John Buencamino never thought he would become an English teacher. His journey began in the creative world of videography and video production, where he worked on a range of projects including real estate and corporate video work. But something kept nudging him in a different direction. His wife, a dedicated English teacher, had often suggested over the years that he might make a great teacher himself.

As John describes it, “It was kind of working in the back of my mind for many years.” Eventually, the time came for a career change, and he decided to give teaching a try. “It sounded pretty good,” he says. “I’ll give it a try. And that was really that.”

Immersive Learning: The Trinity CertTESOL

John enrolled in the intensive Trinity CertTESOL course, an immersive program that compresses an incredible amount of learning into just over a month. Reflecting on the experience, John recalls, “It was very challenging. I mean, and it still is, but... it was all the things together in such a short period of time. I really appreciated being thrown in the deep end and having to get through all of it at such an intensive pace.”

The course didn’t just equip him with practical teaching skills, but also gave him confidence in front of a classroom, something he had never experienced before. “The first day of the course we had to get up and teach. I didn’t know that before I started! It was terrifying... but in hindsight, I think it was a really good thing to just throw us in that early.”

John also credits his experience as an actor with helping him adjust to the performative aspects of teaching. “Yes, being able to work scripts absolutely helped. I was not great at grading my language to begin with, and I found that I would write very specific scripts of exactly what to say... that helped tremendously.”

Supportive Learning Environment

One of the aspects of the Trinity CertTESOL that left a lasting impression on John was the quality of the trainers. “The trainers were fantastic,” he says. “I often think, ‘What would Yulianto and Clare do?’ because to get us through that amount of material... I find it nothing short of amazing.”

The course also taught John the importance of empathy, particularly when it came to understanding the challenges his own students would face. “Being put in the position of the learners... I took so much out of it, especially in terms of empathy. I can refer back to it as a teacher and think, ‘OK, what do I need to teach if the language itself is not the vehicle?’”

Moving Forward: A New Career Path

After completing the course, John quickly found teaching opportunities at ILSC. “When I finished, they had some relief work available, and that led to me teaching four classes a week,” he explains. Although he is still relatively new to the field, John’s goal is to continue building his experience and confidence across all levels of teaching. “I want to get more experience teaching at all levels, from beginner to advanced, and to feel confident that I can take those students on and do well by them.”

John is still learning as he teaches, constantly referring back to what he learned during the course and applying it in his lessons. He says, “I’m also a student really, and I’m learning a lot. It’s fantastic.”

For those considering taking the plunge into teaching with the CertTESOL, John offers this advice: “Be prepared for how intensive it is, especially if you’re doing the intensive course. It will really envelop your entire life while you do it. And secondly, as much grammar knowledge as you can squeeze in beforehand will be so helpful as you do the course.”