Jobs, Career Advice, and Professional Development

When looking for a job you can try to find (and fight for) one or you can create your own. If you prefer to create your own, it’s incredibly beneficial to choose a teaching niche. This session will discuss with a panel of successful English teachers: the benefits of choosing a niche; how they stand out from the crowd in a competitive environment; and popular examples like selecting a familiar industry, providing high-stakes exam test prep, and teaching business English to adults.

Not everyone wants to be a business owner or entrepreneur, and for those looking to get hired at a language school, what skills do you need to have and what are they looking for? If already employed, what can you do to impress and earn a promotion? This session will talk about: desired traits in teachers and supervisors at language schools; regional differences in hiring; and the hiring process for new employees and promotions for existing staff.

Considering a career transition to TEFL/TESOL (or just a great part-time job or retirement activity)?

No matter your previous work experience, age, education or background, you can find a path towards a fruitful career teaching English!

Join Bridge and experts from the ELT sector to learn how you can reimagine yourself as an English language teaching professional. We’ll share insights into the different paths that exist within ELT and help you recognize how your previous experiences translate to the classroom (online or in-person). We’ll also discuss the hard and soft skills that transform your teaching toolkit and help identify your strengths.

Learn how social impact organizations and their volunteer teachers have adapted to a hybrid (online/in-person) teaching world while continuing to support the communities they serve.

As teachers, we’ve chosen this profession because we believe in making a change and impacting lives. But every educator has unique experiences, values, and motivations that drive their personal teaching philosophy. How do you communicate your teaching values to current and future employers or to your students? Whether you’re just entering the field and looking for a way to differentiate yourself in the job market or you’re an experienced teacher but haven’t honed your value proposition, this webinar is for you! Join Bridge Education Group to learn how you can craft a teaching philosophy that showcases your unique mission as an educator. The webinar will be hosted by Erin Shaw Hernandez, a longtime English teacher and language school owner, who will discuss the topic with a panel of ELT experts.

This panel is based on our article on BridgeUniverse: ESL Philosophy of Teaching Statement: What Is It & Why Does It Matter?

The future is bright for the English language learning market. Identify the ELT job markets with the greatest potential and learn how to qualify for these growing job segments. Whether you’re a new teacher or an experienced one looking to the future, knowing which jobs are predicted to grow will put you on track for career growth as well. Join our panel of industry experts as they discuss ELT job trends, important qualifications that will meet job requirements, and upskilling ideas that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Are you an English teacher with the soul of an explorer? Learn about three options for teaching English abroad: teaching online, teaching with a program, or teaching for a school or university. Join us in a discussion of all these options as well as typical required qualifications and top destinations. Gather the information you need to make your international English teaching career a reality!

You’ve held grammar drills, incorporated speaking activities, and given practice essays, but are your students really prepared for the big test day? High-stakes English language proficiency exams can often leave test takers feeling anxious, which can lead to more mistakes or freezing altogether during the exam. What leads to test anxiety, and how can you train your students to overcome this hurdle? Join Bridge and a panel of representatives from three leaders in the English testing industry – Pearson, IELTS, and PrepMyFuture – to learn about the best resources and strategies teachers can use to help students conquer anxiety and succeed on the test!

Investing in continuing professional development (CPD) increases your job prospects, leads to raises and promotions, improves your teaching skills – which means happier and more successful students! – provides you with a support system of fellow educators, and helps motivate and inspire you throughout your EFL career. Despite the vast benefits of CPD, many teachers struggle to find professional development opportunities that are affordable and accessible and that meet their unique career needs. Join us to find out how you can overcome these challenges, where to find valuable CPD opportunities, and how to create a professional development plan that takes into account your personal teaching context and goals so that you can take charge of your teaching career!

Individuals and organizations today require a secure high-stakes English test that is easily accessible around the world. The Pearson PTE Academic Exam is recognized by thousands of universities throughout the world; by the US government for medical professionals who wish to work in the United States; and by the U.K., Australia and New Zealand governments for migration. A growing number of teachers and schools are offering preparatory courses for PTE. Pearson will provide attendees with information and free resources that will help you begin offering a preparatory course for your students for the PTE exam.

How are MA TESOL programs emerging from the pandemic? Are they providing enhanced/hybrid learning environments for students while keeping the degree relevant for an evolving job market? Join a panel of university admissions professionals and moderator Ian Wright, Director of BridgeUniverse, to discuss the challenges and prospects MA TESOL students and graduates face in a post-pandemic world. Our discussion will be followed by at least 20 minutes of questions and comments from our global audience.

This live panel builds on the BridgeUniverse article: Is Getting a Master’s in TESOL Worth It? (https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/masters-tesol-worth-it/)

Huntington University MA TESOL students and alumni reflect on their experiences in this online graduate program with practicum, including the insights into teaching they gained in the role of learner.

Since the implementation of strict government regulations in China beginning in July 2021, many teachers (especially in the US and Canada) have found online ELT no longer a lucrative job market. Teaching English online has become divided into two major camps: tutor marketplaces and language schools. Marketplaces seemingly provide little support but also little regulation and generally a lower commission than language schools, letting teachers set their own prices. Online language schools tend to provide more support in the form of lesson materials, customer support, and language assessments for students, but they may also require greater certifications, regular hours and/or mandatory teaching observations. School typically take a bigger commission for each class or pay teachers a standard hourly rate. Teachers must decide which works best for them: we’re here to help!

What can you do to land that dream English teaching job you’ve been eying? How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd? A little preparation and tailoring of your resume or CV can go a long way. This session will cover do’s and don’ts for your application, resume/CV and the job interview, as well as how to increase your chances of getting noticed!

Online Teacher Marketplaces are quickly becoming a trendy method for online teachers to connect with students. As they become increasingly popular, how do you stand out to attract more students and increase your rate?

Join Bridge to understand the mechanisms behind how marketplaces suggest teachers for prospective students. We will cover strategies that the most successful marketplace teachers use to create noteworthy profiles and generate booming business!

The global network of English language teachers has incredible talent. Join our Expert Series webinar to learn about the many ways educators can share their expertise, providing fresh insights and knowledge that benefit the community and their students. Whether presenting for a large conference event or hosting a small webinar, each contribution provides accessible professional development opportunities. Learn how to maximize your content to provide the greatest benefits for the global ELT community while also continuously growing your own skills and knowledge.

Join this session to learn more about the unique features of the part-time, hybrid SIT MA TESOL Program with its long tradition and established reputation as a trailblazer. It will offer a brief introduction to SIT’s approach to online teaching, including immersive online coursework and building virtual learning communities. In addition, you will explore two of the program features, plurilingual pedagogy and grammaring, which foster expedited, brain-friendly multimodal learning.

Being an independent online English Teacher means you get to set your teaching schedule to meet your lifestyle! From the stay-at0home parent looking for part-time teaching opportunities to the intrepid traveler teaching and traveling as a digital nomad, today’s teachers are using independent teaching options to meet the needs of their own unique lifestyles. Learn how independent English teachers are freelance teaching for online schools, working on teacher marketplaces, and becoming their own bosses as teacherpreneurs to build the career they’ve always dreamed of!

Continuing professional development (“CPD”) is an important but often overlooked investment for ESL teachers. Perhaps many teachers think language schools don’t require it. Maybe independent teachers don’t see the value (or “ROI”) in it. The truth is that CPD can help you stand out from other applicants if you’re looking for a new job. It can also help you advance in your current job. Most importantly, it leads to greater student outcomes and satisfaction. This session will explore the benefits of CPD in detail: the various ways to boost your resume; how school owners and operators feel about it; and how independent teachers leverage CPD to advance their businesses.

You got an interview for an ESL teaching position — congrats! But they asked you to prepare a demo lesson… or, during the interview, they ask you what you plan to use for materials. Don’t worry! This session will help you be prepared. Using lesson plan providers is a great way to supplement lessons and materials that you’ve already made in your personal portfolio. This session will help you choose which lesson plan company will work for you, and then, which lesson plan to choose for your demo lesson!

Are you ready to specialize in the high-demand area of teaching English test prep? Join this session to explore employment possibilities in preparing students for high-stakes exams, such as the TOEFL or IELTS. Plus, discover how professional development can help you stand out as a strong candidate for top opportunities.

Teaching methodologies have evolved over time, with some touted as “the best” and others falling by the wayside. But is there a teaching method or practice that is better than the rest? Our expert panel will dive into some of the most popular teaching methodologies – new and old – and explore their applications to the online and in-person classroom. Tune in to learn which methodologies may be most effective within certain contexts or with specific learners and find out how to integrate multiple methods to improve learner outcomes and inspire a lifelong learner mentality in your students.