Successes, Failures and New Beginnings

Hi everyone!

So, firstly...massive apologies for the long silence. The reason I haven't posted in so long is because:

a.) The weather's been amazing,
b.) I've been a busy little bee, and
c.) I've been busy GRADUATING!

Chose this photo cos it's like a game of Where's Wally. Copyright Keith Morris.

Yup, last week I officially received my BA (Hons.) in Drama & Theatre Studies, which was all very exciting. It was fantastic to celebrate an amazing 3 years of life in a seaside town which completely captured my heart and soul. I already miss it, but I have a feeling this is not the end of my relationship with Aber. I will definitely be back-as alumni, a tourist and perhaps even as a resident. Who knows what the future may hold?!

One thing that I wasn't expecting about graduation, however, was how emotional the whole experience was. I thought I'd already said my goodbyes to student life here; and had done enough sobbing to last a lifetime. But it turned out there was still a little more water left in the barrel, and I consequently found myself bawling throughout most of the graduation ceremony. That may have well been the Vice President, Gwefyl Pierce Jones's fault, though...her speech was lovely and was virtually built to increase Kleenex sales! She was also a babe for quoting the amazing Maya Angelou, who once said the following...

'Your destiny is to find the courage to flesh out the great dreams. To dare to love, to dare to care, to dare to be significant and to admit it. Not by the things you own, or the positions you hold, but by the life you live.'

I was a blubbering snotty mess after she'd quoted that. But I'm going to stick the quote up on my wall, and use it by a motto to live by; especially at this time that feels like so much like a new beginning. 

Anyway, away from the floaty cloud of graduation and onto what has recently become the slightly stormy cloud of the TEFL. This is because, in amidst all the excitement and success, I've failed a couple of TEFL assignments recently. To be honest, I was slightly surprised. Up until now, TEFL has been a bit of a breeze really-I've had a couple of tricky moments, but I've always got through them. I certainly wasn't expecting to fail anything. 

But it's actually acted as a really effective wake-up call. Looking back, I was definitely getting complacent and not respecting the qualification (tip: doing a Unit Quiz whilst sunbathing might sound a good deal, but it's not the one). I've realised that if I want to do well at this, I need to keep my degree-level diligence up. Which, granted, is bloody impossible after just graduating, but I'm at least going to study in a quiet room, sitting at a desk, from now on. My future potential students deserve that much; and, as Angelou says so beautifully, I should 'dare to care' about them. 

Anyway-congratulations to everyone who's just graduated; whether on my course or otherwise. I know that great adventures await every single one of us in the Class of 2014-if we dare to be significant, and to admit it. 

Hope xx

A Confession and an update...

Hi everyone!

So-this week (in between going away for a few days) I've started my second TEFL module, all on Teaching Methodologies. I have to say that I'm already enjoying this one more than the last, but that's not hard to achieve given the fact that grammar is the spawn of the actual devil! It's a longer module, and there's actual written assignments to pass along the way, but it feels as though I'm actually getting some useful tools towards being a teacher-which is pretty satisfying.

Anyway...as the title of this post suggests, I have a little(ish) confession to make. Since starting this blog, I've received some really lovely comments and feedback (which has been such an encouragement, so thank you). One thing that you guys seem to like the most is the blog's name. I really like it too-wouldn't have chosen it if I didn't!-but I have to tell you all something before I begin to feel like a bit of a fraud...

I didn't come up with it. In fact, I've stolen it from another website. 

I'm sorry, Benedict. I never meant to hurt you.

So now you all know that I'm not quite as good as alliteration as you thought I was. However-the original Tiny TEFL Teacher website is great (almost as good as this one, har-har). It's got loads of resources for teachers and students alike, and it will help you with the dreaded grammar, too! You can visit it here (she also has a Facebook Page and a YouTube Channel too, if you fancy taking stalking up as a hobby). 

Anyway-I love the name for a number of reasons, but mainly because it reminds me of two things-

that 1.) Yes, I am physically tiny (well, short, slim and young looking)

and 2.) No, that should not stop me from aspiring to be a teacher.

For a while, I wondered if learners would take someone who looks 16 rather than 21 seriously as a teacher; for example, would business English learners who run a corporation take a small Welsh girl seriously? In all honesty, I've never had a problem with my height or stature; but my (albeit limited) experience of the 'big bad world' demonstrates that it occasionally holds my height against me, particularly in professional situations. Perhaps, in terms of initial appearance, I don't exactly appear authorative or powerful; and from past experience, that puts me at an immediate disadvantage when trying to apply for jobs which demand a certain amount of authority or respect. 

Of course, I could let this fact get me down-and it would be a lie if I said that it hasn't wound me up royally from time to time. But increasingly, I'm learning to see my physicality as my greatest weapon; a device with which to surprise people! Because, whilst I may appear to still get the bus to school every morning, I'm actually a soon-to-be graduate who is independent, capable and (from time to time) pretty fierce! Being small has actually pushed me to be all the more confident and sure of who I am, and to work harder to get what I want-perhaps because I've had to prove to people that I'm more than capable. These days, people often pick up on my motivation and energy; and (without sounding full of myself, I hope!) that's something that I'm really proud of. 

With this in mind, I'm going to continue to polish my character-so that it makes a lasting impression and fills a space, even when my physicality doesn't.

Hope xx

Grammar Successes and Classroom Experiences

Hi Guys!

After a few days of blogging absence, I have some brilliant news to share with you all...

I'VE PASSED THE TEFL GRAMMAR MODULE! (just doing a little dance to celebrate).

It's been a pretty tough ride, but I'm glad I've managed it. I'll certainly never look at the English language in the same way ever again (I now deconstruct every sentence  in the search for phrasal verbs, gerunds and indefinite articles, amongst other treats. Please note sarcasm.)

Anyway-I'll give a full evaluation of the module at a later date, but for now I really want to forget about grammar just a little bit. So instead-I thought I'd give you a little account of my experiences on the TEFL Classroom course, which was a far more enjoyable experience all round!

As I've said before-if you have a weekend (or a few weekdays) to spare to do the classroom course, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you do. Why? Because it'll act as a real motivator to get out there and fulfill your TEFL dream, whatever that may be. On my course, there were literally people from all walks of life, and each one of them had a different idea about what they wanted to do with their qualification-from internships in China to retreats in Nepal, to German-based adventures and trips to Thailand. It really got me excited for my own future adventure, and made me realise that doing this qualification will open so many doors and opportunities (I'm aware that this is all getting a bit cheesy now, so I'll move on swiftly).

Whilst our course leader, Steve, was keen to remind us that a TEFL qualification is well within reach, it was also clear that you can't really get there without some serious hard work and committment. Although the weekend course is only two days long, it's also two days of solid TEFLing- with the course running from 9am-7pm on the Saturday and 9am-6pm on the Sunday (it's meant to be even longer than this on paper, but in reality it seems that most tutors understand that there's only so much a student can take in). You get an hour or so for lunch and a morning coffee break (20 mins or so), but that's it. So my advice is-come prepared! Drink water, sleep well, stay nearby etc. Otherwise you might die.

Contrary to what this image suggests, your fellow TEFLers won't actually try to kill you.

However-there was a really friendly and informal atmosphere to our course, and it wasn't really anything like I imagined it to be. I was expecting a pretty conventional classroom set-up, but it wasn't like that at all; in fact, parts of the course actually more closely resembled a drama workshop, with a real emphasis on interactivity. I laughed a lot and got to know my fellow TEFLers really quickly; which is just what's needed on such an intensive schedule.

In terms of the course content itself-you'll get a lot of information thrown your way.There's a lot of things to get through in a short space of time, so parts of the course feel quite rushed, and it's clear that you're only learning the bare basics here. But Steve was really open about the fact that it's impossible to train someone to be a teacher in a single weekend, and actively encouraged us to seek out further teaching experience when the course was over to further our training. Topics covered included-Classroom Management, Lesson Planning, Teaching Skills, Grammar (everyone's fave) and Phonology. Sounds dull and dry, but it was actually really enjoyable most of the time. You also get a lovely course booklet to take home with you, with loads of lesson ideas and top tips. Some are more amusing than others-I don't think I'm going to be 'entering a classroom with socks on my hands' to create a talking point anytime soon!

Most importantly, the course gives you a chance to actually try out your constantly developing teaching skills, as you'll plan a 15 minute lesson (usually with a partner) each day. For me, this was by far the most beneficial part of the course. Though a bit nerve-racking, it made me realise that I actually think this is something I might enjoy doing, as it really is rewarding to witness others getting involved in your activities. The first lesson I planned was based on ordering food in a restaurant, and the second was based on debating the issue of internet safety. I'm pleased to say that both went down well, which was a great source of encouragement to complete the rest of the online course, and get out there!

At the end of the course, I felt completely exhausted, but happy. Leaving with a heap of new resources, a few potential language school contacts (courtesy of Steve) and a new-found passion for teaching, my TEFL dreams feel closer than ever!

Anyway, that's it for now. If you've ever been on a TEFL course, please feel free to share experiences of any kind below. It's been lovely to see TEFLers springing up from all over the place!

Ciao for now,

Hope xx