Let's be honest, while there’s much to love, teaching can also be daunting. We've all had those moments of self-doubt, wondering if we're truly enough. You're not alone. Many of us, even experienced teachers, grapple with feelings of inadequacy. The truth is, teaching is a continuous journey of learning and growth. And never lose sight of the fact that you, with your own perspectives and passions, bring something valuable to the classroom. This issue is about finding your footing, and growing your confidence.

It's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed, especially when you're in the earlier years of your career or facing new challenges. We've all been there. We might feel nervous with a new group of students, we might take a difficult class to heart, we might lose sleep thinking about one particular student; these are all signs that we care about what we’re doing and that we care about our students. Teaching is a deeply human act and can touch us deeply. Even for the seasoned professionals and TEFL-lifers the learning never stops and this is a good thing, good teachers keep on learning.

How did you get started on your TEFLing journey?

There are many routes into the profession and some help us to feel more prepared than others. When we come to the classroom we bring our whole selves; our life experiences, our recent learning, our strengths and our weaknesses. If you’re feeling like it’s all too much, you could think about your strengths. What makes you unique? Maybe it's your empathy, your creativity, or your ability to connect with students. These are invaluable assets.

Some of us might feel underqualified and lacking the right qualification might be holding us back both in terms of our employability and also our professional confidence. Good employers who are likely to look after their staff better, pay more and invest in professional development much prefer their teachers to be properly qualified. Also we might suffer from  imposter syndrome as we secretly know that the cheap TEFL course, while being valuable, wasn’t really what we needed. Is now the time to get properly qualified?

What are “proper” qualifications in our profession?

The qualifications that are recognised across the profession and all over the world in bricks-and-mortar schools as well as online provide real -world experience through guided and assessed teaching practice as well as rigorous coursework giving a solid foundation in good practice. The two best recognised qualifications are the Trinity Certificate in TESOL and the Cambridge equivalent, CELTA. So often these courses are prohibitively expensive and are almost impossible to fit into a busy life with so many different responsibilities to juggle.

I’d love to do it but what about the cost and the time needed to do it?

At Active Language Teacher Training we aim to help with these problems on our inclusive 24-week, 100% online Trinity CertTESOL course.

The course offers flexibility to be sustainable for working teachers as you only need to commit to a total of about 9 hours study time per week. This allows you to work in a way that best suits you while balancing other commitments too.

We also understand that the 1500€ price tag often makes the course out of reach for many working teachers, we want our courses to be financially inclusive too. To make the course accessible we offer a full 50% scholarship on each CertTESOL course we run, we also can work with you to shape a payment plan to suit you. And, even better, to help us celebrate 20 years of Trinity CertTESOL at Active Language, we’re offering a 20% discount on all our courses during 2025. There’s never been a better time to take your Trinity CertTESOL with Active Language.

There is also the possibility that your school might also be willing to support you financially. It’s fairly common practice for a school to pay for a course in return for an agreement to stay working there at least until the course has been paid for or perhaps until the end of that academic year. This can be a win-win for all concerned, after all an investment in you and your professional development is an investment in your future, your students' success and the success of the school.

The next 24-week course starts on April 28, there’s still time to apply but you need to work fast. Apply at https://www.activelanguage.net/apply-now/ or email us at training@activelanguage.net with any questions you might have.

You’ve got this!

Whether you take the course or not, remember that challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. Every lesson, every interaction, is a chance to refine your skills. Also, celebrate your successes, no matter how small. A student's 'aha' moment, a successful lesson, these are the moments that make teaching so rewarding. And finally, adopt a growth mindset. Believe in your ability to learn and improve. We’re all on a journey.

Remember, your passion and dedication are what truly matter. You're making a difference in your students' lives. Embrace the learning process, connect with your community, and believe in your ability to grow.

Happy TEFLing!

The TEFLer is brought to you by Active Language Teacher Training providers of Trinity CertTESOL, DipTESOL and Teaching Younger Learners courses. See www.activelanguage.net for more information.