Amy Warmington

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Amy studied languages at university before completing our TEFL Training Programme in Beijing. She took advantage of the programme by traveling in China and Asia extensively. Since returning from Beijing, Amy has completed a Master's in International Development, and she now helps future teachers to realize their ambitions in her position as Programme Coordinator.

What is your favorite travel memory?

In the summer before I came home, I spent a month in Indonesia and one of the best things I did there was taking a 4-day sailing boat between Bali and Flores. We slept on the deck, stopped off at various uninhabited islands en-route, snorkeled with turtles and manta rays. It was such a unique and relaxing experience after having been on the road for so long!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

As a teacher, I became so much more confident and assertive. It's a skill that I've been able to bring forward and use in many other areas of my professional and life. I've also developed my ability to manage people and support others and I really enjoy sharing knowledge to help other people get ready to go to China.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I love hearing about all the activities that people get involved with outside of their teaching job. A lot of people join sports clubs or learn Mandarin, which is a great way for them to meet other people and leads to great opportunities like team trips away or cultural trips, like camping on the Great Wall!

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would definitely pick the TEFL Training Programme! I met so many amazing people there who I've stayed in contact with and it was great to start off my journey with a group of like-minded people. I think the programme is great if you want an extra confidence boost because the training camp is such a good opportunity to test out different teaching activities and develop your own style while working with amazing students.

Now that I have the TEFL qualification though if I were going to China again, I'd probably go on the 7-week summer camp. Again, I love the community spirit at the camps and the relationship you get to form with the students is so genuine, it's really touching.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

The relationship that we form with our teachers is completely unique, especially those on the TEFL Training Camp. I attended the camp this year as Camp Coordinator and it meant that I was able to really get to know the teachers who are spending a year in China now. It was amazing to watch them grow as teachers and become more confident in themselves, I felt really proud! I'm still in touch with a lot of them now, and seeing them adapt to life in China is really rewarding.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think the way you treat your employees is really important; being transparent and taking their concerns seriously are two things that I think really matter when it comes to success.

I also think that cultivating respect for learning can be hugely valuable; recognizing that every new situation teaches us something and we shouldn't be afraid of the unknown.