TEACHER TRAINING

CELTA - Teaching Practice

SECTION LINKS

The aim of this component of the course is to give you realistic practice at planning a lesson, delivering it and then evaluating it later with a view to addressing any problems and building on strengths.

Over the course, candidates are observed and assessed for a total of 6 hours teaching. This time is often divided up into 9 lessons: 2 lessons x 20 minutes, 5 x 40 mins and 2 x 60 mins.

The students in the practice classes are adult volunteers. They are drawn from the local area and/or the university community (e.g. international students or their friends or relatives).

Each day the practice students attend for 2 hours. In one day for example, 3 trainee teachers may teach a class for 40 minutes each. The 3 lessons are separate but from the students’ point of view, the 2 hours will have some unifying features or theme (e.g. shopping, health, etc). 

On one day for example, a trainee teacher may have to teach some vocab and then conduct a reading comprehension task; from the same unit in a course book, the following teacher may check some grammar with students and then set up a speaking task where they practise the grammar.

While a trainee is teaching, aspects of their lesson are observed by their fellow trainees, and the tutor makes detailed notes on the lesson. These observation points and notes form the basis of the following day’s TP feedback discussion.

Candidates get experience at teaching classes at two different levels. For example, you may teach an Elementary class for the first two weeks and Upper-intermediate in Weeks 3 and 4.

Candidates are shown how to write lesson plans, and preparing these forms a large part of the homework. Initially, candidates are given a lot of assistance and guidance when preparing lessons. Later in the course, especially in Week 4, they are asked to make more lesson planning decisions themselves (but in consultation with a tutor).