Further Your Career by Upskilling With TEFL/TESOL Micro-Credentials
By BridgeJune 1, 2022
If you’re already teaching English or perhaps waiting to get hired with your shiny, new TEFL certificate, now is the perfect time to take TEFL/TESOL Micro-Credentials. These short, topical Bridge courses are 100% online. The benefits of Micro-credentials for TEFL/TESOL are big, and you can earn verifiable certification and digital badges to make your resume stand out. Let’s dig into these valuable learning resources for English teachers.
Micro-Credentials for TEFL/TESOL are a great way for certified/experienced teachers to learn new skills
Even though the Microsoft Office suite in your teaching office may be from 2007, the fact is, teaching English has changed a lot in the last decade. There are new topics, new tests, and new materials that teachers can integrate into the classroom to make the most of the time they have with their students. Micro-credentials can help you learn these new skills and stay current in terms of your teaching “arsenal.”
Here’s just a taste of the Micro-credential topics currently available. (More topics are continuously added, so you should check in regularly on the Micro-credentials page to see what new courses are offered.)
General Micro-credential courses:
Micro-credential courses in Teaching English Online:
When you complete a Micro-credential course, you’ll be able to use what you learn right away to improve your teaching. For example, maybe you notice that your students could really use a hand with their listening skills. The Micro-credential course on Teaching English Using Podcasts would be perfect for this situation. You can leverage this popular medium for 21st-century learning, and the course also introduces ways to encourage your students to make their own podcasts to share. You’ll promote creative thinking and confidence by teaching with podcasts.
Betsy, an online Business English teacher, remarked, “I love that Bridge offers such a wide range of Micro-credentials because you can expand your knowledge and skillset by going deeper into a specific type of student or topic. I really enjoyed the course on Health, Safety, and Mental Attitudes in the Online Classroom. Since the courses take around 10-30 hours to complete, they are completely doable even if you have a busy schedule.”
Micro-credentials provide ongoing professional development
Professional development and constant learning are the hallmarks of a great teacher! It’s so important not to get stagnant and out-of-date in terms of your thinking, skills, and knowledge. Think back to the worst teachers you had in school. They most likely had simply given up learning new things and just taught the same thing they had for decades, right? You don’t want to be them.
Show dedication to lifelong learning
ESL professional development, like Bridge Micro-credentials, demonstrates that you are dedicated to learning and changing throughout your teaching career. This is key to your success and ability to adapt to the constant changes of the 21st-century classroom. Just think of the recent shifts in education, and you’ll see that the benefits of a Micro-credential course about using videos in the classroom or adapting to online teaching can be myriad.
Fulfill professional development requirements
Do you work for an online or in-person school that requires teachers to take part in ongoing professional development? Micro-credential programs are a fun and easy way to fulfill such requirements.
Micro-Credentials enhance your TEFL/TESOL resume with verifiable credentials
Of course, learning for learning’s sake is important, but are there also concrete career benefits to taking these courses?
Add as many new skills as you like with courses
There’s no limit to the new skills you can acquire and add to your resume, such as materials development or IELTS test prep expertise. These courses can make your TEFL resume stand out from other applicants in this competitive industry.
Earn certification and digital badges
Micro-credentials allow you to boost your resume further. You’ll be assigned a tutor to offer personalized feedback and answer questions, and, upon successful completion of the assessed components, you’ll earn verifiable credentials, such as a TEFL/TESOL certificate and a digital badge.
This digital badge is verifiable, as it’s backed by blockchain technology, and graduates often share their badges on their LinkedIn profiles, on their resumes, or in their email signatures. Potential employers will be able to click the badge and look up the specific content that you’ve mastered in the course.
There’s no limit to how many stackable credentials you can earn, especially because Bridge is continually adding new Micro-credential courses! Every time you complete an online TEFL course, your Bridge TEFL/TESOL certificate will update to reflect the new hours, and you’ll be issued a unique digital badge.
Micro-Credentials can increase your earning potential and help you qualify for more TEFL/TESOL jobs
If you’re trying to break into the TEFL/TESOL market at the higher end of the pay scale or you’re working to advance your career, having more qualifications and specialized skills is a great way to set yourself apart as an English teacher.
Learn in-demand skills in a particular niche
For instance, one of the most in-demand skills for TEFL/TESOL in the world at the moment is the ability to teach English language proficiency exam preparation. Tests like IELTS and TOEFL are the standard for many English-language university programs, job interviews, and study abroad opportunities for those who speak English as an additional language. The 20-hour IELTS Exam Prep Micro-credential and 20-hour TOEFL Test Prep Micro-credential are gateways to being able to help students with these tests, and you may be able to carve out additional pay. Even if you teach young learners, you may find that your skills are in demand among parents and managers for specialty courses, individual tutoring, or advanced English lessons.
Explore the most popular ELT niches.
Broaden your career opportunities
It’s always better to have more skills! You can use what you learn in a Mirco-credential course to lead the way to career advancement in your current position or to find additional opportunities in the wider job market. Senior teaching positions and management in the TEFL/TESOL world often primarily involve training new teachers, and having additional knowledge from your Micro-credential courses may allow you to take on these leadership roles.
To start reaping the many benefits of these specialized courses, sign up for as many Bridge Micro-credentials as you like! You’ll be able to put what you learn into practice in your classroom immediately, and you’ll be on your way to being the best teacher you can be. Use these targeted online trainings to enhance your resume, continue your professional development, and earn credentials you can showcase and share as you advance your career.
