United States
US
Ekaterina Melikhova
Teach Enrich Empower
Like a Big Family
I’m 28 years old and I’m from Russia, Samara city. It started in 2012 when I was working full-time as an administrative assistant. I felt that I needed to improve my English.
SoI found a language school in my city and joined them. At that time I couldn’t even imagine where that road would take me!
After finishing several intensive courses at Iness Bougoin Language School I was offered a position to become a part of a working team by its headmaster. I was so happy to accept the offer! So I started to explore the theory and practice of teaching. We are like a big family where both students and instructors are always glad to meet each other. This idea reflects in our motto – ‘we’re reaching our goal surrounded by supporters.’
Simultaneously with an internship at the language center and, on the advice of Iness, the head of the school, I decided to take an online TEFL course and acquire basic knowledge of teaching English. Now, I’m completely satisfied with the course. It gave me some brilliant ideas and tips for my lessons.
As an instructor, I participate in a charitable project created and managed by our language school: we teach English to seniors in their 60’s and 70’s. Working with the older generation surprisingly motivates me! These people are very open-minded and enthusiastic in the learning process. As people who have grown wise with experience, they are eager to express their opinions during different meetings of the school’s English Discussion Club.
“We’re like a big family where both students & instructors are glad to meet each other.”
I also teach teenagers and adults. As a rule, each group usually consists of several teenagers. Our students not only study in a group, but also socialise outside of classes. The group starts and finishes the learning process with the same composition of members. It happens due to the fact that we introduce an element of personal growth for each member. Students become so close to each other that they continue communicating out of the class. Once, as is our tradition to celebrate birthdays, one of the students brought a homemade banoffee pie to celebrate with his classmates.
We like to use drama techniques to let our students practice English in a real life situation. So, we stay at hotels, go to restaurants, buy souvenirs and clothes, make speeches, discuss what we would take if we went to the North Pole and even build our own city of dreams!
The moment of changing my career path happened when I was on maternity leave. I’m still taking care of my small daughter but now I am a TEFL teacher. I continue to have a keen interest in teaching English. Additionally, I became particularly interested in teaching Young Learners. It’s high time I developed my professional interests in this sphere.
What about my plans for the future? May be one day my daughter and I will go to China and together we will have some amazing experience there! Besides that, I would also like to travel as a volunteer to Nepal and teach children in monastery.
If you reflect on where to go to after completing the course, I believe that it’s a good idea to watch some inspirational videos of those who have already moved abroad to teach people of another culture. On the whole I’d recommend you to take an interest in your students – it helps you to build mutual collaboration since you are both learning at the same time.
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