Wowza! One month later and I am TEFL certified!
Life after TEFL is great! We finished up our practical teaching last Friday and since then have been able to enjoy the bits of Cusco that weren´t as easy to access when we were in the classroom. Friday itself turned into a long day for everyone. My practical teaching was from 7am-8am so I was the first one done with my teaching out of all my class. I then spent the day outside the classrooms to congratulate everyone on the completion of the stress of teaching. Unfortunately, this wasn´t the end for any of us. We had one last paper to finish before we were free of the chains of TEFL. By the evening we were able to get everyone out of the building to enjoy sometime and dancing together. Saturday morning followed with a mini hike and some good grub for me. I really enjoyed the feeling of seeing some Incan ruins knowing that I actually had nothing else to be doing at that moment. Ahhhhh :)
It is easy to say that the weekend as a whole was a bit of a fiasco... we definitely let loose. Let´s just say that I wish every graduation ceremony was accompanied by ¨We are the Champions¨while they call your name to deliver your certificate. My class of seventeen people each had a unique dance/celebration to greet our teacher for our certificate, which were quickly taken back for safe keeping before we hit up the discos of Cusco.
Overall, this TEFL course has been an amazing experience. I never thought it was possible to learn so much in a month. I not only learned the tedious techniques of ESL teaching, but I discovered a lot about myself. Most important of these discoveries is the fact that I really enjoy teaching and passing on bits of the American lingo to non-native speakers. We´ve been calling this the teacher high, and I am excited to see where it takes me after teaching for 6 hours a day. Yup, for those who missed the update I already found a job! The Maximo Nivel in Guatemala (I took my class at the Peru site), just started in February. Their client base has grown exponentially and they were looking for some new teachers. Lucky me they caught wind I was on my way there and asked for my resume. Thanks to great recommendations from TEFL trainer and an awesome job title from my MyFight job I was offered this past Monday. I get there in two weeks and start training immediately for my contract to start the beginning March. I am really excited to be a part of a new program and see it grow! Strangely, I am also very excited for the schedule we have. Being the morning person that I am, having classes from 7-9 and then from 3-8 just may be the perfect fit. It will give me a chance to enjoy the beauty of Antigua otherwise known as ¨The City of the Never Ending Spring¨ and work on my Spanish through discounted classes. If you can´t tell through the text of this blog I am beaming right now! So ready to start this adventure!
Until then my dear friend Randi is here visiting. So far we have been busy introducing her to my world in Cusco, mostly exploring my favorite part of town, San Blas. In the morning e are off to Macchu Pichu and then making our way to the coast next week for some good ol´ relaxation before jumping into the world of teaching English.
For as long as you travel you will NEVER stop learning about yourself and growing as a person, to a point that you didn't even realize was possible. Keep it up! I'm proud of you! I'll send you some info on Facebook about Antigua and some people you should meet.
ReplyDeleteHello! I am considering becoming TEFL certified in Madrid this summer. Is it worth it? Are there jobs in the market? What are living conditions like? I am also thinking of becoming certified in Business English, do you know anything of the job market in that field? Thanks for your help!
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you ever heard of the company itefl.net? Are they reputable?
ReplyDeleteI went through the TEFL institute and I couldn't be happier with the support I found there. I would really recommend them and getting certified, on site not online, before you job search. It makes everything that much easier. As for living situations, no matter where you are they should be able to pay you enough to live in comfort. Naturally, it is all about what you find and how picky you really are. As for Business English, my job doesn't require it but I know that market is getting bigger. It would make you more marketable in the long run, but by no means is it necessary. The majority of my class easily found jobs after simply getting TEFL certification, so work you won't need to worry about as long as you put your nose to the grindstone. Especially if you hit up Asia... there is where the money is at.
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