ESL Lesson Plan

Hello, Michelle and all.
This is my first posting on here. Please forgive the errors.

I am a single 60 year old American guy that is living in Slovakia.

Needing funds to continue a life in central Europe, I posted various ads offering to tutor
individuals in English conversation.
I have no degree, certification, or experience in teaching ESL, but I have a wealth of knowledge and experiences from my 60 years of doing many things.
Most of the big language schools want certified ESL teachers to work with groups in a classroom environment, so I never bothered to contact them, and I really did not want to be in the rat race of being an employed slave to some institution.

It seems that there is a good demand for native English speakers.

Within a few days, I was receiving calls and booking students.

While I prefer the one on one sessions, I did get some school work.
One was a private school with 15 year old kids, and one language school contracted me to give private conversation sessions to advanced adult students.

A few of my private students are quite advanced in English. One is even doing translation work for a large media company.
This can be a problem as it is hard to come up with activities to keep them interested.
Many of the advanced students are happy just to have a native speaker to chat with.

I am working about 10 hours per week and earning enough to pay my rent and food, but always
looking for more.

It is important to be very relaxed, friendly,and have a young attitude.
I often think of myself as being 30 years old.
The opportunities are there, if you look for them.
Now, if only I knew how to split this post into paragraphs...It does not seem to work :(

I fully agree with the understanding reflected in the above articles that age is not a barrier for a teacher to continue teaching as long as she/he has the will to do so.
After teaching for over three decades in Hong Kong, I retired at the age of 61 (including extension for one year). But, have I stopped teaching? No, never, because I consider teaching a life-long profession. I am totally devoted to it 24 x 7 x 365. You may not believe it, but right now I am writing this at 04.00 hrs. local time!
It is more than four years since my retirement but I still teach in a prestigious public school on a part-time basis. For a change, instead of teaching boys which I used to, I am now teaching girls. And, I continue to get lot of work sent home by schools for evaluation, etc. I also tutor youngsters with special needs. I also provide online service - helping teaching institutions in various ways. I also help university students in many ways, especially with their term papers.
Do you need any online help from a teacher with over three decades of teaching and public examination work? Don't bother to search anywhere but feel free to e-mail me at samivas@hotmail.com

Dear Michelle,

Thank you for your article on older teachers teaching ESL. I am sixty years old but look forty.
I have taught English at the secondary level for thirty-six years. Now I'm pursuing teaching ESL in a foreign country. I begin my TESOL course in the latter part of June. I'm a Who's Who Among America's teachers and have a video on multicultural teaching that can be seen on educational channels around the nation and ordered from the web. Search Betty Tillman, educator. No it isn't too late and yes we are an asset to any educational institution and most of all the students.

Betty Tillman

Dear Michelle,

Thank you. Your article has provided a real boost for someone not on the young side or senior side looking at a reather dramatic career switch to ESL instruction while also providing other Native Speaker Services.
Having spent so much time instructing my colleagues in English related issues and desktop technology usuage, I have discovered I gain more "job" satisfaction than what I am currently employed to do. I feel more confident after reading your article that providing English services as a native speaker is a worthy challenge for anyone and more so we "seniors"

Best regards

Angelika Engl

Hi!
I'm a Teacher of English in my mid-fifties. i read your article about older teachers and I wanted to ask what the market is for tchers of English who re not native speakers. I hve been teaching english for over 25 years now, but most of the job ads I come across say tht they're looking for native speakers. How do i look for a new place to teach?
Thanks!

I began my teaching in esl after a 20 year career in special education in primary schools. It was so exciting in China to teach adults at college level who were bright and eager to learn. I have come back and forth for 11 years now. I recommend it to seniors. Your life experiences and skills are valuable to share. Research shows that we need to prepare for several different careers in a life time. Finding esl has allowed me to build retirement income though it pays little I can save my retirement income. DO ITis all I can say. I have taught at 4 universities and currently am serving as a missionary in Hong Kong and using my teaching experience as a volunteer. Good luck seniors. We just have to be daring and believe in ourselves. Jeanette

Age not important. Almost like saying skin color isn't a factor either. I used to teach in Japan and wanted to go back. One problem, over thirty five and no Ph.D. I am starting to see ads here in China for the younger crowd as well. True, many older people do have more to offer because of experience. But let us not ignore the reality of 'being older' is often see as an undesirable quality.