The English Teachers. RF Duncan-Goodwillie
tenses I already have some games. I have to modify them for different ages. If it’s a new topic or we start something new or have new vocabulary, then it will take me more time.
RFDG: If you could think of ways to make your workplace better, what would be your top three?
NB: Speaking about the room, the availability of a screen could be nice but it is not a must. It’s good to have it there but we can live without it. Another important thing is to have desks. It helps to discipline students. If we speak about a conversational group then chairs like these…
She gestures to the desk chairs arranged around the room.
NB: …they’re fine. But for school children it is not appropriate because they feel too relaxed. For school ages it would be better to have desks.
As for other things, I am pretty happy with what the school is doing for us, like the whiteboards, the markers, the magnets, everything is there. It’s all organised.
As for the centre, I’d say that everything is done so the teacher is comfortable. You can copy books in every school and all the materials are provided.
RFDG: If you could make suggestions for improvement what would they be?
NB: It’s really hard to say on the spot because I don’t feel the need for anything else.
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Anastasia Dereviankina (AD)
RFDG: Why do you work where you do?
AD: At first it was just due to the position. Here I’m an ADOS. I’ve always wanted to be a manager. I like this, I like responsibility. I like the pressure, stress, making decisions and being in charge and helping people. I used to do the same job in another language school but I quit due to the working environment.
It contradicted my ideas about the world. So, I quit, did my DELTA and after that I was thinking of teaching. But it was not enough. Then I saw the job here being advertised and I thought, “Why not?” I can’t say the school was super attractive but the position was.
RFDG: So, teaching and wanting to be a manager overlapped?
AD: Yeah. To be honest, when I moved to Moscow I applied here to be a teacher but the rate was low and they disregarded my years of previous experience. But then the ADOS position came up and I went for it. I like it because I have plenty of opportunities for professional development. I do what I like and I love it.
RFDG: Is that just in your capacity as a manager or would you be as creative as a teacher?
AD: As I said, after DELTA I was only a teacher and I had a lot of students and hours to teach, but it was not enough. In general, I feel I have more opportunities here. I have only 12 teaching hours and some private students. It’s enough for me since I like being a manager and teacher trainer more. Creating and designing new courses, talking to teachers, helping them, guiding them. I like that.
RFDG: More than teaching?
AD: Yes.
RFDG: What’s good about where you work?
AD: I can teach a variety of classes and I meet so many different people on a daily basis. I like the changes. And it’s an opportunity to get experience and teach in different environments.
RFDG: Given that teachers’ books are so comprehensive, is having experience so important?
AD: To be a good teacher? Yes, of course it’s important. If you are experienced but you haven’t done any professional development, it’s not enough. You can’t just say, “I have been teaching for 10 years. I am experienced.” No. It’s not enough. Experience is not only about years of teaching and numbers of classes taught, it’s also about professional development and what you have done.
RFDG: Can you tell me what’s bad about where you work?
She lets out a little laugh at the question before explaining her reaction.
AD: Last year I had my performance review with the management. They asked me the same question. And I said, “No.” There was the same moment of silence as right now because it’s hard for me to think about something like that. I love it here. Otherwise I wouldn’t do it. I don’t do what I don’t like. When I was in my previous job I had a bigger salary, much better working conditions and hours, but I didn’t like some other things so I wasn’t going to do them. I’m here now and I like it.
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Daniel Saraiva San Pedro (DSSP)
RFDG: Why did you decide to work with International House?
DSSP: Because I did my CELTA with IH and I thought they were much more professional than other places, even though the approach was similar. Also, IH is everywhere. It’s in a lot of countries. And I liked my tutors and CELTA trainers, and the possibility of doing DELTA and developing professionally. I think it’s a reputable school.
RFDG: How would you describe where you work?
DSSP: Basically, I like it. I like where I work mostly because of the people who work here. They are friendly and real professionals. Most of the people who stick around for longer than one year. After two or three years working here you can see how many people come and go, and because it’s such a big company you don’t get to know people personally. The ones who stick around longer, you see they are good people and they are ready to help. They took me in. The Russian staff as well are really nice.
It’s not the only thing. Professional development is another reason. Maybe the main one. I’ve been developing a lot, even though I don’t have a background in linguistics. We might complain that we have to go to mandatory training once in a while but they are useful. And there are discounts for DELTA and other courses.
RFDG: What’s bad about where you work?
DSSP: It could be more organised in terms of communication and defining roles. Now I’m an ADOS and I feel like the role is not well-defined in my mind. It’s been six months so I am more aware, but we have to deal with so many different people and departments, and schools, admins, students, parents, scheduling. Sometimes communication gets lost.
Teaching-wise, maybe when we have to work long hours with short breaks between long classes. And we have to round off classes and get ready for the next one, the logistics of going from one school to another. That’s hard if you are always travelling. Short notice covers can be stressful.
RFDG: You mentioned the CPD opportunities. Are there any other opportunities here?
DSSP: I think if people see you have worked here and developed it will look good.
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Heather Belgorodtseva (HB)
HB: It’s a private language school in Moscow. It’s not dissimilar to most language schools in that it’s a profit-driven company where the issue is always how to maintain quality while also delivering a profit. I’ve worked in the state sector in the UK a bit as well and there is a different vibe. There’s a lot more paperwork in the state sector and so in some ways in the private sector you do get a lot more flexibility.
In theory, you’d think it’s a lot more rigid because they want to deliver profit, but actually teachers have a lot more autonomy than in the state sector where you have a lot more parameters. There are a lot more targets that you have to meet and a lot of fitting in with the other initiatives you’re doing. And a heck