3 weeks, 6 observed lessons, 3 assignments and about 20 students later.... I am nearly there!
The work isn't difficult but there is LOT of it.
For an hour lesson plan, you have to do the lesson plan, white board plan, student interaction, timing, language focus sheet, vocab analysis handouts etc. You then have a million things to remember to do while teaching the lesson, such as making sure you elicit, concept check, error correction, drilling and actually teach and stick to your lesson plan and deal with any random questions that the students decide to throw at you.
Then after you have to fill out a self evaluation form, then have feedback from the other trainees in the room. Then sort out all of this in your CELTA portfolio.
Typically you have 2/3 lessons a week, so you have to do this 2/3 times a week!! You also have about one assignment a week to do on top of this. They are normally about 1,000 words. The ones I have done are:
- interviewing and analysing a students language skills
- one basically creating a lesson plan based around authentic material
- one focusing on language function
- analysing your own strengths and weaknesses as a teacher
In the mornings we have input lessons about things like methodology, lesson planing, authentic material etc and then there are the teaching practices in the afternoon. You are expected to implement everything you were taught the day before and the day before that.. and that.. and that.. etc in your lesson the following day.
I am learning a lot but there is soooo much to take in. I am at the stage where I want it all just to be over!! It is a course that you just have to slog through and know you will get there in the end.
If teaching English is a career path you want to do and you have no qualifications, I really would do the CELTA right away. Online TELFs are generally not accepted as they do not have any observed teaching time.
2 lessons, 1 assignment and one week left.....
