Masimbaashe Kapembeza

Teach Enrich Empower

How To Be A Successful ESL Teacher

A lot of people have come up to me and told me that I'm a good teacher because I have a lot of energy. This is a misconception. Being energetic is a bonus and the most important aspect of becoming an exceptional ESL teacher is 'passion'. Yes! Passion.

As the Portuguese international football player Cristiano Ronaldo says “I have no secrets, just my dedication and my passion.”

You need to be passionate

Before I became an ESL teacher I would always tell my high school students to choose a profession which, even if they didn’t get paid, they would still enjoy doing. Once you’re passionate and dedicated to what you’re doing, the negative portion of the workplace won’t affect you in such a big way –it will be easier to focus on the positives.

When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, this rubs off. The students are inspired, interested and excited about what they are learning. A passionate teacher is what makes students decide to study more. Because I’m passionate about what I do, I’ve seen my students improve and I’ve seen unprecedented success everywhere I go to. Good and exceptional teachers need to be passionate. It requires a little more work, a little more imagination and a little acting ability. Passionate teachers are fiercely devoted and committed to their work and greatly inspire their students. Passion leads to creativity; therefore, passionate teachers have the ability to think and produce new notions in an easy way.

Be prepared to be versatile

Walking into class for the first time in a foreign country can be overwhelming. I vividly remember the first time I walked into class. Students and parents gazed at me and whispered. I felt so anxious and nervous – my palms were sweaty. For most of them it was the first time they had seen a person of colour in real life. This was not easy for me and it was daunting. Being adaptable and versatile about my job and having an awesome team around me helped me jump this hurdle.

“I have no secrets, just my dedication and my passion.”

Love for the job is essential

I decided to become a teacher because I love teaching. At present, most people take the job as English teachers just to earn money, which means they are likely to approach the job with a lack of passion.

High level of commitment is necessary

The strength of any profession depends on the degree of commitment of its members and teaching is no exception (Fox, 1964, p18). It is widely accepted that a distinguishing feature that teachers have is their dedication and commitment to the development of student achievement. Fried (2001), supporting this idea, states that there is connection between passionate teaching and the quality of student learning. As stated by Einstein ‘every person is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to fly high, it will live its entire life believing that it is stupid’.

I wish you all the best in the classroom and remember, with passion and dedication you will see unprecedented success in your profession.

Find your campus!

Choose to learn at one of our global TEFL campuses

The TEFL Academy has over 70 TEFL courses running every month in locations throughout the world.
Our combined TEFL course will give you the qualification you need to become a confident teacher abroad, wherever you decide to study. Select from the search options below to find the right course location for you.

You need to choose country and city!

Download 2024 Prospectus

Download 2024 Prospectus

Download your free 2024 prospectus and discover which TEFL course is best for you. Discover the amazing opportunities for our TEFL course graduates!

Download Prospectus

    Please enter your details in order to download our latest prospectus.

    Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

    Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

    Thank you for downloading our prospectus!

    We hope you enjoy reading our prospectus, we have tried to make it as useful as possible! Please get in touch if you have any questions.

    If the prospectus did not download automatically
    > Click Here To Download <

    Get Social

    Follow us on social networks, join our newsletter - get the latest news and early discounts

    Sign up to our newsletter

    Follow us on social networks, sign up to our e-newsletters – get the latest news and early discounts

    Accreditation Partners

    The TEFL Academy was the world’s first TEFL course provider to receive official recognition from government regulated awarding bodies in both the USA and UK. This means when you graduate you’ll hold a globally recognised Level 3 (120hr) Certificate or Level 5 (168hr) Diploma, meaning you can find work anywhere and apply for jobs immediately.

    Product added to your cart

    You have added to your cart:

    Request call back

      Please leave your details below and one of our TEFL experts will get back to you ASAP:

      captchaType characters on the left:

      Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

      Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

      Thank you! Your message has been sent!

      Download the TEFL World Factbook

        Please enter your details in order to download the latest TEFL World Factbook.

        Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

        Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

        Thank you for downloading the TEFL World Factbook!

        If the TEFL World Factbook did not download
        > Click Here To Download <

        Download the Online Teaching Guide

          Please enter your details in order to download our Online Teaching Guide.

          Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

          Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

          Thank you for downloading our Online Teaching Guide!

          If the Online Teaching Guide did not download
          > Click Here To Download <

          Download Prospectus

            Please enter your details in order to download our latest prospectus.

            Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

            Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

            Thank you for downloading our prospectus!

            We hope you enjoy reading our prospectus, we have tried to make it as useful as possible! Please get in touch if you have any questions.

            If the prospectus did not download automatically
            > Click Here To Download <

            $
            $