to go into an ESL classroom and know what I'm doing! The assessment portions were very helpful, and having the chance to analyze classes taught by other teachers was invaluable. I was able to determine approaches and methods I could incorporate into my own teaching. The price is right, especially as they help with the document authentication process. Overall, I recommend the course and you will learn a lot from it.

I signed up for the 120 Online TEFL course through Teaching Nomad. The online course was very helpful, the outline was easy to follow, easy to understand and informative. It was interesting to learn, the reading material was straight forward and helpful in understanding what it takes to teach in a different country. I really enjoyed the course and feel confident that I can be able to teach English.

The videos that were on the website were helpful with seeing what it is actually like to teach students. The video content spoke to what the course was speaking about. Seeing how the students were in class gave one an understanding as to what to expect when they are to get an opportunity to teach.

Oliver Gorman was the recruiter who helped me with my process. He always had time to assist and answer questions. I have been offered a position at a school and look forward to what is ahead.

It was a very helpful course but I flew through it quickly. I don’t know for this is how it was meant to be or what. A lot of the chapters had very good information and I actually draw on this information a lot despite it being several years since the first time. I do think more specific examples are necessary to aid in the course. I found myself asking what kinds of things I could specifically when I would be teaching. Maybe you could make a list of all the activities a teacher could do with this information. When I taught at a high school i had to go back and look at the idea being taught then peruse the internet looking for how to implement this idea. This course could easily become a reference point for many people if there were more specific examples.

Traveling Nomad has been nothing but wonderful to me and my husband. We worked with Mike and he was very quick, kind, and helpful. Any questions we had were answered quickly and many helpful resources were provided to us. We are now settled in ShangHai and we love it! The group we are working for is Kids Castle, so far they’ve been good. ShangHai is super clean, super beautiful, super safe and there is always loads to do.

I greatly enjoyed participating in this course. It was affordable, very informative, and completely reasonable with the work load and assignments. As someone with a full time job and many other responsibilities, it was very refreshing to move at my own pace. I found the videos of other teachers to be one of the most helpful aspects of the course, and the reading material is super. After turning in assignments (lesson plans and observation forms), I usually received feedback from a helpful instructor within 24 hours. I'll be referring back to this course MANY times on my journey as a teacher across seas. Thank you!

I had Mike Ostrowski guide me through the Job hunt for 7 months, constantly providing plentiful - no, infact honestly abundant - help throughout this time frame by guiding me through the challenges, providing me with job opportunities over and over and simply being a great mentor and safe guard for a what otherwise would have been a much more worrisome and complicated journey.

From the bottom of my heart thank you to Mike, and the Organization for making this possible, and I wish all future participants all the best for their own journey, and perhaps luck to be matched up with Mike, because you truly do have an invaluable and irreplaceable employee at hands with Mike! All the best!

Chris

My consultant - June - was a constant and consistently helpful individual who walked me through the process from start to finish. I now have a good job at a great school with an impressive benefits package. I really recommend teaching nomad and I'm glad I used their service. I would also mention that if you complete their TEFL training they will reimburse you for the cost two months after you secure your first position and they vet the schools you will apply to.