If you ask our students to describe the program in one word, you might hear the words, "challenging," "intense," or "fulfilling." Now that the onsite portion of TCP has begun, we had the chance to sit down with one of our current students.
Q: Tell us about yourself
I began my teaching career in Madrid, Spain, where I received my TEFL training with the Canterbury English Academy. Once I returned to the States, I moved to Arizona and became an Instructor at Arizona State University, where I received my Masters of Fine Arts. While there I also studied at Charles University in Prague, and taught at the National University of Singapore. In addition to my teaching experience, I’ve worked with an educational consultancy for years as a private tutor, blogger, and college essay coach. I’ve helped undergraduate, graduate, and professional school applicants gain entrance to many prestigious colleges and universities. These days, I’m doing my best to make sure Intensive English Program students at ASA College are equipped with the necessary English proficiency to engage, academically and socially, with the best and brightest. I believe the classroom must be an authentic community. Lastly, I’m a language learner, as part of a bilingual family who speak Spanish and English at home.
Q: Why did you decide to come to Teachers College?
I had already completed a certificate program, and I have a good deal of teaching experience, but TC’s Certificate Program seemed like it still had something to offer because the coursework and practicum were so much more rigorous than that of typical certificate programs. It’s very academic and research-based - a lot of what we study is taught to first-year grad students. Moreover, I had wanted to experience the very best training available to teachers, so I could utilize and share ‘best practices’.
Q: How has your learning experience been during the online portion?
It was my first online class. The LMS Canvas made it easy to keep track of the various assignments and deadlines we had to juggle for five courses. Also, since I work 40+ hrs a week and live in Brooklyn, I greatly appreciated the flexibility of being able to do my work wherever I was, whenever I was free.
Q: Now that you’re finished with the online portion, what are you looking forward to the most during the onsite portion of the program?
I'm an extrovert. I enjoy being with people, and I really love teaching. I'm looking forward to working with others and meeting/teaching students. Given my nature, I believe that I will enjoy the onsite part of the program a lot.
Q: What advice or suggestions would you give to a future incoming TCP student about your experience thus far?
If you're working full time and/or have a family, the program will require a lot of you. Get the lesson plan format and the terminology down as quickly as possible. You will be using and encountering the same words and concepts many times in different contexts during the classes - so it is very worth it to try to learn everything as well as possible in the beginning. Also, even if you’ve been teaching for a while, you will learn a lot. Our field is evolving.