The Reluctant Teacher

I started this course with strong reservations as I wasn’t good at speaking in front of people as I’m a pretty reserved and shy person. I was afraid these aspects of my character would cause me a lot of difficulty working in a classroom as a teacher.

Thank God my reservations were unfounded. Vantage’s course gave me all the skills I needed to confidently—and successfully—teach an English class. It showed me that language teaching is much more about motivating students to speak, and not just delivering a lecture or presentation. Chris taught me how to structure, plan, and execute lessons and how to keep the attention and interest of a class, and Kevin helped me navigate the job market and write what he called a “Power Resume.” As I was extremely busy doing lesson plans during the course, I came back the week after the course was finished to do my job-related stuff.

One thing that appealed to me from the beginning was the small class sizes at Vantage. Their website promised there would be no more than 8 trainees on my course. That turned out to be great as we all got a ton of individual attention. In addition to our feedback from the lead trainer Chris, we had to analyze each other’s teaching in a productive and meaningful way. Our class bonded really well and I think I made some friends for life!

I had some quite rewarding experiences during the practicum sessions or observed teaching practices. Without the 6 hours of observed teaching we were required to do, I don’t think I would feel half as confident as I do about becoming a teacher. It made me very nervous, and the first lesson or two were frankly quite discouraging, but by the sixth lesson I felt much very confident and knew exactly what to expect from the class and from myself. The feedback from Chris and from my classmates was invaluable—both encouraging and productive. I also had to observed—and give feedback on—the other trainees in my class, which so really helped in my development as a teacher.

Although the course was challenging, it was equally engaging, and rewarding. If you want to take this course, then be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone, and you will gain some very rewarding experiences. Facing a classroom was very hard at first, and there was a lot of work to stay on top of, but it’s all part of the intensive and immersive experience that Vantage provides.