Where would the world be without teachers?
I couldn’t even imagine it! A profession steeped in history and a sense of respect, education has developed and changed throughout the course of history while remaining an integral part of modern society.
The ways in which subjects are taught and how teachers are instructed to teach these subjects are reflective of the time and culture. Teachers are constantly adapting and changing their methods in order to provide the students with the most effective ways of learning possible, so that in the future they can succeed in whatever path they may follow.
However, sometimes one may think the simple fact of having a wide and deep knowledge on a certain field already grants us with the ability of being able to become a teacher. So let's start by seeing why this idea is not entirely true. It’s actually pretty simple; although you may know a lot about a specific topic, that doesn’t necessarily imply that you have the ability of transmitting that information, in other words, that doesn’t guarantee that you have enough tools to teach. Let me give you an example to illustrate this further. Imagine you’re Justin Bieber. You’re a great singer, you’ve won grammy awards, you broke worldwide records and have a beautiful voice that enabled you to do so. However, Justin is not a vocal coach. Why so? Well, yes, even if he wanted to fit this activity in his tight agenda, he probably would lack time to do so. Even so, that wouldn’t be the only reason. With all of this talent, he still wouldn’t be able to tell someone how to do this work, since no one told him how to transmit this information. That's why he also has a vocal coach himself! Yes, even one of the greatest singers of our time wouldn’t be able to teach something without first being told how to teach it. Therefore, it is only logical to think that it is essential to get some sort of training before you put yourself out there in the teaching world. Trust me, if you do so, you’re gonna feel way better and more confident.
So now that you know what you need, the question would be: where to get this degree? Why International House?
In this article I'm gonna be talking from my experience. I was also once in that confusing place, not knowing which option to take. At the end of the day, this is something that will highly influence our future, so it's not to be taken lightly. Some of the things you may take into consideration when choosing a place are the following: the time it will take you, the professional staff the place offers, and the job opportunities this place will open for you in the future.
So after an extensive search, visits to the places and hours of thinking, I finally decided to study here. Why? Because I thought it provided a really good response to my three previously mentioned aspects that tipped the balance.
When it comes to the schedule, I think it is a very interesting proposal. It's three times a week, with a total of 9 hours per week (3 hours each day). This leaves you with plenty of time to study and do the homework at home, which accompany the learning process, and also, why not, to take care of other responsibilities that are not related to the lessons, like work, other studies, free time, extracurricular activities, and so on.
When it comes to the teaching training itself, it excels. It presents a huge and complete variety of subjects taught by a highly qualified team that will definitely prepare you for what comes next. You will not only be learning the basic skills to become a teacher; reinforcing your grammar knowledge, encountering and mastering the phonetic chart enigma and understanding how to deal with students of every age and help them in psycho pedagogical ways, but you will also be learning other aspects that will be vital in your formation. For example, you will have subjects like History, Science and Maths that will not only reinforce your concepts, but also present interesting and appealing tools you may use to capture your students’ attention. In addition, you will also have a technology course that will help you master some of the methods you can use in your classroom to go above and beyond and to become a real tech pro!
Finally, regarding the job opportunities, this place opens up many doors for the future, since it's widely recognized internationally. You might even be getting job offers while you’re still studying!
In conclusion, what else can I say?
I don’t regret for a second my decision to study here. Its beautiful environment, the people who work there are always really nice and helpful, everything will make you feel at home. But most importantly and above all, it gives you an incredible degree that will help you become exploit your teaching qualities and become a great teacher.
Written by Prof. Lucía Del Signore
