Mark Petter

Mark Petter (122)

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was 11!

What’s your dream in career terms?

To be a primary school teacher.

What’s your reality (what are you doing now)?

I teach English at an exclusive residential business school in Brecon, Wales.

How did you get into it?

I heard about TEFL when I was at college and liked the idea of being able to teach and travel.

How long have you been doing it?

I’ve been teaching for 13 years, mainly in Europe.

How do you feel on a Monday morning?

Generally look forward to work. In my current school we have a maximum of 12 students and so we have almost all new students every Monday!

What does a typical day involve?

Teaching 1:1 classes with one student in the morning and a different student in the afternoon. Because they are 1:1 classes the lessons are based around the wants and needs of the students.

What's the best part of the job?

Meeting a wide variety of students and teachers.

What's the worst part of the job?

The poor treatment and low pay in many countries, including the UK.

What 3 personal attributes do you think are most important for this job?

You must want to be a teacher

You need to have a good knowledge of English

You need to be able to appear confident

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years time?

Either running my own school or working in an international school in Spain.

How has the job or industry changed since you began?

It has become more professional, there are few places in the world where you can just turn up and teach because you are English as students expect more from their teachers than just conversation practice.

Do you have any tips for people looking to become an EFL teacher?

Do your research into training, make sure that the course you do is one that includes plenty of teaching practice. Avoid online courses as they are often not recognised by good schools. The Cert TESOL and CELTA courses are the benchmark and accepted worldwide. For teachers looking to progress in their careers the DELTA course is key.

Research the country and school where you want to work, if it’s a good school they should let you speak to current teachers so that you can ask them about the work; visit the school’s website, a professional school will have a professional website, and check the details of the contract you’re expected to sign before you make your final commitment.

Do you have or have you ever had a mentor?

I have mentored several teachers in the schools I have worked at in my job as Director of Studies.

What did this involve?

Helping teachers to write effective lesson plans and understand how to use material to create interesting lessons. Helping teachers to create a good rapport with their students.