What is Teaching and Learning

What is a teachers job?

What is your personal image of an excellent teacher?

What images does the conventional classroom bring to your mind?

The teacher is up in front of the classroom and the students are arranged in rows.

This arrangement is what you may be familiar with. The teacher is the know-er and is passing the knowledge to the pupils.
A.K.A Jug and mug.

Jug and mug means that the knowledge is poured from one receptacle into another empty one.

The teacher demonstrates. The student takes in the information. The student is given a chance to go over the exercises to find out if they learned what they have been told.

The teacher is the ships captain. The teacher probably does most. They probably do all of the talking.

So really... How much learning is going on?

What goes on in the student mind?

• I am not involved in the class.
• I am tired of sitting on this chair.
• I haven't said anything in hours.
• This makes no sense.
• Speak slower please.
• This is a boring subject
• Boring, Boring, Boring.

This all reminds me of the saying..."The teacher on shows up when the student is ready to learn."


What is the difference between teaching and learning?

In the real world. How do you learn outside of the classroom?


5 steps that are need to promote learning:

1. Doing it.
2. Recall it.
3. Reflect upon it.
4. Make your conclusions.
5. Use the conclusions to inform and prepare for future experiences.

This is a circular process.

Get Your ESL Certification

ESL Certification, you may also know as English as a Second Language Certification.

When I lost Engineering job in Dallas Texas options that I looked into was teaching English overseas. There was the beckoning of traveling to foreign countries and the escape of the crazy job market. It was a form of escapism. I checked into teaching in Hong Kong and Taiwan and I checked into International Schools. I tried to understand new terms and acronyms and certification requirements.

A few terms I learned were EFL, ESL, CELTA, TOEFL,TEFL.

All of this stuff brought out my skepticism, especially all of the online programs spewing the ease of online ESL certification with minimal effort.

When I lost Engineering job, I was dating a woman and decided to stay in America. We decided to get married & since she is Vietnamese, the idea of teaching never sort of went away.

The idea took 1 or 2 years to simmer. We visited China, Malaysia and Vietnam and checked out teaching opportunities.

While I was traveling, I was introduced to a College principle in Ho Chi Minh City who gave me help and direction. He helped me to break into teaching English without wasting my time or money.

Since my friend and mentor, the principle, had gotten his CELTA years before. I then chose the same path and set a goal to receive my CELTA Certification.

How come we have to have these ESL certs to teach English? The simple answer is, the governments mandate it. Students have previously paid a lot for low quality English teachers.

There are a lot of back packers passing through Vietnam. They are native English speakers passing through town traveling and looking to make a few extra dollars.There are those that are have abused the system. Being a native English speaker is not enough anymore.

Which is a good thing! Speaking English, playing a guitar and games with students doesn’t cut the mustard. The locals want better!

Just a warning, not all certifications are equal. If you don’t have a certification or a low quality certification, you will have trouble finding work at quality schools. Bad schools may hire you, but the pay will be low and the working conditions may be substandard too.

In some cases a substandard school may refuse to pay you and you will have little no recourse.

My advice is get a reputable ESL Certification.