Interview With A Recent TEFL Course Graduate, Kineta In Wisconsin

Kineta Abraham recently completed an intensive TEFL course at the Wisconsin English as a Second Language Institute in Madison, Wisconsin, which included 130 hours of instruction as well as real teaching practice. I learned about Kineta’s course when I saw her ESL Base TEFL Trainee Course Diary – this is where she chronicled her experiences, insights and thoughts during the course.

Ultimately, Kineta would like to teach elementary school students with an opportunity to teach some ESL classes; she’s currently seeking a part-time ESL job to help finance her education. While having a TEFL certificate allows her to teach abroad, she feels that a teaching degree will create more opportunities both in country and abroad. Kineta has applied to a number of jobs posted on the internet or in newspapers and has a phone interview scheduled for a position in Chicago in the near future (good luck!)

How has doing the course changed her outlook on teaching? In Kineta’s own words,
“I don’t think I fully realized how much actually went into teaching. There are so many elements to consider and several of those elements lie outside of a teacher’s immediate control. I’ve learned that teaching is about planning flexible lessons that help students reach their goals. I am constantly asking myself “Why are we doing this?” If I can’t come up with a good reason and an activity isn’t beneficial for my students there is no need for it.”

Read on to find out what Kineta felt was the most challenging part of the course, what she gained from it, and what words of wisdom she would pass on to other potential TEFL trainees.