Glynis Ritch, the former lead teacher at Lifelong Learning Adult Education Center in Greenville, South Carolina, currently resides in the UK. Looking at her teaching career, she says, “The thing I love most about teaching is the interaction with adult students. They are always so glad to be learning.”
Any particularly memorable student or class? In one multinational class, a certain woman just could not fit in. The group tried hard to make friends to no avail until a presentation on home countries was assigned. On the day of her presentation, the class paid rapt attention as she divulged that she was from East Berlin. She told about the hardships of communist rule and then fed her new friends a wonderful selection of strudel! That experience broke the ice and helped build her confidence. The last I heard she and her family were living happily in the United States with many friends. It’s still one of my most gratifying memories!
How did the TESOL course affect your teaching?
Both TESOL teachers and fellow students gave me lots of helpful ideas to meet classroom challenges. The course reinforces the fact that the teacher needs to talk a lot less than the students! Even though I had already been teaching for a while, the course was really helpful.
Glynis and YOU can make a difference for students in classrooms all around the globe.
Sign up for one of our upcoming TESOL courses, or send us your stories of teaching around the world.
The Whole World is Waiting for You.
