CELTA Interview Series – Mado Lambropoulou – a teacher from Greece

A course like the CELTA may have a public syllabus which is open to scrutiny but teachers, whether experienced or new,  following this course take different things from it.  

We thought it would be a good idea to share some of these individual perspectives with our blog readers so this is the first of a series of posts.

Some people follow the CELTA to change their career, some to obtain a formal qualification, others in order to feel more confident about their teaching in the classroom.  But no matter why they follow it, they find themselves in the role of a learner on a demanding course.

We decided to ask everyone the same interview questions for this new series of blog posts but, of course, they were free to answer in any way they liked and to add any facts or opinions which they thought were important to share.

We hope you find this series useful. Our first guest came to the course with 15 years of experience under her belt!!!!!!

Mado Lambropoulou

Mado

Mado is a teacher from Greece; she’s in her 30’s and joined our intensive CELTA course last summer after 15 years of teaching experience without any prior formal training.

Mado studied Political Science and Public Administration at the National and  Kapodistrian University of Athens but, being unable to find work,  she got herself a  C2 certificate in English and a teaching licence; this allows people to work as ELT teachers in Greece ever if they do not have a related degree (or no degree at all), but only in private language centres.(1)

Mado is married and a mother of one.

Here are our questions to Mado.

1. What made you decide to follow the CELTA?

First, I needed a certificate in ELT and the CELTA course seemed to be the best option; second, I needed to know if what I had been doing all those years was right – or wrong!

2. Your expectations of the course? 

Before starting the intensive CELTA course, I had read almost everything there was to read on the internet: official pages, blogposts, discussions in ELT forums, etc. Everyone mentioned how demanding the course was and that in order for a trainee to benefit from it, they would have to be open-minded and ready to change everything in the way they had been teaching. I was terrified and excited at the same time; my expectations therefore were quite high.

I expected it to be a unique, exhausting, almost mind-blowing experience that would totally transform me as an EFL teacher – and that was exactly what it was!

3.  What was the most demanding thing on the course?

I saw what I had got myself into on day one!

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The input sessions, getting your lesson plans ready on time, gathering information for the assignments, being in the same place with 20 absolute strangers for 8 hours – everything seemed too much! As the days went by, however, everything became much smoother.

The input sessions were an excellent opportunity to gain valuable knowledge from the tutors and fellow trainees from all over the world; the lesson plans and the assignments gradually started to make sense; the strangers became my good friends who had been going through the exact same difficulties.

The only thing that remained a real challenge throughout the course, though, was the necessity to put newly-acquired knowledge into practice almost immediately.

4. Tips for prospective CELTA candidates?

Since the course ended, I have spent quite some time reflecting on it. It has been a worthwhile experience, which I would have probably been incapable of completing if I had not followed my own “set of rules” :

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• Listen to your tutors! They will do everything in their power to help and prepare you.
• Organise your reading beforehand. It is almost impossible to do any serious studying once the intensive course begins.
• Organise your time accordingly. Leaving things for the last minute will only stress you out even more.
• Be open to feedback and respond to it. This is probably one of the reasons why you might choose this course.
• Eat, sleep, and spend time with your loved ones. Reboot before starting any task!
• Enjoy every minute of it!

5. Many people say that what you learn on the CELTA is impossible to use in ‘real classes’ . Your thoughts on this?

Since I finished the CELTA course, it has been impossible to teach the way I used to.

It has not always been easy as I have had to deal with untrained employers and colleagues and comments like this do usually come from them.

However, I believe that once you have made such a huge effort, you owe it to yourself to continue developing; and you will soon find out that you are not alone in this.

There are countless students, colleagues, and employers out there seeking innovative ideas, inspiring suggestions, and teachers willing to work and think out of the box.

Mado Lambropoulou

Postscript

Many thanks to Mado for this first piece. She was certainly able to think out of the box herself and despite the challenges, she  passed her course with flying colours and left  with a Grade A!!! Congratulations are due! Once Mado completed her CELTA, she found a teaching job at the local British Council as a teacher on their Young Learner courses. 

Our next interview will be of a teacher in Iran who also completed his course in 2014 at CELT.

(1) Being able to work with a C2 qualification is unique to Greece and has been happening for more than one cares to remember; currently, this is a law which is under revision and which will mean that C2 holders will not be allowed to do this any longer.

(Images of adult learners at CELT by Marisa Constantinides)

 

 

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Doing the CELTA: Do’s and Don’ts

This short guide is by no-means comprehensive, but I do hope it is practical and to-the-point. It is based on my experience as a CELTA trainer, so one might say I have seen the course form the inside J So here goes!

What is the CELTA?

The Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages formerly ‘Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults’ (CELTA, /seltə/) is an initial credential ( pre-service qualification) for teachers of English as a foreign language, a well known requirement for those entering the field of English language teaching. Since it is recognised internationally, it is a particularly popular credential among both new teachers as well as amongst more experienced colleagues, who see it as a passport to teaching English around the world or locally.

 

 (adapted from WIkipedia)                                      

 

It’s both a journey and a destination!

Back RoadsCreative Commons License Photo Credit: Justin Brown via Compfight

More than 10,000 candidates follow CELTA courses successfully every year. The CELTA is not the end of the road, of course; it’s the beginning of a great journey with the goal of becoming a great ELT teacher!

Who can do it

Anyone with a good knowledge of the English language, at C1 or preferably C2 level, be they a practising language teacher or an aspiring one can apply for the CELTA. Ideally, a candidate should be over 20 years of age.

Anyone with those pre-requisites can, potentially, be accepted on a course. But do remember:

  • You also need to do well on the language assessment set to you by the course provider
  • Your spoken English must be at a level appropriate to teaching a variety of levels
  • Your knowledge of grammar and ability to explain language should be at a good level
  • You must be healthy and of sound mind!
  • You must prove to your interviewer that you are ready to commit to the demands of the course
  • You must provide evidence that you are potentially a successful CELTA candidate

Do bear in mind that teaching is a demanding but rewarding profession. If you are prepared to work hard, be a lifelong learner and commit to the idea that it takes time to become a great teacher, then the CELTA is a perfect choice for you. With this qualification, you will have many more opportunities for career development than with other, non-recognised, qualifications.

Once you are accepted, there is more work to do!

To find our how you can face some of the demands of the course,  we have prepared some tips listed below, based on our experiences of having worked with numerous CELTA trainees since 2006.

Some Do’s and Dont’s

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Do’s

Don’ts
  • Decide whether the part time or the full time option is the best choice for you.
  • Automatically assume that there is only one option: the full-time, intensive course.
  • Take into account that intensive courses are demanding and not ideal for everyone’s learning pace & style. Choose this option if you thrive on pressure!
  • Follow the course if you are going through a hard time in your personal life; this affects concentration and performance.
  • Allow adequate preparation time. Your centre will provide you with a pre-course task, a series of exercises to prepare you and to get you to do some background reading. Do this systematically and thoroughly.
  • Rush through the pre-course task, giving short, superficial answers to the questions posed; the task is not a test, it’s a reflection and learning tool.
  • Do some background, preparation reading before the course; try to read at least two or three of the books suggested in the pre-course task.
  • Avoid doing any background reading because you think you will have time to do this later during your course. This is usually not the case!
  • Revise your formal knowledge of grammar; your tutors may have made some suggestions when interviewing you; follow them.  Read at least two or three good grammar books, including Scott Thornbury’s ‘About Language’.
  • Assume you know it all, either because you are native speaker or because you studied grammar as a learner. A teacher needs a higher level of expertise;  intuition or information passed on to learners is not enough.
  • Be very clear as to what is expected from you on a CELTA course. Download and read the CELTA handbook very carefully so that you can understand the course objectives and course expectations.
  • Think that there will be time for you to do that later. There won’t! You will need all your time to plan lessons and design great activities!
  • Download and read the CELTA 5 Candidate Record Booklet  and any other orientation material your centre provides, e.g. a trainee guide. This will be your constant companion during the course and the assessor will examine it for evidence of good performance.
  • Neglect this opportunity to be well-informed and well-prepared; neglect to learn the rules and how to maintain your CELTA 5 in top condition, so as to give the external assessor the best impression about your potential as an ELT professional.
  • Map out your study schedule for CELTA work: if possible, clear your schedule of other activities during CELTA days and allot specific time slots for your lesson preparation and course study.
  • Not even for one moment should you imagine that this is something you can breeze through without being organised and prepared to work really hard,  especially if following the  full-time option.
  • Approach the course with an open mind. This is a personal and professional development experience. Be prepared to reflect and experiment with all new ideas!
  • Block new ideas and approaches to teaching because they do not fit in  with either how you learnt the language or how you have been teaching (if experienced).
  • Be ready to interact and participate actively, to contribute as much as you can to the sessions, seminars and workshops. Be willing to share your experiences, your knowledge and your reading!
  • Expect the course to be a series of lectures, followed by memorising content and a final exam. This is a highly participatory course and your tutors will practice what they preach!
  • Be prepared to be observed by other teachers and, of course, your tutors. Take deep breaths and light exercise like a good athlete before a race!
  • Be surprised if you feel nervous or shy, even if this is not your usual attitude: it is absolutely normal and usually soon overcome.
  • Brace yourself for the high value of critiquing lessons and learning from your mistakes. Teaching Practice and feedback on your teaching is the most useful aspect of the course!
  • Expect to be praised or feel that you are a failure if your tutors or fellow trainees offer critical comments. Oversensitivity to feedback never produced excellent teachers!
  • Be prepared to observe other teachers teach, look at their lessons critically and offer objective, constructive feedback. Understand that these lessons will contain mistakes; treat them as learning opportunities
  • Be subjective and personal in your peer assessment: you will not help your colleagues this way, nor yourself. We learn valuable lessons even when we observe someone make mistakes.
  • Take the feedback provided in the spirit it is offered – to help you reach your full potential as a teacher.
  • Assume that negative comments imply that your tutors or your fellow trainees do not like you.
  • Do your very best every step of the way and avoid worrying about grades.
  • Obsess about grades! Some of the best teachers and teacher trainers started with a standard PASS.
  • Take risks and try out new things, new ideas that you have learnt in your input sessions.
  • Expect to stay in your comfort zone and do the bare minimum to scrape through.
  • Pace yourself: your study schedule should allow for some “me time”, essential to unwind and recharge your batteries.
  • Devote every waking minute to your CELTA studies, stay up all night, eating badly, depriving yourself of sleep; you need your energy!
  • Collaborate well with all your fellow trainees be they less or more experienced than you, be they more or less proficient in the English language than yourself. The bonds you create during your course will last you for a long time and are the beginning of your PLN (Personal Learning Network)
  • Be a lone wolf, someone who discourages collaboration and sharing of ideas with others. Learning is a social activity and we learn better together. Avoiding others will rob you of the opportunity to experience collaborative learning – something your course hopes to teach you to be able to do.
  • Enjoy your course! Rest assured that, even if you think you are suffering and you believe it’s hard, once finished, you will remember even the hardest moments with a great nostalgia, as many of our trainees so far have proved! It’s the experience of a lifetime!
  • Keep complaining about the work load, your grades, other people’s comments, the students who are not responding to you in the perfect way you thought they would! Moaning and groaning never got anyone anywhere near the energy and enthusiasm needed for great results!

 Haven’t discouraged you?

Join the good race, then, and happy TEFLing!

Sun runners
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Michał Koralewski via Compfight

More advice

If you need more information and advice, here are two possible websites to browse through.

The official Cambridge English website 

The CELT Athens Cambridge CELTA Wiki 

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Two Weeks @ Cambridge CELTA

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

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 do 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, 1.08 am, week 3 is on its way, and I am still working on an assignments and my 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 thing, one has more time to reflect, study, and prepare for assignments, TPs, input sessions, etc.
Truth be told: When the 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 went 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.

About the author

 

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Angelos Bollas is a teacher and admissions consultant for a foreign language centre in Athens Greece. At the time of writing this post which we are reposting here with his kind permission from his blog Learning Lover, he was a trainee on our CELTA course. He is @angelos_bollas on Twitter