Grania is always on the hunt for a new skill to learn and a new place to see.
I knew that I wanted to get TEFL certified and try teaching abroad, and for me, it was a no-brainer to do it through CIEE.
CIEE is based in my hometown of Portland, Maine, and when I was in high school, they sent me abroad to South Korea on a pilot summer program for free! That program was extremely well-run, organized, educational, and fun, and needless to say, I've been a die-hard CIEE fan ever since.
CIEE provides an online TEFL course with fun, interactive modules, and a tutor who guides you through the course and provides feedback to help you become a better teacher. The coursework and expectations are very straight-forward.
It will be up to you to reach out to schools and organize your 20-hour teaching practicum. However, CIEE provides you with a list of schools that are receptive hosts, familiar with TEFL trainees. Your tutor will also be there to support you and answer your questions about finding a good host school.
Make sure you keep up with the modules! Do a little bit of work each day, and make sure you are on pace with the syllabus. If you fall behind in an online class, it is much harder to catch up than it is in a traditional class. You will have to wade through hours of modules, and it might feel overwhelming.
If you do fall behind, be sure to communicate with your tutor about it. They are there to help you succeed!
You should do at least an hour or two of online classwork each day. For me, that usually meant coming home from work and then doing about an hour of the coursework on weekdays. On Saturday and Sunday, I tried to do about 3 hours of coursework in the mornings. That kept me pretty well-paced with the class.
When it came time to study for the final exam, I recorded myself reading to my notes and listened to the recording on my commute to and from work. So even with a busy schedule, it is possible to keep up with and enjoy the course if you pace yourself in a way that makes sense for you.
You should do at least an hour or two of online classwork each day. For me, that usually meant coming home from work and then doing about an hour of the coursework on weekdays. On Saturday and Sunday, I tried to do about 3 hours of coursework in the mornings. That kept me pretty well-paced with the class.
When it came time to study for the final exam, I recorded myself reading to my notes and listened to the recording on my commute to and from work. So even with a busy schedule, it is possible to keep up with and enjoy the course if you pace yourself in a way that makes sense for you.
Yes, absolutely! The online course provided me with loads of ideas for games, activities, and strategies that I use every day. I flip through my class notes whenever I am trying to make a lesson plan because there is always something there to inspire me or help me along.
I still have a lot to learn, and a lot to improve upon, but my TEFL course gave me a great start and a great solid groundwork that I can build off of as I strive to become a better teacher, this semester in Thailand, and beyond.