13 Signs You’ve Been a TEFL Teacher Too Long
If this is you, it might be time to move on.
You don’t bother to get to know the new teacher (or even learn their name) until they’ve worked at least three months (or passed probation, whichever is later).
You project a world-weary cynicism to all that encounter you in an attempt to stop any stupid questions coming your way.
You’ve given up being friendly to the local staff in your school and instead just bark orders at them.
You’ve given up lesson planning — you re-use lesson plans from three years ago. If at all.
You can’t remember the last time you tried a new activity in the classroom.
Lessons, days, weeks, and months blur together. Hang on; it’s August? 2020?!
You get overly irritated at any change to your schedule — it means you have to think and alter months’ old personal routines.
You arrive at school and leave within a minute of your scheduled hours.
You dread all extra-curricular activities and student parties except for Halloween, where you take an unholy childish delight in scaring all the young learners so much that they cry.
Your manager has stopped assigning you as a mentor to new teachers — they all seemed to break the contract and leave early…
You have an encyclopedic knowledge of grammar and teaching methodology — but can’t be bothered to use it or answer your newer colleagues’ questions.
You have extra copies of flashcards and materials you made yourself (but refuse to lend them to anyone else).
On holidays, you don’t bother travelling but stay at home and watch movies and play computer games.
See you again in two weeks.
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