End of Course!

On Friday, the course was over. I received a provisional Pass B and I am more than happy about it. From that point on, I have been sleeping, sleeping, and sleeping! Well, I should have arranged some vacations.

Follow my new blog for an overview of the CELTA experience: http://angelosbollastefl.com/2014/06/02/the-cambridge-celta-course-an-overview/

TP6 to TP7: Not an easy transition!

(image from: http://ukedchat.com/2013/12/19/session-182/)

Now that all the assignments have been submitted and there is only TP8 left, I realised that the CELTA course is structured in a way that imitates biological development. Firstly, we begin preparing TPs receiving help and guidance by experienced tutors. As we proceed from TP to TP, though, assistance decreases. Isn't that similar to growing up? As a child, one is protected by his/her parents and as s/he grows older, protection decreases.

In my TP6, I did a good job. Some things have been internalised (presentation, MFP, elicitation, ICQs, etc.) while others need more work (LA sheet, anticipated difficulties, etc). The thing that I did not understand, though, is that TP6 was the last stage of 'innocence'. It is as if after this TP, the trainee becomes an adult who has the choice to either put in practice all the things that s/he learned as a child, or forget them once and for all. The latter could work in real life; not in the CELTA, though. The trainee at this stage should spend time going through his/her feedback and designing a lesson that will allow him/her show progress on areas that call for improvement. 

Tip of the day: Same performance on TP6 and TP7 does not mean same results; quite the opposite. In TP7 - I guess this is true for TP8, as well - the trainee must show awareness of all the steps s/he needs to take in order to deliver a successful lesson. At this stage, one must combine the three ingredients of a 'good' teacher: knowledge, skill/technique, and attitude.

It is Wednesday of Week 4. There is only one day and one TP left. Have I ever gone through such an intensive month? No! Will I miss every second of it? Yes!

Hopefully, next post will be full of good news! :)

Week 3: Level Changeover; Easier Done Than Said!

(image from: http://www.fossati.us/teaching.php)

The so-called tough week has already started; yet, it doesn't seem tough anymore. On Monday everyone was nervous as we were expecting to get two written assignments back and change levels. (For those of you that are not familiar with the CELTA process: Every trainee is required to teach two different levels of instruction. So, for my first four TPs, I was assigned to teach the intermediate+ level and, for the last four TPs, the elementary ones.)

First day of the week, we observed an experienced teacher and I was rather intimidated. Not that there was something wrong with the students. The group was great and supportive, willing to cooperate and ready to be exposed to various teaching techniques. However, that was the very first time in my career that I was in a classroom with elementary students.

I had to consider and take care of various issues: grading my language, producing activities and tasks that would be both simple and meaningful, make sure that sequencing is effective, and ensure that students would leave the classroom less confused. As expected, I was nervous - especially after the disastrous TP4.

Finally, TP5 went really well for one reason: I focused on my aims. I had prepared the lesson plan focusing on designing tasks that would gradually guide the students to the ultimate goal which was no other than the primary aim of the lesson. Following that, I reviewed the plan - I, even rehearsed instructions and CCQs. On the day of the TP, though, I left the plan aside. I was sure about the shape of the lesson and of the steps that I had to follow. The only thing that I did was to follow the students: I had them show me the way; I asked them questions to check previous knowledge, elicited the context, make them interested and from that point on, the lesson was transformed into a great walk in which students and I were walking together. I did not drug them here or there and they followed! 

Of course, there were various issues that I have to work on for next TP, such as better monitoring and less shouting. Now that I am thinking back on it, I understand that at times I shouted to ensure active participation from all students. Next time, I should do that more discretely; actually, the lesson should do it by itself!

Wow! 3 TPs to go... I am not sure that I want this experience to come to an end... I wish I could stay to this school with these students and fellow trainees for life! :-( 

Two Weeks @ Cambridge CELTA

(image from: http://entrance-exam.net/teachers-back-to-learning/)

Two weeks have passed since my first day as a CELTA trainee at CELT Athens. Other than my personal reflections on my performance, I think it would be a good idea to share some of my views regarding the course:

Experience vs Inexperience

Teaching experience is not an admission requirement. The Cambridge English website describes CELTA as an entry qualification for new teachers. In my opinion, no matter how experienced one might be, if s/he has not received proper teacher training, attending a Cambridge CELTA course should be his/her immediate decision.

Being an experienced teacher myself, I must admit that I had various concerns before the beginning of the course. At some point, I even thought that the course would be very easy for me and that there was not much to learn. Needless to say, I guess, that during these past two weeks I have learned more things than during my last 8 years of teaching.

Contrary to my false preconceptions, experience could be a serious drawback. One needs to forget his/her "way of teaching" once and for all; and this is not an easy thing to do. S/he must take for granted that whatever practice s/he might have followed, in order to survive the CELTA, one must follow the tutors' recommendations. After all, if one's practice was fine, s/he wouldn't have applied in the first place.

For the inexperienced teachers, on the other hand, the CELTA seems easier, at first, in the sense that they learn something for the first time (no objections, no preconceptions, no comparisons). However, they have to overcome anxiety, lack of confidence, stage fright, uncertainty, and any other first-time-teacher feelings on day two, the latest.

Eventually, experience doesn't make a difference. What matters is one's motive and his/her willingness to learn and improve.

FT v PT Mode

One of the things one learns as a CELTA trainee is how to do a needs analysis. I think it would be a good idea if candidates did a needs analysis on themselves first, before deciding which mode to follow. Personally speaking, I wouldn't do it on a PT basis. It is Monday, 1.08am, week 3 is on its way, and I am still working on assignments and TPs; yet, this is the thing that makes me love it that much: its intensity.

However, there are others who cannot follow a FT mode. This doesn't mean that they will receive less quality education. If one feels that a FT programme will not allow him/her to meet the course requirements, s/he should not try it. PT has its benefits, as well. For one think, one has more time to reflect, study, and prepare for assignments, TPs, input sessions, etc. 

Truth to be told: When British say "intensive," they do mean it; be prepared to devote one month (24/7) to this cause. You may have hard days, you may struggle, you may cry, but it's worth your time and energy; at the end of the day, you will feel stronger.

Individual vs Team Work

For me, this is the most important aspect and the key to make your life easier: your trainers and fellow trainees. These people: a. are the ones with whom you will spend 9 hours per day sharing everything from attending classes to crying for no reason, b. will say - to your face - everything that goes wrong with your TP, (If they don't, do not trust them) and c. are the only ones who know what you are going through. Respect and understand them.

2.00 am, Week 3 has already started!

If you are thinking of pursuing a career in teaching, or if you are a teacher that hasn't received training, do sign up for a Cambridge CELTA course. There are many training centres around the world. This is an opportunity for all of us to step back, reflect, and become better professionals.


(Special thanks to Marisa Constantinides for her "so-called improvements.")

CELTA Week Two: From Rise to Fall

Second week at CELT Athens is over - and, yes, I am still alive!

Before writing about my TP3 and TP4, I would like to make clear that the purpose of this blog is neither to teach nor to preach others on how to go through the CELTA course. This is just me sharing my experiences as a CELTA trainee in case someone finds it an interesting read. For potential candidates, it is always better to read information written from someone that is going through this process than an administrator.

TP3 was a success, a great one. My aims where achieved, both the learning and the personal ones, and I managed to improve almost every weakness that I had up to that moment. Thinking back on it, a successful TP requires three important things: a devoted tutor, supportive fellow trainees, and ones own willingness to follow suggestions, recommendations, and advice. It is for that reason that I want to thank my fellow trainees whose help has been invaluable and the universe for sending in my way my wonderful tutor, Bita Rezaei; she is a good reason for anyone to travel to another country to get trained by her.

As for the third ingredient of the success recipe, there is no guide that can teach anyone how to absorb, internalise, and put in practice the things that s/he has learned. All one needs is to fully devote him/herself on the entire process, which, in turn, means that s/he must love it. 

When I started planning my TP3, I knew that it was going to be a very good one because I had fun even at the planning stage. I completed the plan, did some studying, and a couple of hours later I revised it. Same thing with the material, same thing with the activities, etc. It is very important for anyone to be able to detach oneself from the thing s/he works on and then go back and review it, afresh. It is after close attention to the detail that sets the ground for a successful TP.

And right after this great experience, TP4 was a complete failure. I will not commend on that because every minute of this lesson was an example to avoid. The reason? No reason. I know the procedure, I know the steps, I know how to plan, and I definitely know how to stand before students. I just had a bad day, which... happens I think to us all. The only word of advice, though: It is ok to fail every once in a while, it is ok to have a bad day, and it is ok to show weakness. After all, we are teachers: what we teach is that making mistakes is the best way towards knowledge, improvement, and development. 

Less is more was a success! What about less talking and more adapting, though?

(taken from: http://languageteachingtips.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/whats-your-attitude-towards-teaching-practices-a-k-a-tps/)

Preparation for TP2 started the minute that TP1 was over. I think that this was very helpful because I could apply most of the things that my Tutor, fellow-trainees, and myself had pointed out.

The things I focused on were:

• Less things to teach,
• Activities that serve the aims of the lesson, and
• Constant repetition of new language learnt.

Planning Stage

When preparing the lesson plan, I did the following:

1. Took a note of the basic components of my lesson.

2. Added activities under each component and checked their appropriateness.

3. Checked appropriateness by asking: If someone does this activity, will s/he achieve a part of the lesson's aim? When my answer turned to a 'yes' one for every activity included in the plan, I started imagining the entire lesson in my mind so that I could be as accurate as possible.

While preparing for my first Teaching Practice, I thought that planning would be a pain in the ...neck (!) but having received feedback, planning my second TP was rather enjoyable. Why was that? because I was very clear as to what I wanted the students (and me) to achieve.

Teaching Stage

And... Yes! Good planning leads to teaching the lesson without being stressed. However, it is this confidence that might lead the teacher to talk more than needed. Personally, I wanted to make sure that I was paying attention to the students' needs all time, which made me echo their comments a lot and ask many unnecessary questions. 

Final 10' of the lesson were not like planned, exactly: students struggled with a vocabulary exercise and I did not have time to proceed to the production stage. So, for a moment, I thought that the lesson was turning into a disaster, only it didn't because I decided to forget that I am being observed and I pushed myself to deliberately decide which of the two was more needed: the vocabulary exercise or the production activity. Students had used much of the new language taught so I opted for the vocabulary exercise and it worked! Obviously, this shows that my planning needs some work but, still, the lesson was successful.

Post-Teaching Stage

I think that this is the most difficult part. The feedback is very constructive but this makes the next TP seem even more intimidating. I need to remember - and use - all the things that helped me for my TP2 and the feedback received after TP2, as well.

Well, we'll see! Time for a drink. :)

Oh, and let me not forget: Week 1 is OVER!

Teaching Practice 1, Revisited!

(Taken from: http://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/how-teaching-is-a-noble-calling)

24 hours after the end of my first TP and I am still thinking about it. Which activity was (un)successful? What did work well with the students? How many issues had I foreseen, etc?

Being an experienced teacher can be both a positive and a negative asset one might have while doing a CELTA training. For me it has worked both ways, today: On the one hand, I was confident, in control, and responsive. On the other hand, though, attempting to live up to the expectations, set by no other but me, transformed my lesson into a theatrical performance in which, instead of directing, I was acting.

Thinking back on it, observed teaching is one of the best things ever happened to me. Now that I am working on my second TP, I can even see myself teaching the material I have been preparing for them; thus, my planning will - hopefully! - be far more realistic.

 Things that I learned from today's TP:

1. It is NOT all about the trainee.

The fact that one is a student and a teacher at the same time can be really confusing, at first. Yet, one must remember: It is about the students! We are getting trained to deliver better lessons so that STUDENTS's language-use abilities improve. The leading act belongs to the students, we are the directors. Our aim, even during a TP, is to make them shine.

2. Less is more.

TPs might be part of our assessment criteria but they are still students' lessons. Being able to teach many different things is not the purpose of any lesson. The purpose of the lesson should be focused on serving the aims set in the lesson plan. At the end of the day the students should leave the classroom having learnt a new thing.

3. Remember: You create the lesson plan; do not restrict nor enslave yourself.

Designing a challenging lesson plan is great; yet, following the students' needs is even greater. One needs to adjust and appropriate his/her plan to the particular class. However, if one has to deviate a lot from the original plan, s/he must work on better planning a lesson.

4. Moments of pauses and silence are needed, actually.

Yes, it is ok. The teacher has to pause and make sure that s/he is still on the right page, serving the aims of the lesson, and for the students to breathe (!), digest and reflect on new information.

5. Aims, aims, aims

Imagine the lesson as a series of snapshots. Does every snapshot serve as a justification to the aim(s) set in the lesson plan?

And few final comments:

I was so anxious the night before my TP that I created a lesson plan that was not realistic (and I knew it!) Luckily, it was not very unrealistic, however, any experienced teacher could understand that 45' are not enough for such a plan.

I am planning my next TP, at the moment; The feedback I received was so beneficial that my confidence level has increased: First, I do not feel judged. Second, I want to apply all the suggestions I have received. Third, I want to teach fewer things in greater detail. Last (and most important one), I want to do it again!

Last words of advice to the ones that will go through this in the future: Go to your TP1 unprepared. Do the things you think are correct and allow your tutors and fellow trainees give you feedback! If you have not decided on a training centre, join CELT Athens! You will not regret it!