Farewell, EF Teach Online: Lessons and Memories from My Journey

After an incredible 4.5 years of teaching and connecting with students worldwide, my time with EF Teach Online has come to a close. In this short blog, I’m excited to share some of my favorite moments, teaching tips, and a few resources that helped me along the way.

1. What motivated you to join our teaching platform, and how has your experience compared to your initial expectations?

I initially joined EF Teach Online at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. I had recently moved back to the United States from Japan and was working with another online school. I joined EF Teach Online to supplement my income, and I enjoyed it so much that it became my main job. My primary reason for doing so was the relationships I built with my regular students. After 3 months, I had cultivated many regular students who wanted to take classes with me two or even three times per week. As a result, I decided to make EF Teach Online my main job and continue to grow my base of regular students.

2. What advice would you give to a new teacher just starting on our platform to ensure they thrive?

Keeping an organized schedule is the key to success on the EF Teach Online platform. It is important to remember that you are responsible for your own schedule, and you can easily become overwhelmed if you do not stay organized. I kept a whiteboard with my schedule written on it in my office as a constant reminder of my class schedule. Other tools such as digital calendars and apps can help you stay organized as well. I also reminded regular students to cancel their class if they were unavailable. In some cases, students would reach out to me and ask me to cancel the lesson on their behalf - It's best to avoid doing this, because it counts as a class cancellation.

3. Can you share some of your most memorable moments as an EF Teach Online instructor?

I have had many memorable moments as an EF Teach Online instructor. One that I will always remember is when a student told me that despite experiencing severe social anxiety, she felt comfortable taking my class regularly. We had lessons together for four years, and she was able to achieve her professional goals and now works in an English-speaking laboratory. This was certainly one of the most fulfilling moments of my career. I felt happy that I could create such a welcoming classroom environment for my student.

Another memorable moment was when a regular student of mine was hired by an American technology company. When he first booked my lesson, he spoke at an elementary level and had difficulty constructing basic sentences. He worked hard and took lessons with me three times per week. After 4 years, he relocated from Brazil to Silicon Valley and now works in an English-speaking environment daily. As an instructor, it felt incredibly rewarding when he told me about his new position. I felt that my lessons had played a role in transforming his life.

4. What have you enjoyed the most about teaching with EF Teach Online, and how has it impacted your professional growth?

One reason I strongly recommend EF Teach Online is that it is connected to EF Education First, which provides more opportunities for professional development than other online schools. Such opportunities include joining the yearly tour and learning ways to utilize educational technology in the classroom. I also appreciated the academic freedom that EF Teach Online allowed me in my classroom. I never experienced any form of micromanaging and always felt supported by the academic team. EF Teach Online has many professional development seminars, online training opportunities, and a yearly online conference that instructors can attend as well. I also appreciated my service center’s weekly digest as many useful tips and resources were included.

My journey with EF Teach Online has been immensely rewarding both personally and professionally. I am thankful for the opportunity to meet students from diverse backgrounds, support their growth, and witness their success. Through these experiences, I have improved my skills as an educator, learned the importance of adaptability, and cultivated lasting relationships with my students.