HEAVEN, HELL AND ESL – THE FIRST JOB PT. 1

By Marilyn Armstrong on 01/10/2015

Education seems to have become a major issue, especially among the bloggers with whom I am most frequently in contact. This one from Beasley Green, on the east shore of our shared pond.

It’s amazing (and a little appalling) how similar teaching experiences are … no matter where you are.

Since my experience in teaching is limited — and many years ago — I’m reblogging a series of articles by those who have rich experience and considerable wisdom in this area. Rather than trying to invent the wheel, I’ll publish the work of people who know about wheels. Building them, rolling them.

In the meantime, if you are interested in the state of education in this country, I suggest you also take a look at TEACHING A GENERATION (Martha Kennedy) and Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé by Lloyd Lofthouse.

Beasley Green

Anybody who has opted for a career in teaching knows it can be quite difficult to get your first full-time job after graduating. Teaching is not a job for the faint hearted and statistics don’t make good reading for newbies staying the course in their first year, which I’m sure doesn’t go unnoticed by Human Resource departments in schools and colleges. Hiring a graduate teacher may cost less in terms of wages, but if they can’t perform then their employer has to go through the whole process of recruitment again. This is unsettling for the students and a time consuming and costly process for the school or college. The safe option would be to hire someone with experience in the first place. So when I got offered a full-time job just weeks after receiving my teaching diploma, I was a very happy man.