Michelle Mudaly » Experiencing CELTA

Today we received our timetables for the rest of the week and luckily im not teaching so i observe a few of my classmates teaching their first 30min lesson which is being assessed and graded by Bernard. 

 Its quite nerve wracking even though im not even teaching. Anyway, it was an interesting day. As usual after teaching in the morning we go for tea and then its back in class for feedback to those that had taught that morning.

 Bernard tells them what they did good and what needs to be improved and the people like me who observed make our comments as well.

 Then its off to lunch.

 The people teaching the next day like yours truly, stay behind to go over our lesson plans for the next day.

We have four 30min lessons, three 40 min lessons and two sixty minute lessons all planned for the rest of the month and it all adds up to 6 hours.

 Well from Day three onwards, there was no thought given to anything else on the planet and not one proper night of sleep.

We worked and worked!! Teaching Practice when we went in in the morning then Tea break, then back in for feedback on the Teaching Prac. then lunch, after that its back to the classroom to learn something new about different aspects of teaching etc. then off to tea again, class starts again and we finish at 4:30 sometimes 5:00 then we run around trying to get ready for our lessons the next morning and home to prepare, spend most of the night trying to get the lesson and its plan just right, then sleep for about 4 hours then up, ready and out the door and it starts again.

 The month felt like it wouldnt end. But, it did!!

Well, day two and its crunch time. Trainee one goes up and we all watch quietly to see how she does and it turns out quite okay , we are proud of how she handled it and then the next trainee and then its me, my tummy is doing sommersaults and a hole in the ground seems alot more attractive than going up and talking but it had to be done.

Well i greeted everyone and started what with the mingling activity planned and to my suprise it went quite okay and i was quite proud i pulled it off and the students looked at me like i was real teacher and thats when it hit me!! This is what i signed up for!!

 To help people desperate to learn another language and through thinking of it that way i was able to continue.

 These people are just as nervous and unsure as you are, they need to know that they have a strong teacher who will lead them and give them direction, this is no time to be a wimp!! People need help and thay are at your mercy and are relying on your knowledge.

So with that in mind i went into Day 3

Well i know im done now but i am putting in my experience from day one onwards because that is something i really needed before i started this course and i couldnt find it anywhere till i luckily stumbled upon one persons account and it helped tremendously!! So here goes!!

Day 1

 11 of us walk into the room and sit down, all not sure what to expect and trying our best to not show nervousness and to be relaxed.

 The tutors walk in and say hello - 2 friendly looking people!!

We are introduced to them both and then we introduce ourselves to the class while seated. The tutors are Bernard Mcguigan and Carla Wood.

We all get introduced and then we get into some fun getting to know each other activities - known as warmers(as we later found out!!)

We go through a few fun activities of asking each other questions and writing answers and really getting the basics of each person and their lives and the reasons why they are doing CELTA.

 Then we write up a story about one person we have picked from hat, we use information we have picked up from each other about that person. Then the stories go up on the wall and we walk around reading each persons profile - very interesting and fun!!

 We then go off to lunch and think “That wasn’t so bad after all”

Back in classroom in afternoon and we are told all about what we have gotten ourselves into and that we will be teaching adult refugee students from Congo on Day 2 of this course!! YES!!! Day 2!!! And no one has experience in teaching- at least not this kind of teaching!! We are told that we will each be doing a different stage of our warmer with our students(that we hadnt met yet), the lesson would be 20min long for each of us.

ALL of us a bit suprised at how soon we would be put into it but since we had no choice we had to talk about how we were going to do this. The pressure eased a bit when we were told we would be watched by the tutor in our respective groups but would not be officially assessed.

SO PHEW!!!

 Oh !! I almost forgot!! We were supposed to have 12 in our whole class but one guy never made it so it was 11. 

We were divided into two groups!! 5 people went with Carla to teach the Elementary level for the first two weeks while the 6 left over(including me) went with Bernard to teach the Intermediate level for the first two weeks.

 And so it begins!!

Well, Finished my CELTA course on the 29th of June and what a sense of accomplishment i feel.

Its been a hectic month with no time for anything but CELTA but i believe i have learnt more in this month than i could have learnt in a year.

The tutors were under alot of pressure to cover alot of ground in a short space of time but boy did they do a good job!! Things may not have always gone to plan but on the way the ride with my classmates was something!!

 We all were stressed and trying hard to motivate each other but in the process we managed to get each other up and running to do what was expected of us.

This Course is one of the best things ive ever done!! I may not have been warned well in advance and told all there was to know but i can assure you that if my classmates ranging in age from the  youngest being me -24 years old to people in their 70’s can make it through this and come out with a PASS then anyone can do it!!

I walked away from this course dead tired but happy i got myself out of bed each morning to get out there and do what needed to be done each day.

In the words of my father during this course - Take it one day at a time!! Dont think about next week and the day after and look at that schedule they give you and think oh gosh!! Today im teaching for half an hour what am i going to do about next week when i have to teach for 40min?? 

Let it take care of itself and thats the best advice i can give you!! Remember each day has its own issues and every single classmate of yours is in the exact same boat as you so you are not alone!!

 If you do decide to do this course be prepared to work harder than you ever will in life for anything!! But you will be rewarded for it!!

 SO GO FOR IT!!

Well ive been through 3 weeks of CELTA and its been quite a ride. Intensive is not even the word for this course because it still does not prepeare you for what you will face.

 Im supposed to be planning for my lesson for tomorrow morning at 9:30am and it is now 22:14pm and im not even done with my lesson plan. I am completely blank and dreading doing my first One hour lesson in the Intermediate group again.

 I know they say it should get easier but it doesnt and the reason is because you have a tutor watching you and making notes now thats enough to unnerve the calmest of people.

 I wish someone sat me down and told me the truth about CELTA.

Dont get me wrong, its a great learning experience and a wonderful certificate im sure!! (Assuming i pass this friday!!) Its worth doing if you really really want doors opened for you worldwide and want to earn money asap.

 But!!! dont be fooled and dont be thinking its only a month and it should fly by because it doesnt, this is the longest month of my life!!

Well, i hope this doesnt put anyone off, i just think the truth should be told!!

 Im off to try and do my lesson plan and please my tutors and my students.

See you soon!!