You Know You’re an ESL Teacher When...
Being an ESL teacher is full of rewarding moments, but there are plenty of headaches that come with the job, too. From ridiculous job requirements to lessons that test your patience, some experiences are so specific that only another ESL teacher will understand. If you've ever questioned your career choice five minutes before a lesson, this one's for you!
1. The Accent Switch
You’re ordering a coffee when you hear an accent, and suddenly you’re speaking at half speed, using simpler words and overpronouncing every syllable. “Would you like a cof-fee?” Why are you like this?
After years of teaching, adapting your speech is automatic. You’re not even in work, but apparently your teacher mode has no off switch.
2. The Salary Struggle
You find the perfect TEFL job. A degree? Check. A TEFL qualification? Check. Five years of experience? Check. The salary? Barely enough to cover your weekly food shop.
Some job adverts seem to want a university professor, a tech expert and a magician for minimum wage. You love teaching, but apparently paying the bills is an optional extra.
The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
3. The Last-Minute Cancel
You’ve spent an hour planning the perfect lesson. You’ve found a video, created activities and prepared enough questions to fill a TED Talk. Then, five minutes before class: “Sorry, I can’t make it today!”
Your lesson is cancelled, but your preparation time isn't refunded. At least you can save everything for next time, assuming the student actually turns up.
4. Three Levels, One Class
One student is learning basic sentence structures, another is ready for complex debates, and a third finished the task before you finished explaining it. And somehow, you’re meant to teach them all the same lesson.
By the end, you've planned three lessons, adapted six activities and aged approximately five years. Who needs a gym when you can differentiate?
“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
5. The Online Lesson From Hell
The student's camera is off, the internet keeps freezing, and every other sentence is followed by “Sorry, what did you say?” You’re teaching English, troubleshooting Wi-Fi and talking to a black screen all at once.
Meanwhile, you're fairly sure they're scrolling through TikTok. You keep smiling, asking questions and pretending this is a perfectly normal learning environment. Online teaching, they said. Work from anywhere, they said.
6. The Business English Expert
Your new student is a CEO who wants to discuss international finance, supply chains and corporate strategy. You spent yesterday teaching the difference between “some” and “any.”
Now you're frantically Googling industry terminology five minutes before class, hoping nobody notices you're learning alongside your student. You're an English teacher, not a walking encyclopaedia!
“Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.”
The Takeaway
Teaching ESL can be brilliant, but between low-paying jobs, last-minute cancellations and lessons that test your patience, some days are harder than others. Remember, you can't control everything, and you don't have to be perfect. Sometimes, getting through the lesson is an achievement in itself!
What's the most frustrating thing you've experienced as an ESL teacher? Share your story with us! Email us at [email protected] 🧡
