Jared Johnsen - TEFL Traveller
- Age when you taught: 24
- Nationality: USA
- Where did you teach?: Mariscal Sucre, Ecuador
- Time spent teaching per week
4 - How long did you teach for?
1 month - What was your pay?
voluntary - What is the biggest lesson you learned from your teaching English experience?
That it takes more than knowledge of the language you are teaching. You need to work well with people on a one on one basis - What is the most common misconception about teaching English?
that it is easy - Did you get certified?: no
Why or why not?
not necessary for my job - If you were certified, what was your certification and how did you acquire it? Also, did your certification help you when trying to find a job? How?
- If you did not get certified, was it harder to find a job? Why?
I was not working for money. It was a volunteer program. So, no it was not hard without qualification - When looking for a certification program, what are the things to look for?
na - What are some common 'traps' that teachers fall into while teaching English abroad?
- What do you wish you would have done differently?
I wish I would have stayed and done it for a longer period of time. - What are the best things about teaching English abroad?
Learning about another culture and not going broke in the process. - Did you travel before or after your program? If so, where?
Yes, both before and after throughout south america. - What would be your advice to people thinking about teaching English abroad?
Many non-western countries allow for teachers without qualifications. This is great for you, but remember a little knowledge of how to get started will be very useful to you the first few weeks of class. Teaching is not working behind a bar.
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