Why another ELT blog?

Why another ELT blog?

Does the world need another ELT blog? Probably not. But does the world of ELT need to provide more support for its teachers? YES, always.

This blog is a digital space where we can make a cup of tea or coffee, sit down for a few minutes and have a think about the bigger picture. Its aim is to provide support for teachers, teacher trainers, educators, policy makers, publishers and all those other stakeholders to have a think, have a read, make a comment and, hopefully, be inspired and reenergised (not just by the coffee) to either continue to conquer that challenge impacting your everyday or to take a different approach to get an entirely better (or different) result.

My name is Bea and I run this blog. I have been a teacher, teacher trainer, student of ELT/TESOL, Director of Studies, ELT consultant, presenter and materials writer, among other things. I started teaching before I left school, I got my CELTA at 18 years old. I went on to do a BA in International Business and then completed a PG Diploma in TESOL and then an MA. I am sitting here today trying to change my trajectory as I have an unshakable urge to support and help teachers in all contexts (but more of that later).

For me the EFL industry is a curious and intriguing environment. From the tiny language schools dotted around the world striving to compete in a saturated market, to the massive publishers and universities that often feel they have the lion’s share of the industry (and all the rest in between). Yet, whatever context someone is teaching English to a student, there is always one criterion that is constant, the teacher (lets ignore computers teaching English for a second).

These very teachers that I feel part of the club with. These teachers are the ones striving to make a difference to someone else’s future. These teachers are the key to our shared successes as a community, a nation, a world.

You might be thinking, but there is so much already online for teachers, by established organisations and communities of practice. And yes, you are right, but this blog is trying to take a slightly different approach. It is a space to review, reflect, comment and discuss aspects of ELT that contribute to the bigger picture by framing the busy teachers around the world through their commonality and their differences. …

So, what do we know about the teacher and teaching?

Teaching is many things; we are required to shift between a multitude of hats in a typical working day.

Teaching is stressful because it is all essentially private education – it isn’t just a public service, it is a customer focused service and all customers come with different expectations.

Teaching is an inherently lonely job, if we don’t belong to a community of practice. Yes, we are surrounded by students all day, but ultimately, we are the only ones monitoring our impact on learning and assessing ourselves continuously. Mostly, we are left to our own devises. …

Teaching is a rewarding job but requires dedication and hard work from the teacher.

Teaching and learning about teaching is constant and without end. It is about the journey as the destination isn’t fixed.

Teaching is interesting and can provide insights into human nature, psychology, sociology, culture and much more.

But, we must be careful, there are times we can be overwhelmed, overworked and/or underappreciated.

A famous quote that comes to mind is ‘teaching is the candle that consumes itself in order to light the way for others’ (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk).

But what if we didn’t have to consume ourselves? What if we could generate teaching practices that are always sustainable? Some people have, but what if… we all could?

I can’t tell you exactly how you need to develop professionally, and I cannot snap my fingers and make all aspects of teaching easy – there is no ‘one size fits all model’. But we can take a moment to look at the bigger picture which will help us make better decisions for ourselves and ultimately for our students.