You just thought you were signing up for a year of teaching abroad. Little did you realise that you would get the equivalent of an iron man suit thrown in for free. Remember to use your newfound powers for good, not evil.

OK, so your new powers aren’t that dramatic. No leaping tall buildings in a single bound or web-slinging. But they’re pretty cool nonetheless, with no radioactive goo required.

Check out the list below — how many have you developed?

TEFL Teaching Super Powers

1. Hulk Transformation

You’re usually a mild-mannered TEFL teacher until pushed too far. One forgotten homework too many, the rage starts to descend and suddenly — RAAAARGH! You hulk out, beating your chest and bellowing at your class in an uncontrollable rage as the walls shake. They sit, stunned. One kid wets themselves.

Hey, what did you expect? They’re only four years old.

2. Extra Sensory Perception / Predicting the Future

You know that that little brat in the corner is about to flick a spitball across the room. You just know it. You turn to write on the board, then spin round and glare at him with his arm raised. BOOM! Caught in the act.

How did you do it? TEFL training, baby, TEFL training.

3. Extreme Improvisation

The printer breaks just as you’re about to print twenty worksheets for the next class. You’re setting up your interactive whiteboard before class, which irrevocably breaks. Your whiteboard pens dry up 10 minutes into the lesson. Then the lights go out.

Hey, no problem. Just another day at the office as you crank out another stellar lesson without breaking a sweat. Easy.

4. Understand a Foreign Language Without Study

OK, so you don’t know exactly what your students are saying. But you instantly know whether they’re working on-topic or messing around. Most of all, you know when your students are muttering about you. Instant Google translate (practically).

5. Unbeatable Lie Detection

You know without fail if students are telling the truth. Students accuse you of being unfair because you don’t punish everyone equally. That’s right — you punish only the wicked.

They don’t know that you have an FBI interrogator’s ability to recognise minute facial muscle twitches to determine innocence or guilt.

6. Pain Endurance

The ability to continue to work (semi) effectively with a near-crippling hangover. ‘Nuff said.

7. Rock Star Status

By the mere act of strolling down the street, you transform into a rock star. Not by anything you do, but just the fact of coming from another country. In some TEFL teaching countries, foreign = rockstar. Learn to love it but don’t get a big ego.

Whenever you're ready, there are three ways I can help you:

1. Learn how to plan better, faster and stress-free with my book Lesson Planning for Language Teachers (90 ratings, 4.5⭐ on Amazon).

2. Develop calm students, a relaxed mind and a classroom full of learning with my book Essential Classroom Management (16 ratings, 4.5⭐ on Amazon).

3. Improve your teaching in five minutes daily with my Reflective Teaching Practice Journal (4 ratings, 4.5⭐ on Amazon).