Thrive in ELT

How do you decide what to do to make your ELT life less stressful? Options abound...  Should you use an app for your to-do list or stick with paper? Would it be more efficient to organize your course files by skill or level? Is it more logical to create multiple calendars for different types of tasks or one calendar with visual cues to distinguish between them? Developing the right systems – for y...

What makes a system "good"? This is a logical question, and I'm glad you asked! You obviously don't want to develop a system that isn't good, but what does that look like? Which leads to another question, what does "good" even mean? "Good" has multiple levels of meaning, and in the case of describing a system, I'm going to define it as this: It is appropriate and purposeful for you. Although the s...

Have you ever wondered what an organizational system really is? Or said to yourself: "System" sounds complicated, and I'm not cut out for that. Instead of giving up before you even start, keep asking those questions... Who are organizational systems for? When and where would I even use them?  Why should I take the time and effort to create them? How would I go about using them after they're develo...

How does organization fit into your ELT life? Does it have a leading role or a supporting one? And does it even matter? A multitude of factors can affect how you answer, including when in a semester you ask yourself these questions! While it might not be immediately obvious, and it may only play a small part, the amount of stress you experience is often tied to organization in some way.  It wasn't...

What do you have control of in your ELT life? Relationships? The environment? What and how you teach? Your professional development? In whole or in part, some of these aspects you probably can control while others you can't. But one thing you absolutely can control? Your organization. When I became more aware of what I was spending my time on, how often I was completing certain tasks, and what was...

When you look at your teaching schedule, do you see small bits of time scattered throughout? Maybe 15 minutes here and 45 there.  Your life in ELT makes for an interesting schedule, doesn't it? Your calendar is filled with classes, office hours, meetings, and plenty of other to-dos. It can be especially challenging when activities are broken up throughout the day that leave you with small bits of...

If you've ever gotten something organized in your ELT life, felt good about it, and then over the course of a semester slowly fell out of the habit, you're not alone. Being consistent in maintaining organizational systems can pose a challenge. It often takes several tries (aka practice) to make systems work, and that equals time and effort. But with the benefits of organization being so great, you...

How much time do you spend looking for or creating meaningful activities for your students throughout the semester?  Maybe you've spent hours searching for that "just right" activity a time or two, which can be extremely frustrating and exhausting. Well, in today's episode, you're going to hear from Hall Houston, Lecturer at National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences in Taipei, Taiw...

Have you ever gotten to the end of a term, breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at your physical space, the relief quickly dissipating? You chose to prioritize – planning and meeting with students were more important than making sure extra handouts were put away.  This is certainly a logical choice, and one I've made myself multiple times over the years. But sometimes what you see after exam...

What are you juggling in your ELT life right now? It's advantageous to be organized at any point in time, of course, but when things in your ELT life get busy, it's even more so.  When you're overwhelmed with so many things that it feels like you don't know what to do or where to go next, it's definitely not what I'd call relaxing. In this episode, I discuss three ways you can manage your busy ELT...

If you sat down right now and made a list of every tech tool you use, how many do you think you'd come up with?  10, 15, 25, more than that?  As an English language teacher, you've probably tried all kinds of tech tools that promise to improve your students' learning and make your life easier. There are certainly many tools that actually do deliver on their promises, but sometimes, all of the opti...

How organized is your EAP/ESL teaching? Maybe your answer depends on the type of task or even the day of the week.  Getting organized certainly takes time, effort, and intention as well as an openness to learning new things. It also takes knowing about what can be organized and why.  Without a purpose, why organize? When it comes to teaching (and I include the preparation and follow-up here too),...

To-do lists really aren't all that effective. Have you heard that before? Most people, including me, use to-do lists, but there is some truth in that statement. The point of a to-do list is to help you get things done. Yet do you have a list (or have had one in the past) and it feels like you never really make any headway? Perhaps it gets lost in the shuffle over time or you simply ignore it. If a...

How much "stuff" do you have ?  You know, things like file folders, binder clips, textbooks, and even course materials on your computer.  And how much do you have to do ? Think of meetings, reviewing student work, lesson planning, and filling out forms required by your institution. It can be difficult to keep up with everything every day. If you're feeling overwhelmed with all of your "stuff", you...

Have you ever felt like you just couldn't give anymore of your time to your teaching job?  Maybe you were overwhelmed with the workload. Or stressed out because of unexpected changes. There will likely always be fluctuations in your working hours due to factors outside of your control like student enrollment, staff turnover, and contractual expectations. Even your own beliefs about how much time y...

"What can I do about all of the digital files that keep piling up?" A participant asked this question at the end of a training session I provided for ELT freelancers a couple of months ago. It's a really good one, isn't it?  Over time it's only natural to accumulate quite a collection, which can become an overwhelming part of your ELT life. So what can you actually do about all of those digital fi...

Want to turn those ELT goals into reality?  Whether big or small, the aspirations you have for improving the lives of your students and yourself are worthy. But sometimes, it can be a challenge to actually see them through. You think: Do I really have time to do this? Let's do this thing! (2 months later…) Wait, what was it that I wanted to do? There's no way this would work. Instead of jumping ri...

You want to make improvements to a course you're teaching.  You think, "Ugh, that lesson could have been better." Or perhaps it's more like, "I can't wait until I can start this course all over again."  Instead of feeling overwhelmed or guilty, allow yourself to celebrate the fact that you're noticing and reflecting, both of which are necessary parts to thriving in ELT.  When it comes to making ch...

Have you ever noticed that the word no doesn't have a very good reputation in certain situations?  Saying yes, on the other hand, often gets accolades. There are some situations that are really easy to say no to. But when it comes to everyday ELT life, many things come up where you're probably more likely to say yes. Whichever you decide, either yes or no, you want your answer to work for you . Th...

Mundane tasks. Those ordinary, day-to-day things you have to do but don't consider all that exciting or motivating. (Maybe they even make you sigh, roll your eyes, or grit your teeth a little?) As an EAP/ESL teacher, some of your mundane tasks may include: reading, writing, or responding to certain emails; filling out your timesheet or leave report; reviewing student work; preparing for meetings;...

What do you use Google Drive for as an EAP/ESL teacher? Creating course documents? Collaborating with an ELT colleague for an upcoming conference presentation? Sharing ideas and giving feedback? Google Drive has a ton of great features, but … it can be a bit overwhelming and frustrating at times.  In today's episode, I share 5 tips on what you want to do and don't want to do when using Google Driv...

One definition of organization is that it's " the quality of being arranged in a way that is sensible and useful ." Did you notice that it doesn't say anything about being perfect … or fixed? Sometimes we EAP/ESL teachers can be really strict with ourselves thinking that we have to stick with a specific formula for any number of reasons. But in today's episode, I share why your organizational syst...

Remember how you started off the new semester feeling refreshed and ready to go? Your desk was one area you got prepared. You were happy with the newly tidied and organized space, and you were determined to keep it that way. Now you're full on in the semester though, and maintaining an organized desk area is not always at the top of your priority list. Yet if the items on your desk aren't helping...

"How am I going to get all of this done?" Once you settle into a new term, you figure out what to expect from week to week.  But occassionally there's a week that sneaks in that isn't quite so normal, and the stress level starts to rise. You've ...  agreed to substitute for two of your colleagues. got a conference presentation on Thursday, which happens to be your busiest teaching day. just notice...

In your experience teaching academic English, have you ever … stayed late at the office? worked on a weekend a time or two (or more than you can count)?  Maybe you've done so because it was the only way to get everything done. Maybe it's because you consider yourself a dedicated ELT professional. Or perhaps it's because working long and hard is just part of the job. On their own, there's nothing w...