Job Discussion Forums

[jamesart9]

Hello,
Last year after my CELTA I taught at a chain school in Spain.
I also did a summer school and 4 days conversational this summer.
The latter went well but it is difficult to chase up references for those.

The chain school, I worked the whole year. They had a methodology. I hated working there and did not like the atmosphere, however I enjoyed teaching the students and got on well with them. In contrast I really enjoyed the summer schools.

When I applied to work in another school in Spain, the school said they could not employ me due to a bad reference from the 'chain' school.
I know I am not a bad teacher, my CELTA report was good and I did well in the summer schools. I just feel the methodology used in the school was not something I enjoyed. You read from a script in the lessons. However, I found this harder work than preparing lessons from books because I found a lot of the scripts pretty illogical.

Could anyone suggest what I should do? Should I tell future schools about my bad reference or pretend I did not teach English for that year. I actually prefer giving private tuition and I am used to working for myself from my other non related ESL work. Therefore, I aim to go to Madrid for January now, I dont need to teach masses of hours as I have income from other sources.

Could anyone please help me from similar experiences, or is my ESL career ended?
P.s I tried to get hold of the summer schools for reference but it is really hard to get hold of the bosses and also I only worked at them for a short time.

Thanks,
James.

[artemisia]

It's a difficult issue, because sometimes employers will go back and require older references. However, probably all you can really do is build up work from now on and get individual references at the time of doing so. Taking that off your CV leaves a gap and removes that experience...so not sure.

Did you ask this school for a reference when you left or was the atmosphere so bad that you couldn't? I'm just wondering about written references in relation to Spanish labour laws and whether an employer can legally write an openly negative one.

[jamesart9]

Hello,
Thanks for the reply.
The last end of term meal, my boss said to me perhaps I could work there again in the new year, something I would not do. When the new employer got the reference, it was given by another boss who really had nothing to do with me.

I then asked my previous boss, they said they would give me a good character reference but not as an ESL teacher. If I was really that bad in their opinion, they could have told me rather than letting me stay for the whole year.

This is not fair as my students there enjoyed their lessons and also my teaching at other places were fine. As I said, I prefer to do my own private tuition work and some part time hours at a school if really needed. In a way, I can get around a gap as I do other things and that job was only part time.

Thanks for the response!

[cmp45]

[daniel_hayes]

James,

Just leave this job off your CV, or state that no references is available. I know it might leave a gap on your CV but I don't think that matters so much. Just say you were doing other work, or even back in your country studying or whatever.

[Perilla]

[jamesart9]

Hello,
Thanks for the feedback. I am quite good at changing my CV so as not
to allow for suspicions.

I was observed for two lessons before last Christmas. The first one went ok, the second did not go well. Then, they did not observe me again and I continued to work there part time until the summer.

That is a good point regarding students saying one thing, then another behind your back. As one boss of another school told me in an interview, he believed that no methodology really works. Everyone has different learning styles.

To me, a lot of these methodologies are simply a way to streamline operations, create an identity and make things easier for the school, not to help the students learn more. I tend to prefer what I was taught on the CELTA course and self experience outside method classes.

James.

[santi84]

[jamesart9]

I completely agree. Don't get me wrong, I did not 'rebel' where I worked or have my own great theories on methodologies. I prepared the lessons using their methodologies and did not deviate from that. There is nothing worse than an employee who has great ideas outside their safe work but never bights the bullet!

All in all, either my boss was correct and I am not a good ESL teacher or I am an OK teacher due to my other experience and the CELTA and it was just that I did not fit into the school style and atmosphere.

It was definitely a good learning experience!
Regards,
James.

[Teacher in Rome]

In my experience it also depends on where you're going to teach next. As a previous hiring manager in a busy corp training provider in Rome, I never had time to check out lots of references. Actually, I never had time to check any references. (Don't blame me - when your boss says the course starts Monday next, you need to find teachers who you think will be fine - and that call is often a gut one.)

I wouldn't be particularly interested in a reference from a chain / method school anyway. I know that teachers have to teach from script, and that is something that wouldn't interest me for corporate training. I'd see that teacher x has all this chain school experience and I'd want to know how adaptable teacher x was in a different setting. If teacher x was familiar with other methodologies, other teaching materials, knew what to do in different settings, understood student needs etc etc etc. So I wouldn't be bothered to go and check out references from method schools.

I'd say, keep the job on your CV. Don't write "references upon request". It's a risk, of course, but I think on balance, having the experience on there is better than looking less experienced. Stick to the positives on your CV - how many students taught and progressed a level etc; how many levels / exams you prepared students for - that sort of thing.

If, however, you're applying for jobs which require references, then you will need to get more creative on how you obtain these references. Ask for an HR type one (dates worked and no other info); one from a colleague or student (ask your private students perhaps). Or go straight back to the boss and say that the reference he / she has been giving has stopped you from finding work. Can you agree mutually acceptable wording?

You can also consider priming your contact at the place you apply to. (Particularly if they check references after an interview.) Say sth like, "If you approach ABC for an interview, I think I ought to tell you that the reference might reflect less positively on how I used their methodology.... (give explanation of why the methodology didn't always work in x situation and how you used to adapt on occasion). If it's a decent school, they'll probably understand you and will be prepared to take that reference with a pinch of salt.

Good luck!

[nomad soul]

I agree with Teacher in Rome. Omit the outdated and unnecessary "References available upon request" statement; it takes up valuable space on your CV/resume.

My suggestions...

Use your cover letter to give employers an indication of how you teach and your teaching philosophy. Make good use of TEFL buzzwords. (BTW, always, always, always include a cover letter or letter of interest with every CV/resume you submit!) Moreover, consider including a sentence in your cover letter offering to do a short demo of your teaching skills. And then, at your interview, be prepared with a demo lesson and written lesson plan. If you're interviewed via phone, talk about how you would teach XYZ grammar or vocabulary. Ditto what Teacher in Rome said about playing up your strengths as a teacher but also mentioning how you've overcome challenges.

Proactively stay two steps ahead of the interviewer. Try not to wait for them to bring up a point; make their job easier by tactfully introducing it first. You end up having more control over the interview and stand a very good chance of getting the job. In your situation, this strategy is particularly critical because the interviewer's initial impression of you as a teacher will likely cancel out that bad reference from your previous employer.

Lastly, have a list of 5 to 7 questions for the interviewer. But don't ask about benefits and salary at that first interview. Instead, inquire about the available resources and teaching methods used and what types of teaching strategies work well with their students as well as those that don't. Ask for a description of a typical teaching day. And let them know you're interested in professional development. This gives you an indication of whether the job and employer will be a good fit for you, which is key since you certainly don't want to repeat the scenario you had at that previous school.

Good luck!

[jamesart9]

Hi, thanks for the good advice.
In my other work I do design and 3d graphics.
I was thinking of making a youtube animation/lesson explaining a part of grammar, that way the employer can here how I speak and get some idea as to if my lessons would fit into their school.
I think Youtube clips could be good to get private clients too. For example, if you advertise in the area you want to teach and in the advert include a link to a youtube lesson.
I will see.