Are you thinking of teaching English to children? Have you seen an opportunity to go and teach English abroad? Do you want to do a TEFL course? We all get into this job for different reasons. Some become English teachers by chance, others after long and careful planning. I fell into it when my children were small and we were living in another European country. It was something I could do and that was related to what I had studied at university. It was also in demand where I was living. So why should you become an EFL ESL teacher? And why teach to kids? Your reasons are probably completely different. Maybe you are thinking about it but need some help to make up your mind. Here then are my Top 10 reasons why you should become an EFL ESL kids teacher.
If you become a Kids EFL ESL teacher, it will look great on your CV or resume
There are many old, experienced teachers (like me!). But I think the majority of people who decide to become an EFL Kids teacher are younger. Especially in Asia, there are a lot of recent graduates who are doing this straight after University. It’s a way of getting some work experience before going on to something different. I think this is a really good idea. It’s a job that, although it can be a lot of fun, will teach you a lot. Everyone knows that teaching is hard. Showing that you can teach, that you have had responsibility, that you have traveled and that you have been a success is a valuable asset. And so are the skills that you will have gained.
As an EFL ESL teacher to children, you will gain many transferable skills that will be useful later in life
- Responsibility – if you’re responsible for a class of kids, you need to be prepared and able to deal with any eventuality. This can range from creating a useful and effective lesson plan to dealing with discipline problems. You will need to be able to justify your actions and behavior with schools and parents. You have to show that you are a capable, caring but efficient teacher
- Confidence – You might find it hard at the beginning and very different to other jobs you may have had. However teaching is great for building confidence. Once you have done a few successful lessons and got some experience under your belt, you will feel much more sure of yourself.
- Public Speaking – Try getting up and speaking to a class of thirty 5-year olds and keeping their attention. It’s not easy, but it is a skill that you will develop as a teacher. You need to be interesting, fun and captivating. If you can do this, chairing a business meeting or speaking at a conference later in life should not be a problem for you.
- Flexibility – Kids are unpredictable, technology is too. Even the best planned lesson can go in a completely unexpected direction. So you need to be extremely flexible and capable of dealing with unexpected changes. You will learn this as you teach and before long, it will be completely normal to have to change a whole lesson at a moment’s notice.
- Creativity – if you’re planning lessons and designing activities, you need to be creative. This is another skill that you will develop through experience, seeing what works and what doesn’t. You may discover hidden talents for painting, writing, design or acting, all things that will be useful later on in life.
You get on well with children and enjoy teaching them
This may sound obvious but if you like and get on well with kids, this is a great reason to become an EFL Kids teacher. Maybe you’re thinking of going into teaching as a profession, maybe you have kids of your own, or maybe you’ve just always liked playing with your younger cousins or neighborhood kids. Children can tell if adults like them and are really interested in what they have to say. They will be more reactive with you and more involved in what you’re doing. If they can sense that you’re not really into them and are just there because you have to be, it’s not going to be as easy. So, if you don’t really like working with kids, this is probably not the right job for you.
You want to travel
I think this is the number one reason why people decide to become EFL teachers. It is a great way to find work in other countries, see a bit of the world and get paid for being there. Having said that, you need to remember that you are not on holiday. You are doing a job which, like any other job, has responsibilities and expectations. It’s no good staying out all night and turning up with a hangover to teach your class of 8 year olds. It will be a miserable experience for everyone and probably will result in you losing your job eventually.
You also need to make sure that legally you have everything you need to be able to work in the country you have chosen. Don’t fall for too good to be true offers on Facebook that promise the earth. Before you get on a flight to that amazing, extremely well paid job in China, do some research. Don’t risk finding yourself in a foreign country with nowhere to live and no valid contract.
You want to make some money
In some countries, such as South Korea, teaching English in schools can be a great way of making some money. This is not the case everywhere and you definitely won’t become a millionaire. Again, if this is the reason you’ve decided to do this job, do a lot of research before leaving your home country. Make sure you know exactly how much money you will need to live in the country you want to go to. What is the exchange rate and is it possible to bring money out of the country? If you want to travel as well, you might not be able to save much. Short term, this could be a great way of saving some money but be prepared.
You like a challenge
There are easier ways to make a living than teaching children. But, if you enjoy a challenge, like a varied and interesting life and are flexible and ready for anything, this is a wonderful job. No two days are the same. You’re not stuck in an office with the same people all day and you can make your job into whatever you choose. No, it’s not easy to control a class of unruly toddlers or convince a group of teenagers that they really do need to learn the present perfect tense. But part of the fun of the job is thinking of new and exciting ways to do this and challenging yourself to get over each hurdle. So, if this is what appeals to you, go for it and become an EFL kids teacher!
You want a job where you can be creative
The sky is the limit in an EFL Kids lesson. Whatever you can do and however crazy it might seem, if it will help the children in your class learn English, you can do it. If you can play an instrument, are an artist, a great dancer or even just like singing, these are all amazing ways to teach. You will probably discover talents you never knew you had too. Maybe you’re great at cooking and can bring this into the classroom. Or you might find that you love telling stories or acting. If you have the smallest bit of creative blood in you, this is a great way to find it and develop it. Even just writing lesson plans is a lot easier if you have a wide imagination and lots of creative ideas about activities to do in class.
Teaching English is a very flexible job
One of the reasons that I chose to become an EFL ESL kids teacher was that it fits very well into my family routine. I mainly work school hours and I normally have the school holidays free unless I choose to teach holiday courses. I can pick and choose the hours that I prefer to work. This is, within reason, probably similar for most EFL teaching jobs. If you want to travel, you can choose short contracts or negotiate working hours that allow you to do this. Or you can work as a private teacher and choose your own timetable independently. If you’re working at a school, make sure you are clear on the number of hours that you will be expected to work on your contract. Get organized and work out what you need and what the school needs. This way, it will be as beneficial as possible for everyone.
You like variety
If you like routine, going to the same office every day and knowing exactly what you will do at work each day, this is perhaps not the job for you. Teaching English to children is a very varied job. You could be working in a different school or with a different class each day. Or you might be doing private tutoring as well as teaching classes. You might need to travel between different work places during the day. Or you might have one day a week where you work solidly for the whole day and then a couple of days where you hardly see anyone. It can be quite unpredictable both in terms of timetable and salary. I think this makes the job more interesting.
I love the variety, the number of different people I meet and the different places I get to work in. If variety is the spice of life for you too, then you will thrive on this kind of job.
Teaching is the most satisfying job in the world!
There is nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you’ve taught a really good lesson and hearing your class chattering about it as they leave. Or a parent telling you what a difference you have made to their child. Or seeing a child who was painfully shy at the beginning of the year speaking confidently and happily. It’s great knowing that you helped them do that. Even with all the difficult moments, the days when the class was out of control, the meetings you had with parents to discuss discipline, the lessons that you didn’t quite manage to get across to your class. You forget all this when things go right.
I think teaching is one of the professions where you really see the results of your work. You can have a real influence and effect on the children you are teaching. We all want English to be something positive for them, something that will be important in their lives and their futures. I am lucky enough to be in a position where I can make this happen.
So, have you decided?
I hope I’ve managed to convince you. Perhaps you were having doubts, you have just a glimmer of an idea about what you want to do or you’ve been meaning to research about how to become an EFL ESL kids teacher. I hope I’ve helped you. I really feel lucky to have a job that I adore. No, it’s not perfect. I have bad days too. Not every teaching job is well organized, well paid and secure, so do your research properly.
If you do go ahead and really do become a kids EFL ESL teacher, I hope you’ll find all these advantages and more. And I’d love to hear from you about your experiences too. What do you love (or hate!) about teaching? And what would you recommend to teachers who are just starting out? If you’ve enjoyed this article, you can keep up to date with new posts by following the GoogooEnglish Facebook page. Alternatively, sign up for email updates below.
I want to teach abroad
Great! Go for it!!