The English Teachers. RF Duncan-Goodwillie
That’s what they say, but what do you say?
OS: I think this is possible when a teacher is not alone. If somebody told me, “OK, Olga you are a teacher and you have everything you do and all the paper work (if it’s a state school) and you have to create a plan for every two or three months of a game and implement it in the class.” I would be like “Whaaaat!? How can I do this?”
Maybe I like the idea, but sometimes you just get stuck with ideas and can’t come up with anything. I know for me it works if I can work with someone and at least two others. When you speak about it you start brainstorming and even have some ridiculous ideas and choose the best. It helps discipline things. It’s hard to find time and you always plan something nicer to do like surfing the net or watching a series. But when you work with people you have an arrangement and you start speaking and have an hour for this. And then it’s much better. I say this from experience.
Recently I developed a course for travellers and I understood that if I did it alone it would take ages. Not because it’s lots of preparation and work, which it is, but just to discipline myself. And one of my colleagues did it rather quickly and I think that I’m satisfied with it since the best ideas come from some discussion. So, if we speak about gamification, if there is a team who develop this and plan it in advance while the students are away, then it can be successful.
RFDG: Why do you work in Moscow? Why not exclusively Tver?
OS: I juggle completely different things. I juggle teaching in Tver and teacher training in Moscow. I do have some teacher training in Tver, but it’s at a completely different level. And I can’t run CELTA in Tver. There’s no authorised centre and I think it’s virtually impossible to get it at our school.
RFDG: So, it’s about the opportunities Moscow offers?
OS: Yeah, and it’s a change of environment which is important. It’s a great opportunity to grow professionally. One of my reasons for becoming a CELTA trainer was working freelance and in the future when I have more CELTA trainer experience I’m open to ideas like going to China for four weeks, working there, coming back and still having my job and position here in Tver. It’s a travel opportunity, too.
RFDG: Some people might say you have the same opportunities in any large city and yet you go to Moscow. Is there any particular reason?
OS: Since I did my training there I have to do my first three training sessions there. It’s part of my programme. And I don’t feel confident as a tutor to start looking for a position in other cities. Maybe next year or in two years. Why not? It’s not only about working in IH Moscow, although I do love it there and I can compare it with two other centres. This centre is at a very high level and if I work there I’ll never blush. I’m sure these people are doing the right thing. I can’t say about the school in general, but as for teacher training, they provide high quality. I did my DELTA 2 in Istanbul.
She scrunches up her face a little.
RFDG: That’s not a happy expression
OS: Well… it was… let’s say…an interesting experience. I could compare how things should be done and should not be done.
She laughs at the memory of it all.
When I came back to Moscow, I could only say, “Thank you very much” to them. There were good trainers in Istanbul but the whole organisation was terrible. And when you are doing an intensive DELTA it’s quite stressful. I think I was not quite ready and should have read more before, but I didn’t and instead of focusing on more academic things and planning and teaching, I had to solve a lot of organisational problems, like where to find books, internet, etc.
They didn’t even have a library or provide materials. There was no course. It was like, “OK, you guys decide what you’d like to do with your students.” For example, we had to teach two levels and I had beginner and pre-intermediate. Can you imagine a beginner class of about 35 students, Turkish beginners? And they didn’t have to pay. It meant that it was like people coming and going all the time. For your assessed class you could have a completely new student for the first time and they could be a complete beginner, a false beginner, elementary or pre-intermediate. And they were self-placed. That was the policy of the school. The students came and said, “I think I’m pre-intermediate.” Or, “Last time I went to beginner and thought it was a bit too easy so now I think I’m pre-intermediate.” Or, “You know, there is an elementary group but this day is not convenient for me.”
RFDG: Not boring then?
OS: It was not boring, but I was used to a certain system and at that time I was a Director of Studies where everything is well-organised and we can identify not only that they are pre-intermediate but what point of it they are at. And we try to arrange it accordingly. We even try to look at personality and see which groups they would feel comfortable in. And then you come to a group of 35 people of different levels who are supposed to be beginner and you are supposed to be trained.
RFDG: You passed though.
OS: I passed.
RFDG: So?
OS: Well, who knows, but I’m happy because I saw a completely different environment and I was happy to work with teachers of very different backgrounds. Most of them were from Turkish universities and I realised how different the education systems were. It was the first time I even heard of flipped classrooms and a lot of my fellow trainees actually used it there. Then I realised they used DELTA 1 to read and prepare everything and then discussed it.
At the same time there were people who taught in the Emirates; Saudi… There were two teachers from Saudi who were originally from South Africa. They told me they taught girls and boys separately, that there were a lot of taboo topics for them. You could never speak about relationships, music, art, film. It’s all prohibited. For me it was a shock. What do they speak about?!
RFDG: If you hadn’t been a teacher, what would you have done?
OS: I would definitely have been a manager. Now I have a lot of responsibility. If I had to quit teaching and teacher training, I’d be a fitness instructor.
RFDG: Why?
OS: I love fitness. I’m in good shape and it’s close to teaching.
RFDG: So, something involving giving people direction?
OS: Yeah.
RFDG: Are some people just made that way and it’s in their nature to teach skills to people?
OS: I know soft skills are the most difficult to develop and there are training sessions for introverts. It’s like, “OK, you can be an introvert at home with your family and friends, but when you are at work you have to negotiate.”
RFDG: And that training works?
OS: I think so, if they understand they really need it and if they are ready to sacrifice their nature. I’m not an introvert, but my students are always surprised that in life I am very shy. I hate being at parties of more than four people and where I have to initiate conversation. I do it for my job and sit with people that I don’t know well and talk about things. But elsewhere, no.
RFDG: Maybe you just need a break from work?
OS: I don’t know. Sometimes I feel I should do something and want to do it, but there is this odd feeling and it’s awkward. One of the worst moments was when I went to an ELT conference in Moscow and I was there alone. I had no colleagues who I knew there. There were so many people mingling. If people