By the Numbers: TEFL Certification

With one click of a button, hundreds of hours of work are behind me. I submitted my last assignment for my Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL) certification. Completing all the components of this certification is a gratifying accomplishment, not to mention an enormous feat.

This lifelong certification equips me with the knowledge and experience to effectively teach English-learners from any country and background. If I choose to pursue a volunteer opportunity teaching basic English to young immigrants or a weekend job tutoring advanced adults at the university level, TEFL certification makes me a more qualified candidate.

By the numbers, my certification with WorldTeach through the organization ACCREDITAT looks like this:

400 hours of teaching in the classroom
350 dollars to enroll in the program
135 hours of orientation and pre-training
25 hours of experience teaching English before the program
20 classroom-related readings and written reflections
18 lesson-plan submissions and written reflections
9 self-designed assessments and written reflections
2 25-minute video recordings of my class with written reflections
2 self-written case studies
1 co-teaching and cross-cultural communication workshop 
1 field-staff visit and constructive feedback

Among the most notable portions of the bimonthly submissions are lesson plans designed to a specific formula. During orientation in January, WorldTeach field staff taught volunteers how to design a lesson plan in five steps using: an opening, introduction to new material, group practice, individual practice, and closing. As creating lesson plans requires a resourceful mentality, I always enjoyed this portion of the certification, being able to incorporate songs, motions, occasional readings, and games into the classroom to be most effective.

The biggest component of the certification is filming a 25-minute video of class to send to the home office in Cambridge, Massachusetts for feedback. This seemingly easy task is trickier than it may seem. For my second video submission, I  succeeded in obtaining a recording only on my third attempt. My first attempt was foiled by a lack of water at the school. My second attempt failed due to a teacher leaving school early for personal reasons. My third attempt finally succeeded. As a safety precaution, I do not prefer to take my phone to school every day; therefore, special planning for this project is essential. When I was finally able to submit this video (my last assignment), I rejoiced in achieving this victory .

Although completing these assignments is a bittersweet reminder that my time in the Barranquilla is concluding, earning the TEFL certification is a fruit of my labors with lifelong implications. My experiences teaching in the unpredictable, warm, and dynamic "costeño" environment gives me a better opportunity to help English learners in the future.

From a professional development standpoint, it also helped me hone my skills to be a out-of-the-box problem solver and innovative, flexible thinker. Being able to use this training to assess my work with constructive criticism allowed me to stay focused on my goals and make daily progress.

Now, I officially offer my services to you. Do you know anyone wanting to improve his or her English-speaking skills? I can help!