TEFL Certified

After I left college at 18, I dreamed of going travelling. I’d spend hours and hours each evening reading about different countries and cultures. I’d spend my pub shifts day dreaming about it as I carried stacks of plates to and from the kitchen.

A friend told me about teaching English abroad and suggested doing a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course. I was ridiculously excited about the prospect as I had previously thought about teaching as a career path, but didn’t go to University for various reasons.

I researched it, found courses on it, I spent days hovering over the “pay now” button for a course.

But you see at 18, I was not confident, the idea of travelling alone terrified me, and I wanted to please other people. Everyone else’s disinterest and lack of enthusiasm when I spoke about the course made me realise people didn’t believe in me, which caused me to doubt myself.

Over the years, through different life experiences, I’ve grown a lot as a person and developed a lot more confidence. I still kept thinking about doing a TEFL course but for one reason or another it was pushed aside.

Progressing from pub work to an office job, I would still be day dreaming of travelling and teaching, exploring new places and meeting new people as I stared at a computer screen, furiously tapping away 8 hours of my life every day.

I would kick myself for not having the confidence to have done what I wanted when I had the chance to, but what I’ve realised is that you shouldn’t compare your first chapter to someone else’s chapter 20, you have to do things when you’re ready.

When I broke up with my partner I had been living with, I realised it was time to stop living to try and please other people.

I’m at a stage in my life where I’m going to do what I’ve always wanted to do, what makes me happy, what fulfils me. I believe in myself now and that is enough. I don’t need anyone’s approval anymore to feel justified in my actions or behaviour.

The weekend before I went on my first solo trip to Rome, I stepped into a classroom at Kingston University (armed with just a notepad and pen), met lots of amazing people, learnt a lot and completed an intensive weekend TEFL course.