Eddy, From Nicaragua, Growing as an Educator Through Lifelong Learning

Driven by his passion for improving his students’ learning outcomes, Bridge graduate Eddy Salgado, from Nicaragua, has consistently sought opportunities for professional growth. His dedication to enhancing his teaching led him to design customized English lessons and land a teacher trainer role at a university in his home country. He shares how he has grown as an educator and how the TEFL/TESOL programs he took have helped him enrich his online teaching and transform his students’ learning experiences.

Hi Eddy! Can you tell us a bit about how you got into English teaching?

First of all, I love the English language. When I was in primary school, we didn’t have an English subject in our school, but we had a teacher who came in one day per week to teach us English. That was something different; as having an English teacher at the time was something new. I loved how the teacher spoke and I told myself that was something I wanted to do. Then, I spent my whole high school learning English, sadly, in the traditional way. I had to memorize the dictionary, but I did it.

Then, I moved to study English at the university because I wanted to become an English teacher. I finished my major, I went through professional practices, and I eventually became a teacher.

However, I had always been a traditional teacher until I took the Bridge courses. So, I told myself I could do something different. After completing my first TEFL certification, I was excited to go to the classroom because I was sure that students were going to enjoy the classes and participate in the activities. I also elaborated the games based on the language that I taught in the previous classes, so they were more motivated to study.

Ready to level up your teaching skills? You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!

Where have you taught?

I first became an English teacher at URACCAN, a university on the Nicaraguan Caribbean coast. Then, after I took my Bridge Micro-credential course, I started teaching English online four years ago. One of my brothers asked me to teach his two kids who were living in another city. I accepted and started teaching them. Now, they’re studying at university. They also took an English exam and got a B1 level as a result of my classes.

Then, my nephews spread the word about my classes to their classmates, and from two students, I later got around 40 students, which were composed of kids and teenagers! So, I separated them into four groups, with around 10 students in each group. They were really satisfied and loved the classes, and they also motivated me a lot.

I use Canva to prepare my classes, and I use Zoom and Google Meet to give the online classes. I also got them participating and playing as well. It’s difficult to keep kids engaged in the lessons, and even more difficult if they are online, but I managed to have them for a year.

Interested in teaching kids and teens? Qualify for more jobs and advance your skills with the Bridge Specialized Certificate in Teaching English to Young Learners and Teens.

How would you describe yourself as an English teacher?

I like to motivate students and I’m curious as an English teacher. When I discovered the first gamification tool, I wondered if more tools existed that could help. That gives my lessons variety, along with the articles I share with my students.

I also feel happy when I have a student who started as a beginner and is now speaking English. I feel happy about their progress. I like to motivate my colleagues too.

Check out these 26 digital tools for teaching English online.

You’ve also landed a job as an English coordinator at Keiser University in Nicaragua. How did you land this position?

I was contacted by Keiser University because they were going to open one branch in a new city and they were looking for teachers. They invited me to participate in the recruitment process, and I sent my CV, went through the interview, and gave a demo lesson. Then, they hired me for the English coordinator position.

Feeling anxious about an upcoming interview? Read this next: How to Prepare for a TEFL/TESOL Interview.

As the coordinator, what are your main responsibilities?  

First of all, I provide feedback to teachers on teaching strategies. I also interview teachers, participate directly in the recruitment process of new teachers, and manage the learning management platform. I also check their lesson plans as well. 

You’re currently working on a project that involves analyzing different English language teaching resources. Could you tell us a bit more about it?

Whenever I implement a virtual resource in my classes, I analyze its impact on my students’ experiences and conduct surveys to gather their insights. Then, I write an article based on the impact that these resources are having.

Curious about the best tech tools for online teaching? Discover top recommendations from experienced ESL teachers.

What do you do when you’re not teaching?

I play basketball. I would go to the court to train at 4 AM or 5 AM, and during the weekend I play basketball in the municipal league. That gives me a lot of energy!

Why did you decide to get TEFL/TESOL Certified?     

I first took a Bridge 100-Hour TEFL/TESOL Introductory EducatorPlus Certification course through its program with Universidad Americana in Managua (UAM) and I loved it! I decided to take the certification course because I wanted to enrich my experience in teaching English and explore different ideas and methodologies and I found Bridge relevant for me. I browsed the platform and saw it had the courses I wanted to take.

When I started getting interested in taking courses at the time, I had found courses on teaching English only, but what Bridge offered me was something different. For example, when I saw the Micro-credentials in Games and Activities in the Online classroom, I told myself those were what I needed. So, I took the courses.

Then, I implemented all the methodologies and resources in my classes and started noticing the difference, the impact on my students, and the results. My students were more engaged in the lessons and they were learning faster.

Since then, I’ve committed myself to taking as many courses as I could because I could picture myself being a better teacher in some years than I am nowadays and exploring different opportunities.

Learn more about all Bridge Specialized Certificates and Micro-credential courses.

How was your experience studying on the learning platform?

The platform is interactive! One of the platform’s features I like the most is being able to participate in discussion forums, where I can write my responses and read other participants’ responses.

How have the Bridge certifications you’ve taken helped you grow as an English teacher and trainer?

After I took the Specialized Certificate in Designing Custom Courses, I felt I was moving forward. I was mindful of how Bridge was helping me enrich my teaching methodologies and my mindset as a teacher.

I also realized if I wanted to become an academic writer, I had to broaden my mindset. So, Bridge opened my mind to the universe of teaching, which is more than just going to a classroom and teaching a lesson. It is not as simple as that. It is about having a broad overview of a lot of things.

Learn more about how Eddy customized his English lessons for high school students

How would you like your English teaching career to grow further?    

I’d like to take a DELTA certification. I just want to take more courses in order to enrich my professional expertise and keep moving forward in terms of teaching. I want to do research as well.

In the future, I’d like to publish the articles I’m writing as a book on Amazon or have physical copies to continue helping other teachers with using different resources in their lessons. I’d also like to conduct webinars in the future and participate in teacher training experiences that are going to somehow change the lives of teachers and students.

Feeling inspired to elevate your professional development? Explore these 8 benefits of professional development in ELT to see how it can transform your teaching journey.