Job Discussion Forums

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

I am in the middle of a Celta course and find it way too intense and even feel maybe a bit fooled from the school. My grammar skills are average and thought I would be tought some grammar:(stresses, phonics, tenses, etc.) and or upon my application pre evaluation, I think they could asesss that my no teacher experience was not applicable for taking the course. It seems the class is full of grammar wizards or many very experienced teachers looking for their Celta stamp.I have no previous teaching experience, so with the intense speed and stress level, it is almost impossible to get through this.
I feel even that the compressed pace, high stress level, it is very hard to even learn. Are all of these teacher training courses like this or is this just the hardest? Would it be maybe less stressful to take it spread over a longer period of time?

ntropy · Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 671 Location: ghurba

Of any of the courses worth anything, CELTA is the easiest.

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

That is nice to know.
I just do not see how to do anything with the time given or to comprehend all of it for the writing assignments. My head cannot focus as it is clogged up with a class I have to teach in two hours, a written assignement due in a day and another due very soon, of both over 1500 words. There is no time to think or even eat. It is insane..maybe if I had more experience or grammar knowledge, it would be better.

Cdaniels · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:51 pm Post subject: From Bitter, bitter, stupid guy

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

I am ready to give up as I have already had 3 unsatisfactory lessons and one written has to be redone. I think there is not much hope left.

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

I had similar results to start with . It really gave me a kick up the ass . It's make or break time mate . Get stuck in and fight those f$$rs all the way until you pass . Many on my course failed one of the written and this was normally early on . Don't give up . At least if you try your hardest you can't feel bad about effort .

One of the chaps on my course failed but he couldn't actually write a sentence properly . I'm sure you've got the ability . Why not ask for help from someone if you're really struggling . Get together with someone who can help .

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

I think I should have done the 4 month weekend course, I think it would be less intense..(...I THINK as there would be room to think a little )

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

anospi · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 1:01 am Post subject:

I totally agree with Sheeba. As the course is so short, you've got to stick it out until the end. Just take it one thing at a time. If you look at the big picture you'll probably cause yourself undue stress like I did before I started the course. I too had never done any teaching before, but I think that enabled me to "jump through the hoops" a little easier than the more experienced teachers.

I remember seeing that documentary "Into the Void" just before I did my CELTA. If you've seen this you'll remember the part when Joe crawled out of the crevass with his broken leg, no food and no water, and began the long crawl back to base camp. Rather than thinking about the big picture, he just gave himself 20 minute tasks. For example, "In 20 minutes I'm going to reach that rock up there" and nothing else mattered. He was just going to reach the rock. When he got there he set himself another 20 minute task, and so on until he made it.

This is the same philosophy I applied during the CELTA Very Happy

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

the CELTA course is as stressful as you make it. one or two people on my course came in in tears almost every day claiming they'd been up all night preparing lesson plans and had spent the weekend trying to do the written assignments. I haven't the faintest idea what the hell they were doing with their time; i had plenty of time to prepare lessons, chat up and successfully ask out my attractive course-mate, break up with my girlfriend, go out for drinks, continue my normal social life and get a decent night's sleep. the key is to understand:

a) it's nigh on impossible to fail

b) it's not actually very hard, intellectually and workload-wise

c) the only people who got really stressed on my course were the people everyone else hated.

There's something else you should understand as well; the word 'elicit' is the answer to almost any question your course instructor may ask.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

anospi · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:05 am Post subject:

I wish I had attractive coursemates when I did my CELTA. I certainly wasn't distracted from studying by any eye candy.

I actually used the 4 weeks as a chance to detox as well. I did the course in January, right in the middle of a beautiful Australian summer, so it was tough. But come the third week when the workload was really piling up, my body was in the best condition it had been in since I was 15!

saint57 · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:52 am Post subject:

Where the heck did these attractive course mates go? I haven't seen any of them in the TESL world.