I had my very first teaching interview 48 hours after landing in Sydney, and I must say, I was nervous! I never taught anything beyond my practicum for TESL Canada certification. And really had no idea what I was actually getting myself into.
Teaching English in Manly – TESOL Australia
My first interview was with a school in Manly. Manly is my idea of “heaven on earth.” It’s a suburb located 25 minutes North of downtown Sydney, or a 30-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay (where the Opera House is).
There are a handful of schools scattered throughout this sleepy beach-side community. Tailoring mainly to students who want to surf during their lunch breaks and live the true “Aussie” lifestyle.
“Aussie” lifestyle like tennis in the afternoons, beach BBQs on the weekends, jogging on the beachfront promenade, drinks on beautiful patios overlooking both the ocean and harbor… Life!
Manly is host to several very reputable, highly esteemed schools, and I highly recommend you check them out. In Australia, the person you’ll most likely interview with will be the DoS (Director of Studies). (When applying for a TESOL job in Australia, I would recommend addressing your CV to the DoS of your chosen school. )
My interview went quite well! The DoS was quite lovely and friendly and welcomed me to her school. Sadly, as there were no positions immediately available, I decided to keep looking and return to this school should I not secure something sooner (As mentioned in a previous post, I really could not afford to not work!).
Preparing a Lesson Plan Portfolio – TESOL Australia
Prior to my departure, I compiled a portfolio of the lesson plans I had done as part of my assignments and practice classes in the TESL course so that I would at least have something to show for myself.
I also brought along some reference letters from previous employers (professional references, not in the field of teaching), and of course, my certificates.
My lesson plan portfolio turned out to be a really great idea because every Director had a look at it in every one of my interviews. Some would say “Wow! Those are some quite detailed lesson plans!”.
For someone who doesn’t have any teaching experience, a portfolio with lesson plans can come in very handy.
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