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For the reason why I took a TEFL course, I could name several reasons. First of all, a personal curiosity to see if I can cope with the class. I’ve learned English self-teaching, and so I was particularly interested in passing the grammar units. It was more of the process of testing my knowledge. Second reason: I am a Music Teacher teaching in one of the international schools in China. The language of instructions in English. I teach General Music to students in ECE to low secondary levels, and I am a teacher from the non-English speaking country. Reading the description of the course, I realized that this was the course I needed. Completing the course, I could have a certificate or confirmation that yes, I know English at the level to teach my subject in English. Another reason and I would say the main one was to learn more about teaching ESL kids. I moved to china several years ago. It was a big transition from my previous school, also international, but having much fewer students in classes, sometimes even combined, because of the quantity, mostly English speakers to a school where most of the students are ESL students. Here I have bigger classes, which required a different approach to managing levels. Such topics as managing classes, classes of mixed ability, or troubleshooting, which cover some of the most common problems that teachers encounter in the classroom, I found applicable for the Music classes as well. Managing big classes wasn’t easy at the beginning. I had to make changes in my approach, starting from the sitting plan - you can’t let students sit where, and whom they want, you need to consider if a child has problems in staying focused for a long time, get destructed and destruct others or too talkative, etc. Planning lessons and activities, I’ve started picturing how it is going to work for bigger groups. Exercises that work perfectly for small groups not always applicable to bigger classes. Looking back, the first problem I've faced in my new working place was a low-resourced classroom, which you described in one of the course units. I've spent a lot of searching for materials suitable for each level, ordering instruments and books. The main problem at that time was to get overseas recourses. Most of the resorts, especially the classroom instruments the administration asked us to get from local manufactories. The quality wasn't right as expected, and they wouldn't last for long, but how I always say it's better than nothing. Later the situation became better, and we now have local agents who cooperate with foreign selling companies. I found useful recommendations given in units such as Managing classes, Teaching new language, and Lesson planning. Some of the elements are new, most of them I’ve been using/implementing as a teacher, just good to confirm that you are on the right way. People take TEFL classes for different reasons – someone wants to live and work in another country; someone is looking for a change of career; someone is dissatisfied with a current job. I am not planning to change my subject and start teaching English. I know teaching a language is far more complicated than some assume, and teaching is not just standing and talking and expecting students to learn. It’s years and years of teaching experience and gaining relevant skills. I’ve taken this class to improve my teaching working with majority ESL students, as I teach not only music but also language.
