I completed my CELTA course in August 2015 at Lexis TESOL Training Centres on the Sunshine Coast. Having been a teacher for a number of years I was a little unsure of what I was really going to get out of a course billed as an ‘initial teaching qualification’, but I realized that I needed to get the certificate so I was determined to keep my head down and get through it.

I arrived at the centre on the first day and was a little surprised at the location – views out to the beach and a huge outdoor area (which I later found out was also used for teaching on sunny days). I walked into the computer room and saw the interactive projector and other equipment we would use throughout the course and thought I may have misjudged what I was going to be doing for the next month. I found out over the next 20 days that there was more to teaching than I had known.

I had come to English language teaching from a career in professional writing. Unfortunately, I could see that, with professional writing, the kind of writing that sells may not exactly be the kind of writing one wants to do. So I went looking for adventure and a new career and found both in teaching English as a second language (it’s heaps better than writing!). My teaching before CELTA had taken place in Asia and Australia but I am thinking of branching out soon and looking for something a bit more exotic.

I now teach at Lexis English (Noosa campus) and have been doing so for some time. Quite frankly, teaching is not just a job but a whole process of self-development – aspects of your character that may have been hidden while working behind a computer will suddenly come to light when standing in front of a classroom. This can be a challenge at times, but undoubtedly of great benefit in the end. I have the good fortune to teach a lot of very high level classes. My learners are motivated and demanding and it keeps me on my toes, but I get a lot of satisfaction out of being able to deliver.

Originally, I chose CELTA because it is the world’s most recognised teaching qualification, plain and simple. A quick look at a few TESOL job advertisements, in any country you like, will testify to that. But I came away with much more than just a certificate. I was able to build on my existing knowledge and incorporate new techniques into my teaching. The tutors didn’t try to overhaul my teaching style, rather they helped me apply the new knowledge in a way that emphasized my strengths.

For anyone thinking about a career in teaching English as a second language, I definitely recommend CELTA; no matter if it is just for a year of travel, or for the rest of your life.

Lexis TESOL Training Centres (RTO: 41178) provides CELTA and Certificate IV in TESOL 10429NAT courses in Noosa, Brisbane, Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast. For more information go to http://www.lexistesoltraining.com/