If you’ve completed your CELTA or other teaching English qualification, or are about to start one, you might be concerned about what comes next.
The exciting part is that with TEFL, you can work almost anywhere around the world. English language schools are frequently seeking qualified teachers, and the CELTA will certify you for these jobs.
You can also start your TEFL career with International House. We have a jobs page that is regularly updated with teaching positions in IH schools globally. Working for IH has many professional benefits, including the chance to develop and widen your skill set, and a certain level of quality when it comes to the working environment.
“I think there are certain conditions you can expect from working for an IH school as a teacher,” says Liz Bowden, Senior Teacher & Teacher Trainer at International House Bristol, “such as the number of hours you’d be expected to work, contact hours, hours that you’re in the classroom, class size, things like that.
“I think one of the most important things that you get from working for an IH school is the opportunity for professional development, which I think is absolutely key when you’re a teacher. Otherwise you could get stuck in a rut.”
Professional development avenues with International House include courses to specialise your skills and advance your career, free online workshops in a variety of teaching topics, and annual, face-to-face conferences. “One of the things that I really enjoy is going to International House conferences,” Liz adds. “I love meeting teachers from all the other IH schools or people from other IH schools who do the same job as I do. We can meet, compare ideas, and I think that’s a really great thing.”
Professional development and nurturing talent is at the heart of International House, and assessing your own teaching can benefit you and help you to become a better teacher. Charlie Marshall, a teacher trainer and CELTA trainer at IH Bristol, notes, “It’s a very good way of boosting your career. It’s also a very good way of boosting your own teaching.
“You get to really examine teaching on a minute level, like all the little things you do in the classroom, and you learn how to make your own teaching better at the same time. In my role, as a teacher trainer, you also learn a lot from the trainees. You see them doing things you’ve never thought of doing, and you can then incorporate that into your own teaching.”
After a few years of teaching experience, there will also be the opportunity to advance your career by moving up the ladder into a more decision-making position, says Liz. “In terms of going into these more managerial positions, you need to get your diploma or your Delta qualification.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about the types of professional development courses which are offered by International House, you can visit the IH Online Teacher Training Institute, which offers a range of certificates for CPD.