Earlier this summer, I earned the CELTA certification, or Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, thereby joining the warm, welcoming English language teaching community. I commuted for a month to San Francisco’s St. Giles International for the program. Getting a TEFL (or Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification is no easy matter, especially if you opt for the full-time, intensive four-week option (and I’m not just talking about the commute!). Still, I’d call the CELTA journey one of my favorite learning experiences. In a few words, I could describe the CELTA as…
Challenging
Four weeks of intense learning, lesson-planning, teaching, and evaluating is tough. I didn’t have a ton of free time during the CELTA program. An average day consists of lesson plan review first thing in the morning; followed by instruction from tutors; then lesson preparation; and, finally, teaching practice. And don’t get me started on those written assignments! That being said, there’s plenty of support and resources to get you through the program. Whether you’re commiserating with colleagues or utilizing the library of language books, you’re not alone.
Enriching
Despite the stress, it is incredibly rewarding. It feels great to deliver a lesson and see students benefit from it. Generally, the students were keen, enthusiastic learners who seemed genuinely happy (and patient!) to be a part of our learning process. Additionally, my tutors and colleagues were incredibly positive and supportive. They helped me identify and build strengths when I was feeling low. And I could count on them to give constructive feedback and corrections on where my lessons fell short.
Learning curve
I came into the CELTA program straight out of graduate school. I had TA-ed several times throughout college so I was no stranger to teaching. Nevertheless, there was certainly a learning curve with the CELTA. I wasn’t accustomed to creating such detailed lesson plans and materials. Additionally, I was fairly comfortable with ‘winging it’ as a TA. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but it meant that I didn’t give as much thought to effectively communicating when there’s a language barrier. During the CELTA program, this became the center of every lesson. I had to develop a much better awareness for my students and their learning.
Transient
The program can feel daunting from the first day. In fact, some of us were teaching from the second day! Because there’s so much to get through over the course of the program, a month starts to feel like a very, very long time. In reality, it’s not long at all. From weeks 1 to 3, I braced myself for the waves of lesson planning and assignments. But by week 4 I wondered where all the time had gone. That last week was actually really sad. My colleagues and I felt like we had bonded so much with our students, the tutors, and with each other. Although the CELTA doesn’t expire, your time in the program does. It felt great to make the most of that time and really connect with people at St. Giles.
Affirmative
On the last day of the program we arranged our lesson plans, assignments, and evaluations for the Cambridge assessors to review. It was pretty cool to see how far we’d come from our first lesson to our last. After completing the CELTA there was this overwhelming feeling of affirmation and accomplishment–like, we actually did it! We survived a month of rigorous coursework and we emerged stronger because of it.
I couldn’t be happier with my decision to get the CELTA certification. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities. And while the program focused on English language teaching, I still feel like I’ve become a better teacher in general. I can’t wait to bring what I’ve learned to a classroom of my own.