CELTA
A Leap of Faith
Rebuilding my teaching career
Two weeks of extensive grammar instruction culminated in a forty-minute interactive task. My seventh-grade students were put into pairs. Each pair was assigned a part of speech, which they were required to defend in front of the whole class. This activity helped students grow in confidence. It also gave them an opportunity to develop their collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills — three of the six Cs of 21st century skills.
Clearly, my hard work on the CELTA course is paying off. Sceptics are, however, still dismissive of the internationally recognised teaching qualification. That hasn’t undermined my morale. Eventually, my classroom accomplishments will help to dispel the stereotyping that forces people to second-guess career change decisions, often to their own detriment. I must admit though that I was unconvinced myself when I had started out as an English teacher. So, what prompted a change of mind?
Growing up in the Emirates, I was able to practise my English skills everywhere except the public library (the librarians were Arabic speakers). I scored well on creative writing assignments and maintained a personal diary for poetry writing. With none of the present-day distractions of social media, I had more time for intellectual pursuits.
Soon after my A levels in Dhaka, I applied for university placements. I was keen to enrol in the English Language & Literature undergraduate programme since I wanted to teach English and work with a newspaper part time. Misguided by the programme advisor, I abandoned this plan and graduated four years later with a business degree. Fortunately, my language skills compensated for the absence of an ELT degree and I was hired as a part-time English teacher at a primary school.
I discovered my flair for teaching while working on this job. Over time, however, my self-confidence eroded. I saw how effortlessly a CELTA-qualified colleague planned lessons, performed assessments, and increased student engagement. I began to have second thoughts about pursuing this line of work.
The prosperity of peers with corporate jobs led me to believe I would be better off if I followed in their footsteps. An internship with a multinational company proved me wrong. Halfway through the programme, the Head of Human Resources summoned me for an assignment briefing. I don’t recall the exact conversation, but I won’t forget how I felt afterwards.
The gentleman suggested I return to the classroom. In his opinion, I was better suited to the teaching profession. He would have elaborated on this if our conversation hadn’t been interrupted by a pressing personnel issue. He didn’t need to elaborate actually. Unlike language teaching, office administration didn’t appeal to my sense of purpose. The excitement of working in a commercial organisation waned towards the end of the internship. In the last week of my tenure, a brief chat with the Country Manager helped me grasp the short-sightedness of my decision to step away from teaching.
I accepted an English instructor’s post at an education consultancy. After three months on the job, it became clear to me that my passion for, and prior experience of, language teaching didn’t suffice. I gleaned lesson materials from the internet and studied Jeremy Harmer’s book. The latter served as a guide for lesson planning and delivery where management guidelines were vague or inconsistent with my teaching goals. Despite my best efforts, feelings of inadequacy gnawed at my conscience.
Eager to develop my teaching skills, I attended a couple of teacher training workshops, where trainers rattled on about Bloom’s taxonomy. I returned home exhausted and with a shallow understanding of learning theories. These workshops didn’t explore the multifaceted nature of second language acquisition. They didn’t prepare me for the challenges of teaching a mixed-abilities class. They did nothing to build my credibility as an ELT professional.
Returning to the whiteboard wasn’t easy for a 36-year-old single mother with a business degree. Despite family opposition, I persisted. I believed — and I still do — I could contribute to the community through my work as a language teacher. All I needed was a teaching qualification. However, an ELT degree was beyond my reach.
CELTA was the best way forward for my teaching career given the prevailing circumstances. It equipped me with the tools to plan and deliver effective lessons for all proficiency levels. Moreover, having a globally accepted ELT qualification renewed my self-confidence and improved my career prospects. Alhamdulillah.
