Get Back to School with TEFL

It’s that time of year again… with hundreds of kids trotting off to school with new pencil cases and pinchy shoes. But not all classrooms are as traumatic as the ones you stepped into every September as a kid.

In fact, increasing numbers of people are actually choosing to go back to school again, but this time as TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) teachers in amazing places all around the world. Here’s why going back to school as a TEFL teacher is a bazillion times better than going back to school as a kid.

1) This time you’re in charge

There’ll be no more tyrannical teachers round here – this time you’re in charge. Don’t worry though, you won’t be thrown in at the deep end: almost all TEFL teachers complete a TEFL course before hitting the classroom for the first time, which gives you a great grounding in TEFL theory, how to keep your class under control and how to cover tricky areas like grammar and pronunciation.

Being in charge is a great opportunity to develop those crucial leadership skills, not to mention have the freedom to run your classroom however you want.

2) You’re actually encouraged to play games

While games in class were a rare treat once you hit eight-years-old, the exact opposite is true for TEFL classrooms. Games and activities are crucial to engaging and energizing your students, not to mention a lot of fun for you too. To give you an idea of the kinds of activities that are a hit in the classroom, download a free copy of in-house tutor Emma’s 20 Classroom Activities for Elementary Learners.  

Yes, colouring in is actually a legitimate classroom activity folks!

3) The kids will be better behaved than you were

Don’t expect any silent automatons – kids are kids after all. But you can guarantee that they’ll at least be a little better behaved than you were. This is because in most parts of the world, especially in Asia, teachers are afforded a huge amount of respect by society. For example, in Thailand, teachers are second only to the King and monks in the social hierarchy!

4) You’ll have some amazing sights waiting outside your classroom door

TEFL classrooms aren’t just more fun, they also have the benefit of being located in amazing places all over the world, from Buenos Aries to Bangkok. So instead of drab semi-detached houses waiting outside the school gates, you could have temples and beaches, or shiny skyscrapers and neon cities to explore.

5) You’ll have way cooler stationery

Let’s be honest, the new pens, pads and pencils almost made up for the end of summer holidays. And if you end up teaching in Asia the stationery just gets a whole lot cuter, and cooler. Just check out these goodies:

Photo: love♡janine

So, what’s your favourite thing about your TEFL classroom?

• TEFL
• teach abroad
• teach English abroad
• TEFL course
• TEFL courses
• TESOL
• back to school