ITA, also known as International TEFL Academy, popped up on my radar the second I considered getting TEFL certified. Teaching English is one of those things that sounds interesting, but I just couldn’t picture myself doing it until more recently.
Thanks to some of my experience at work, I discovered that I really enjoy teaching adults. It allows me to be creative, help people, and cheer them on. Adults can also go to the bathroom on their own and pick up on my corny jokes. Win-win.
In January, after much research, I took the leap and signed up for ITA’s online course. It includes 150 hours of coursework and 20 hours of practicum. I began on March 9, conveniently one week before I began to work from home due to COVID-19.
That meant I had a little more energy and brain power than usual to devote to class. So, here are my thoughts:
ITA Staff
The staff members at ITA are committed. I spoke with a Student Advisor at least twice before signing up. He took the time to answer me honestly, and followed up by email with more information and helpful links. Your teacher will also have office hours once you start the course, and I found that really helpful to talk through some things – namely my confidence in lesson planning.
ITA Course/Coursework
There are a total of 10 chapters – one for each week of the class. In addition to the reading, there is an assignment, a quiz, and 2 discussion questions to answer. You must also respond to the answers of other classmates. The assignments are anything from a lesson plan to a cultural report. There is also a final project, which is a thematic unit with three days worth of lessons.
I would say I spent anywhere from 8-10 hours per week on the required work, but all of it helped me gain confidence in what I was doing. It was also nice to connect with other classmates since the course is online. You can’t skip ahead and just power through the course either. A new chapter opens each week, so you really do have to focus and pace yourself.
You also have to complete 20 hours of practicum. Of those 20, at least 6 have to be actual teaching or tutoring while the rest can be observing. Have no fear! ITA has a list of where other students have done their hours and it was very helpful. And yes, they can be done virtually. COVID can’t stop you.
Additional Resources From ITA
One of the things I really like about ITA are all of the webinars. They offer webinars with staff that cover everything from teaching online and teaching in specific countries, to how to search for a job. These are both live and recorded. They have other job hunting resources, as well as a strong alumni network with tons of helpful Facebook groups for different countries and regions. They’ve also got photo contests, film festivals, and great Instagram takeovers that help you get a better feel for teaching English.
Cash Money
The total for the course is $1,399. I signed up for their email list before committing and received a discount that way. I looked at it a few different ways. Although it’s not cheap, the quality of instruction and support were worth it for me. The additional ITA alumni resources and connections were also part of my decision. I’ve made some new friends! Even if I ultimately decide not to teach abroad, I have the knowledge. I’ve been volunteering as an English tutor and I absolutely love it. More to come on that.
So all in all, I would highly recommend the online program if you can’t or don’t want to participate in a face-to-face program. ITA is great and the course content is solid.
I’m happy to answer any questions, and even have a fancy referral link here if you decide to sign up. That fancy referral link means I make some money if you use it, but I don’t really care what you do. I’d recommend ITA either way!
