It was a sunny afternoon, the first warm weekend in Poland. I was sitting in my Brazilian chair and flicking through Instagram. Scrolling the page lazily I encountered an ad. “Transforming Teachers into Coaches.” An idea blinked in my mind and suddenly all my wishes, expectations and hopes for changing my professional career started flooding in. That was the moment I thought my life was going to change.
Without any hesitation, I clicked on the “learn more” button and just within three days I registered myself on the course.
When the first session came, I was pretty excited and a little bit scared at the same time. Will I manage ? Will it be possible for me to devote so much time to it ? What if I’m not able to finish it ?
Soon, all my worries went away. Since the very beginning Rachel gave us all the reassurance, I believe, many of us needed. Her positive attitude and the way she delivered the sessions made us think that we were at the right place, at the right time and with right people. We had been provided with all necessary materials way before the sessions started, which contributed to my perception of the course as a truly professional and serious enterprise.
The course was truly educational and gave us lots of useful knowledge, both theoretical and practical. All the thought-provoking sessions and engaging tasks ,done during the course, allowed me to become a part of the team and make the most out of it.
Having the sessions late at night seemed to be a challenge but the form of conducting them made us alert and full of energy all the time. Our brains were buzzing with ideas and thoughts, working 1000% from the first until the last minute of the session. The best part was the ability to work and put everything into practice from day one. Although it seemed hard, it made me fully engaged in the course and inspired me to do more and more.
The LCC has shown me various possibilities to make my teaching career more professional, more effective and prestigious.
I’ve become more active in listening, giving a lot of space to my students, which has resulted in a lot more fun-driven ‘lessons’, calm and full of engagement meetings. Even the way my learners perceive me has changed. Now, I’m their friend and authority at the same time. They feel comfortable and well-cared for.
Before, I used to have nice and funny lessons but now, these are amazing, efficient opportunities for my students to learn and for me to spread my coaching wings.
It’s not teaching any more. I treat my ‘lessons’ as social meetings, lovely conversations and a possibility to change someone’s attitude towards learning a language. Now I think I show my clients that they’re able to learn a language (at any age) and that it doesn’t have to be a necessary evil. I’ve created a positive picture of learning English and now my learners can enjoy the process, can discover their true potential and first and foremost, they have started believing in themselves.
Rachel and her course has shaped me as a new teacher; a teacher- coach, who is well equipped with all the necessary tools to change the world of English learning.
What a lovely article Renata! And well done for being so brave to contribute to this first ever edition!! Your words resonate so much with my recent experience, having just completed the course last month. I particularly love your description of meeting Rachel and how she makes everyone feel like they are in the right place at the right time and so beautifully, with the right people!! My experience has also been life-changing! And I am externally grateful to Rachel for making it all happen!