It has been almost two months since our fantastic professional development event, Lead to Grow… Develop the Student and the Teacher. This year’s conference was our sixth annual Innovation in Education event and our very first virtual event. Previous iterations have taken place in venues across Cairo and Alexandria. Our speakers included professionals from across the education sector, who came together on Zoom on 12th February to share their experience, knowledge and advice to

Introducing our very own podcast! We have launched Teach Talk, a new podcast for EFL teachers. Its hosts are Notting Hill College's very own teachers, Paul Woodcock and Kirsty Dicken. Both are experienced in their fields and together in each episode they will share ideas, thoughts, musings and the occasional grumble to support fellow teachers as we all emerge blinking into a new world. Enjoy Episode 1 and look out for all future Teach Talk podcasts!

The ability to effectively plan lessons is essential to teaching. But, for many, planning lessons can quickly take up a lot of your time and become a task you don’t look forward to. Integrate these lesson planning methods, tips and ideas into your day and see what a difference a fresh approach can make! Think about the lesson’s overall aims Are you unsure where to start with a new lesson plan? First, think of the bigger picture. A simple way to begin is to consider what the o

There is always room to expand your mind as a teacher and one way is through diving into a good book. From self-development to career progression to practical classroom tips, there are thousands of books out there to help you. We have picked out a few to get you started! Teacher Toolkit: Helping You Survive Your First Five Years by Ross Morrison McGill Starting a teaching career can be scary. In fact, some people quickly realise teaching is not the path for them and exit the

If you want to teach English to non-native speakers, there are multiple qualifications you can choose from to give you the skills you need and to prove to employers that you are up for the job. At Notting Hill College, you can choose from achieving a TEFL qualification and achieving a TESOL qualification. TEFL stands for 'teaching English as a foreign language'. TESOL stands for 'teaching English to speakers of other languages'. We have made a handy quiz for you to find out w

A lot of people who achieve a qualification in teaching English as a foreign language do so to work in schools all over the world. However, in the wake of lockdowns and with unpredictable changes to international travel, and rules resulting from COVID-19, it has been a difficult time for TEFL- 6 -qualified teachers everywhere Here is how you can still use your skills to establish a thriving career in these turbulent times. Keep up to date with travel restrictions Rules of whe

January can be a difficult time of the year. The weather is cold, it is dark outside and the festive season is now long gone. Daily responsibilities, however, are still waiting and it can be difficult to feel enthusiastic about the daily grind. Here are some ways you can get out of a slump and stay motivated. Think about what you need to do in the near future It is not only a challenge to stay motivated but it can be difficult to get started in the first place. When you dread

Notting Hill College is hosting its sixth annual Innovation in Education conference on 12th February. We want to invite teachers and education professionals everywhere to attend Lead to Grow… Develop the Student and the Teacher! The free online conference will feature seven expert guest speakers from across the field of education. Our speakers have worked in schools, universities and education bodies around the world and their current roles include department chairs, teacher

2021 has been a big year for Notting Hill College. The pandemic meant the company was forced to overcome difficult challenges, such as ever-changing rules and restrictions. Our online presence has been a key part of our work in 2021. To make sure we stuck to our mission of delivering quality, accessible education, we continued to develop our virtual study modes. Our Virtual Campus, Hybrid Learning and Distance Learning study modes allowed our students to learn wherever they w

Trainers are found in many forms and in all different industries. Corporate trainers are hired by companies to deliver training to its employees in particular topics. Trainers can also be specialists in a vocational subject, readying the next generation of workers in all sorts of fields. Here are some key attributes to have if you want to become the best trainer you can be. Keep up to date with theories and practises of your industry Many trainers have a specialty subject tha

Leaders are found in every industry. There are certain skills leaders must have to influence and encourage their people but this does not mean all leaders must act the same. Here are some different leadership styles that prove that whatever your approach, you can be an effective leader. Different types of leadership Coaching leadership coaching leadership is one of the most important leadership types, as a coaching leader, you are driven by bringing out the best in everyone i

Marking can become a time consuming part of any teaching job. You do not want to let it get in the way of your other important duties such as lesson planning and meeting with students to help them with their learning. This is why it is vital that marking is a manageable task and not a stressful part of your routine. Here are some tips on how to make marking easier to deal with. Make a plan of when you will mark A good way to keep up with your marking is to make a plan of when

Over the past two years, online education has proven itself to be more important than ever. When Covid-19 hit, every school, college and university was forced to suddenly move its lessons into the virtual world. Many teachers and trainers felt ill-equipped to do this and getting the most out of the video calls was challenging. Today, we can truly see the value of our educators being able to effectively deliver their lessons online at a moment’s notice. The pandemic will hopef

Becoming an English language teacher is an endlessly rewarding career choice. You can start teaching straight away by hosting virtual English lessons online. However, the job can take you all around the world! With a TEFL or TESOL qualification, you can get hired by a school in a foreign country to teach English to its students. Here are just a few destinations where you can be an English language teacher. China China wants its population to be able to speak English so, nat

An assessor is someone who carries out assessments of learners and measures their efforts against a standardised criteria. Your work is essential to learners' development and it may enable you to make a real impact in your sector. To become an assessor, you will likely need a qualification proving you have the competencies to carry out assessments. Here are a few reasons why you should consider getting one! Professional development You may be a teacher, be a trainer or just h

Throughout your teaching career, there will be times when you have to create curricula for your subjects from scratch. Looking ahead at how you are going to teach an entire subject can be quite daunting. Follow our tips to break down the steps of making a curriculum and put your mind at ease. Start with the guidelines Wherever you teach, you will have to abide by certain guidelines. These external rules of how you teach may come from the country’s government in the form of st

Teaching English as a foreign language should be a fun experience for your students, as well as being educational. Here are some enjoyable activities to bring into the classroom to help learners pick up English vocabulary and phrases. Board Race Split the class into two teams and line them up in these teams. Draw a line down the middle of the whiteboard and assign each team a side of the board. Set a timer for two minutes. In this time, teams must write as many English words

As part of Notting Hill College’s aim to bring valuable study areas to teachers in line with global market needs, we have launched a new course. We have begun the STEAM Programme to provide our trainees with modern methods to teach and to connect with their students. What is STEAM? STEAM stands for ‘science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics’. The 20-hour STEAM Programme will enable you to design lesson plans that integrate these subject areas. The aim of STEA

Teaching English to non-native speakers is an exciting career path, with opportunities to go abroad or to introduce language and culture to foreign language speakers at home. Having a globally-recognised qualification can get you far in this field but you may be confused about which route to take. Read on to find out the difference between two of them, TEFL and TESOL. Both courses, whilst having slightly different aims, prepare English language teachers sufficiently in teachi

5th October marks World Teachers’ Day all around the world. World Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year on the anniversary of the adoption of the Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers in 1966. Implemented by the International Labour Organization and UNESCO, this set out teachers’ rights and responsibilities, as well as standards for education, recruitment, employment and teaching and learning conditions. Since the first World Teachers’ Day in 1994, people everywhe