Chicago Practicum Instructor

Your Job as our Practicum Instructor

International TEFL Academy is looking for an experienced TEFL Instructor to co-teach our in-person Chicago TEFL Certification course. Our students are training to become English teachers overseas - for either short or long-term contracts.

This is a permanent part-time position. Each in-person course is a total of 4 weeks long, Monday through Friday, with a maximum of 12 TEFL trainees. After every 2 course sessions, there is one week with no classes. There are 11 course sessions scheduled annually. Roles and responsibilities are divided between the morning (theory) and afternoon (practicum) instructors.

We are looking for one instructor to teach the afternoon/evening section of the class, Monday through Friday from 2:00-8:30 p.m. with a break from 5:30-6:00 p.m.

The afternoon instructor is primarily responsible for creating a practicum environment that allows students to grow into future TEFL-certified instructors. This includes scheduling pre- and post-practicum teaching meetings with each trainee. In pre-meetings, the instructor will give lesson plan support to each trainee based on pre-submitted plans. In post-practicum meetings, the instructor will give tailored teaching support to each trainee based on reviewing practicum sessions from the previous evening.

The practicum instructor's goal is to build trainee confidence and skills to effectively instruct ESL students. The role requires the instructor to use pre-made materials based on our curriculum, including our textbook and major assessments. The role should also reinforce concepts learned in the morning sessions. These concepts range from methods of TEFL, lesson planning, receptive/productive skills, and cultural awareness, among others. The Practicum Instructor collaborates with the morning Theory instructor to ensure trainees have the skills needed to excel abroad and in online English language teaching.

Compensation:

Approximately $2800 a course - dependent on schedule and enrollments (wage is $35/hr)

Start Date:

February 6, 2023, for training - First course start date March 6, 2023

Location:

916 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago. Our office is 1 block from the Diversey brown line stop; free street parking is available until 6 PM.

Who Are We?

International TEFL Academy (ITA) is one of the world's largest TEFL training schools and has been in business since 2010. We have consistently been ranked as the best TEFL certification school for both online and in-person classes for the past 4 years in a row. In 2022, ITA won the prestigious GoAbroad People's Choice Award honoring the top international education organization as selected by study abroad professionals and students. This is the third time in four years that ITA has been honored with this award. ITA is on the Inc. 5000 list for top growth companies four years in a row from 2018 - 2021.

We train & certify over 6,000 students a year to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). We believe top-level TEFL training builds a realistic pathway for our students to achieve their dreams and success as professional English language teachers. Our alumni teach at schools in 80+ countries abroad, teach online from the comfort of their homes, and live as global nomads teaching online from around the world.

As the worldwide leader in the field of TEFL, we provide:

• Pre-enrollment information and personalized guidance from expert advisors,
• The Gold Standard in TEFL training and certification,
• Lifetime job search guidance - online and worldwide,
• Alumni community & peer engagement,
• Our staff with a safe, inclusive, supportive workplace/culture/job/career to grow and learn.

Company Culture: We are committed to changing people's lives by providing them an opportunity to see the world. We have all "been there and done that" and we've all experienced the rewards and challenges of leaving everything at home to live abroad. We are travelers at heart and are all committed to helping as many people as possible to pursue their dreams. We are goal-oriented with a light-hearted sense of humor.

The Team You Will Join: ITA has 35 full-time staff members and 32 part-time Instructors living around the US. We have a remote lifestyle with almost half of our full-time staff in the Chicago area.

To learn more about our team and our company, read our VISION STATEMENT and MEET THE STAFF.

Position Requirements:

• Minimum master's degree in TESOL or related field
• 1 or more years of overseas teaching experience
• Experience teaching English in the United States
• Willingness to share overseas teaching experience with students
• Ability to use computer applications such as Moodle, Google Drive, and web conferencing platforms.

Practicum Instructor Duties:

The mission of this role is to plan for and execute quality online practicum training sessions for trainees that guide their development as TEFL instructors. You will educate through example using a variety of pedagogical methods in the course sessions and in the planning and review meetings of practicum teaching sessions.

• Mentor trainees in their initial teaching experiences through peer teaching exercises and pre- and post-instruction meetings in our center.
• Observe practicum teaching (peer and ESL students) and provide written & oral feedback to trainees on their lesson plans and their execution of them.
• Provide constructive and timely feedback on trainees' assignments and lesson plans.

• Share outside resources with trainees that you routinely have used in your instructional career to aid students in their practicum teaching.
• Collaborate with the Theory instructor to define areas of growth for trainees as well as support the activities planned in the morning sessions.

To Apply:

You must apply for this position through the International TEFL Academy website using the link below. Your application will require:

1. Resume - please include your name in the title of the digital document.
2. Cover letter addressing:

• Why do you want to work at ITA?
• Why are you interested in the practicum instructor position?
• Countries lived, worked, studied, and traveled.
• Tell us any experiences you have running a practicum program within the field of education.
• Please tell us which job site you found us on or if a friend referred you.

Note 1: Our recruiting platform prompts you to "upload your resume" but does not state that you must upload a "cover letter." That is a limitation of the platform. We will not reply to any candidate without a cover letter. Convince us to interview you.

Note 2: We do not accept phone calls about employment. A phone call may weaken your application. We understand your initiative, but we receive many applications for this position and it is a significant process to evaluate each candidate.

Then What Happens?

Once your resume is submitted, we will reach out to you in all the steps of the process, so please, check your email and voicemail with frequency. If you are not selected in this process, don't worry, we will keep your resume on file for other potential future positions that could be a good match.

Here at International TEFL Academy, as global citizens, we recognize that diversity, equity, and inclusion are vital to the culture of our organization. International TEFL Academy is an equal-opportunity workplace.