Teaching English in a Foreign Land: Reasons to do a DELTA: Part 2

This goes without saying. Let’s be honest, the TEFL industry is poorly paid so anyway you can get a few extra quid from your boss then better for you. Not only should your boss up your salary, but you can start thinking about becoming a teacher trainer, materials writer, a Director of Studies, and even opening up your own place. The more qualifications, the better.

Feel better prepared

I’m not saying that you’ll be able to wing your classes more (or ever, don’t be naughty), but the DELTA will definitely prepare you for those incidents that you hadn’t planned for. I like planning my classes, but I’m also a massive fan of going with the flow. I like to teach what my students need, trying to find gaps in their knowledge that lead to a breakdown in communication. During the DELTA you analyse your classes so much that it becomes second nature afterwards.

Get to know your students

The DELTA will teach you that every group of students is different and that you should cater for each group in a way that they need. I guess it’s not always easy to do, often you find different types of learners within the same group and providing for all of them is often hard. But I do know now that needs analysis at the start of the course is a great way to get to know your students. It also makes you look professional and shows that you care about them (even if you don’t).

Meet some decent people

This isn’t the case if you do the course online. I enjoyed doing module one online, but it was much more fun doing the input sessions and getting to know some other teachers. Despite the stressful moments, we did have a laugh now and then and the tutors were first class.

Sit back and relax

While you’re doing the DELTA, you will get stressed a lot. Suddenly all your classes are like a practise for your final LSA and you’ll try to maximise your performance. I found this very tiring, mentally and physically, and I put myself under a lot of pressure to make sure my classes were DELTA standard.

Now that the DELTA is over I’m enjoying teaching more. I had a month off teaching, and boy did I need it, but I’m back fresher with a load of ideas and much more confidence, which is already showing in my classes. I used to get a lot of blank faces while explaining grammar or setting up tasks, but that happens less now. Students seem to notice that confidence and feel more at ease, or at least they feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.

Life during the DELTA is hard, at times horrible, but the benefits are waiting over the horizon. Go for it!