Program Reviews

Having heard from many others how difficult this course was, I thought I had a good idea of what to expect going into it, but boy, was I wrong! It was very trying, especially weeks two and three, and there were times where many of us felt like we were about to break, but we made it. Honestly though, it was a shock for many of us when it was finished, we couldn't believe it was all over. The knowledge that we gained, and the friendships and connections that we made was well worth it!

This course is tough, whether it taken in a month or three. The workload is intense and especially for those who have never taught, this type of work is very different from typical essays or group presentations from college. This course forces you to think about language and its application in a completely different way and I have truly benefitted from it. Now I feel I can confidently go out into the world and teach.

I didn't believe the CELTA would be as stressful as everyone said it was. Let me assure you, it is TOUGH!

At least three people, including me, were on the verge of quitting at one point. Yeah, that's right: We considered giving up our $2,800 investment due to the stress.

But it's worth it.

You go into the CELTA knowing little but come out with 9 teaching practices and confidence.

The camaraderie developed among fellow trainees was great, as well.

I really enjoyed this class (looking back on it); there were definitely some stressful moments but our tutors and fellow classmates were really supportive and encouraging. The students were fun too; I enjoyed meeting so many people from all walks of life and from around the globe. Washington D.C. in particular is a great place to be, and I'm glad this course is offered there. I'd love to return someday!

CELTA was the hardest, most difficult, most stressful, most exhausting four weeks of my entire life. I had an emotional breakdown in week three, probably got about four hours of sleep total in week two, and legitimately almost upchucked before my first teaching practice. BUT, even with all of that, CELTA was hands down the best decision I have ever made in my ENTIRE life. Teaching House was absolutely phenomenal and I would 150% would do it all over again if I had to.

The two trainers of my course were an absolute godsend. Shannon Felt (the Teaching House general manager), specifically, was a marvel. She was supportive, encouraging, hilarious, engaging, enthusiastic, and genuinely passionate about what she was doing. It was obvious that she loved her job and that she loved teaching English. Because of her energy, I (and many of the other teachers-in-training on the course) felt all the more energized about what we were there to learn and do.

The resources provided by Teaching House were top notch and I always felt that I had everything I could possibly need at my disposal. I felt supported, encouraged, and pushed into being the best teacher I could possibly be.

Even better, the students at Teaching House (the ones you, as a teacher-in-training, teach) were amazing. The two groups (upper-intermediate and pre-intermediate) were diverse, helpful, and wanted to learn English just as badly as you wanted to help them learn it.

In the end, I left Teaching House with a CELTA, some truly fantastic friendships, and feeling of confidence that I could and would be able to do something with the certificate I'd earned. That confidence is a feeling I hadn't gained from either my BA or MA and one I will value forever. And, perhaps most importantly, a confidence and a certificate that helped me land a job at Kaplan International just two weeks after graduating from CELTA (without any pre-CELTA teaching experience under my belt).

CELTA will kick your butt and make you work harder than you ever have in your entire life. But if you can buckle down, trudge through, and remember that teaching is kind of freaking awesome then I know you'll come out the other side loving the experience just as much as I did.

My experience with the part-time 10-week course at Teaching House Chicago was intense. I've encountered "you are set up to fail" from systems and the people that administer them before, but never in my experiences had it been quite so true. My personal schedule was a bit tight, so it was easy for me to fall behind in the early stages of the course. It took a good month-long stretch of fighting and clawing to get back in shape. Luckily the TH center was well-stocked with reference materials and excellent educators to help me straighten myself out.

The Saturday inputs were serious business. Every week a lot of new information is disseminated, with very little time for review. As we were going through these inputs, it all made perfect sense. Once you are planning your lesson at home by yourself, however, that illusion can quickly fade. I found that at least 12-13 hours was required to effectively put together a lesson plan with a reasonable expectation of success. This, of course, is best accomplished over the span of a couple of days. One my major follies as the course started to heat up is that I would force myself to do it all just one or two days ahead of the lesson. There wasn't much time for rehearsal, editing, editing and editing. Eventually I got the hang of the preparation process and I became prepared and eager for my lessons.

If you are someone with a busy schedule or hectic lifestyle, this course can be a challenge. Time management is of supreme importance both in class and wherever you spend your time outside of it. This is a rewarding challenge, nevertheless.

Really enjoyed the course, it was very intensive for full-time but it is really worth it. I would definitely recommend it to others. Started off being unknown to it with a vague idea about the course but as the days goes on very quickly, no day was wasted. Everyday was learning something new and discovering something exciting. It was very challenging and motivating. From student to teacher in 4 weeks!

To be honest with you, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I did have breaking points and moments when I just thought I would quit the Course because yes- it is that hard!
When you don't have extensive lesson plans to work on you will have even more comprehensive written assignments where you will be expected to quote from certain authors and at least gist the books to get an idea on what you are supposed to write about.
Your typical day starts with a morning input where you get an insight of teaching methodology that you will be expected to apply the next day, if not that same afternoon. Inputs are fun and educational and super interactive so no dozing off in the back of the classroom, participate and engage yourself in debates, you will need it later! After the input, you will have a Guided Lesson Planning if you're teaching the next day while those teaching the same day will be running around the school preparing lesson materials.
Teaching Practice happens every day between 2 and 4 pm. Your tutors and fellow trainers are sitting in the back evaluating your teaching methods and efficacy which they will later present in the most crucial part of your day- Feedback! That's where all the juicy stuff happens, where you get constructive criticism and key points to work on for your next lesson. Be open to constructive criticism, be humble and ready to change the way you think about teaching.
Your day ends at around 5.15 pm and don't think now you can have some dinner and coffee with your friends because chances are-you can't! You have tons of work to do on your lesson plan and assignments which will extend to stupid o'clock, sometimes even pulling an all-nighter.
So eat well, sleep as much as you can, try and get some rest over the weekends if you don't have assignment re-subs and be super determined to do the best you can.
Work with your classmates because you will often have connected lessons and make sure students come first- they deserve an awesome class that I assure you- you can deliver.

It's been, by far, the best four weeks of my life and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is serious about EFL career.
I met a whole heap of amazing people and I honestly miss working with them and going through all of that together.

So my advice is don't hesitate and do it! And while doing it, take it step by step, work with your classmates, believe in yourself, work hard and enjoy it, and if you're not a coffee drinker-now might be the time to reconsider that because you will need caffeine in unlimited amounts :)

9am - Be at Teaching House. Begin morning lessons.
12pm - Lunch break for one hour.
5pm - End observations and teaching demonstrations.
12am - Finish preparing/homework.

A month might not seem like a long time, it is when you have a daily schedule that lasts this long. You get crammed full of experience and you're genuinely prepared for your first classroom when you step into your first job abroad.

Because you will get a job abroad. And pack your bags as soon as your done with this course because you'll get a job quickly. And barring any novice mistakes when you're job searching, you'll get a good job. CELTAs are world-renowned for producing quality teachers and that's what you'll be when you step outside this course. Some countries/jobs even hold CELTAs almost as high as teaching certificates in your home country (which means you could be working at a high-paying public/private school job, like me). You can also work at an international school, which would be otherwise closed to you with just a regular TEFL certificate.

You'll do a lot of paperwork for each teaching demonstration you do, not because you'll have to do that on your job, but because it is all good things you should be thinking about before you step into the classroom.

And you're working with genuine ESL/EFL students which is great because you get to know them, but not as well as you'll get to know your fellow classmates. I'm still friends with many of them and almost all of them are teaching abroad somewhere.

The staff, towards the end of the course, will have a day that you choose where in the world you want to teach and you'll have a sit down with a staff member who has been to that part of the world and you'll talk to them specifically about what kind of work you want to do and where you can begin looking for jobs. The staff is also there to bounce ideas off of when you're planning your lessons, which is a lot like the real world (teachers are kind of like blobs that roll around and stick to other things from other teachers and then the things become a part of them).

It's expensive. Yup. But if you look at it like you'll be getting paid higher with this certification than friends that don't have it, then it evens out. Ya know, like what a college education used to be.

Take the course. Study hard. Drink lots of coffee. And get a job abroad.

It's been a few years, but when I decided that I wanted to teach abroad, I went to Teaching House New York to get CELTA certified. Overall, the program was rigorous and intense, but it really helped prepare me for teaching abroad. They gave great instruction in methodology, and integrated practice teaching into every day of our program. Support was great, and they have a job search engine exclusive to Teaching House alumni that later helped me find a substitute position.