The first week of Celta training is over and its not as stressful as I'd heard from others. Maybe that will happen later in the course as workloads build up. So far for me having taught for three years its not that radically different from things I already know or have been doing. I've taught for three years so am perfectly comfortable standing in front of the class while for others its their first time.

This is a Cambridge University course so you have to get back into university mindset. Everything must be sourced and you need a bibliography at the end. Its also very formal and bureaucratic the way they want their administration and paperwork done.

Its also being taught in a very British way which I'm not used to. The two instructors are from the UK, one from Glasgow, the other from Newcastle. I'm not used to UK accents having been gone for so long so it took adjusting. I speak more British when I'm with them then my accent became more Canadian when I was presenting so they were confused why my voice changed thinking I was from the UK

Also very British they will say 'We are going to look at page 24. Now turn to page 24. Please read'. While the American/Canadian way I'm used to is just say 'lets look at page 24' and let the students read it instead of you telling them when they can start.

Typically there is one class of 12 students. But this September too many people signed up so they are running two classes of 12 and divided us into 9-5 day classes or 11.30-8pm evening classes. I was put into the evening group which is playing havoc with all my eating timings.

The students are also a mix. They comprise of three groups. Local Hungarians, overseas Hungarian 2nd generation diaspora, and Romanians as the course is not offered in Romania. The second group is people from the UK. The final group I'm in is actual foreigners. In my group is a girl from Australia, and two girls from the US. There are only two other guys in my group, one from England, the other from Scotland.

The Australian girl has taught in Japan, I've taught in Korea, a Romanian lady teaches locally in her town, and a Hungarian lady has taught university in Switzerland. The rest of them I don't think have any teaching experience.

I'm having problems with some of the things they are teaching. First of all we have the chairs in a circle and have small classes. I had classes of upto 35 students with desks so this format does not work.

Using this format what they are teaching is 'monitoring' (listening in while students work on a project). We are told to stay stationary in your chair. The methods of listening are to move your body from side to side in your chair (like a toddler) or to kneel on one leg in the centre rotating your head (mimicking a pigeon!).

Both of these are ridiculous. I had classes of 35 students with desks. I need to walk around and see what they are doing. You change your voice and line of sight based on your position in the room. If I sit like a pigeon they cant see me behind their desks or they'll kick me!

Another technique taught is 'chesting'. This is holding a handout against your chest like a prized possession or a greedy toddler saying 'mine'!. Again, I've tried this with my students. They need to see it and have it in their hands while I explain, not the other way round. But this is "The Cambridge Method".

Finally we have a class of 12 adult learners. Ages range from 30 to 60 and numbers have dropped as low as 5 students from the 9 that originally came on the first day. They are very responsive, follow instructions, and complete tasks as instructed. One of them was KGB trained in Russia for five years in law enforcement and was a border guard. Now he wears outrageous colours like red pants with a green shirt

This again is totally unrealistic. I spent three years arguing with students. I would give them handouts and they wont do them. I had to go from table to table and fight with them to do it. While I'm at one table another table is chatting. I have to go there, stop them chatting, get them to do the handout. Meanwhile the first table stops working and starts chatting. The process repeats as I move from table to table.

"The Cambridge Method" is creating an unrealistic expectation that only works in an ideal classroom. Our classes have one student teacher instructing, five student teachers observing, and the course instructor. So with six other people in the room students of course are going to be more attentive as they know everyone is watching them. Take everyone away, as what I had for three years, they will behave differently.

I spent three years dealing with classroom management, behaviour problems, motivating students who refuse to do the work. I have yet to see any of this addressed on "The Cambridge Method" which supposedly is the industry standard and sought after designation.

One concept is 'checking questions' (ICQ/CCQ). This is something I would do by asking 'do you understand' but they are teaching to do this in the form of questioning to get the students to explain it back. Thats something good I need to work on.

Another thing I would do is say "now what we're going to do is look at page 36". I'm told this is redundant speech and I should just say "turn to page 36". Thats unnatural for me so I have to think about changed behaviour before I speak.

I've taught two lessons and so far they both went well. I wasnt particularly happy as I've taught before and know what a fantastic lesson feels like. But for the purpose of the course and as a standalone having not seen anything I've done previously the instructors thought they went well.

The computers are really slow to work on assignments and for printing. One thing I need to learn is more of the grammar rules which native speakers are not taught but foreign students are.

For example, on the first assignment we had to explain "He's just left"
a) explain what this means
b) how would you convey this to a student
c) ask questions to check the students comprehension
d) explain form : Past Perfect = Have/Has + Just + Past Participle
e) phonology - pronunciation and word stress

Do this for "I'm getting used to...." & "If only..."

This is new for me especially part d) as I've never been taught this. I did do the two day pre-celta course to explain the rules and terminology but for others it was review while for me it was totally new.

End of week one I've taught two lessons and done the above assignment. Each week we will teach two lessons for a total of eight and one weekly assignment for a total of four. It is intense but so far not anything I cant manage if you organize and work ahead.

I've been in environments like this before when I was working in Insurance, multitasking on multiple deadlines. This might be new for some people, hence the complaints about how 'tough' or 'stressful' the course is. Hopefully the pace will not change but one week into the four week course I'm doing ok so far.

"The Cambridge Method" is designed for a class of 12 adult learners. That's not what I had for three years nor what most teaching jobs are so why is this the industry standard if it doesnt prepare you for the majority of classroom situations?

I cant argue with Cambridge University and everyone that I dont agree with a lot of the course and find it unrealistic. I'll just have to play their game for four weeks and adjust my teaching afterwards.