Olena Lysytsya is a CELTA tutor at IH Kyiv in Ukraine
How long were you an EFL teacher, and how long have you been a teacher trainer?
I have been teaching EFL for the last 15 years and had been teacher training for about 12 years before becoming a CELTA teacher trainer in August 2019. As an approved IHWO tutor I prepare, present and administer IH Teacher Training courses for IH Kyiv (IHCTL, IHCYLT, IHVYL).
In my teacher training career I have prepared a variety of teacher developmental seminars focusing on the teaching of vocabulary, grammar and peculiarities of 21st century teaching; which are areas of particularly interest to me in both my training and own personal action research.
Did you have a different career before EFL?
I have been a teacher since I graduated from the university and I feel this job is my passion.
What are your hopes/aspirations for your trainees?
I hope my trainees develop their teaching of ‘critical’ skills and teach to their students’ needs. I hope that I encourage them to experiment with new approaches and techniques.
When you were an EFL teacher what did you like most, and how do you bring that into the classroom for your trainees?
My ‘teaching’ principles have always been:
- Your students are your ‘course’ designers’.
- Less successful lessons are your areas to work on – think over them.
- Peer observations and self-observations are opportunities for new ideas and new techniques. Exploit them to the maximum!
- Your lesson preparation time is about planning proactive and reactive measures.
What advice would you give your trainees for successfully completing the course?
Be ready to work hard every day. The course is intended to help you think more clearly about what you are doing in the classroom (the stage), why you are doing it (the aim), and how you’re going to do it (the procedure).
Once you start doing this more effectively, your lessons are much more likely to be successful, and your students will arrive at the destination beaming with smiles and showering you with gratitude. Teamwork and open-mindedness in all areas of the course are equally important.
What advice would you give your trainees for an interesting and rewarding career?
Be a team player. No one can meet all the needs of all the students who walk through our doors without help. It just isn't possible. The best way to find that help is by asking questions from your more professional colleagues. Teachers need other teachers to succeed.
Never stop developing and improving your professional skills and never forget: teaching is your superpower! Use it wisely!