Why I Started Teach Support

I love working in the field of ESL...and I hate it. I love the students who teach me so much every day about their cultures and backgrounds. I hate it when my class composition changes daily due to student work schedules and family needs. I love the chance to be creative in developing lessons. I hate never having enough or the right kind of resources to serve the needs of my students. I love having freedom in my classroom to teach as I see fit. I hate rarely having any support when classroom issues arise. I love being a part of a community of passionate professionals. I hate being asked by the general public (and my parents) what my "real" job is.

Teaching is really rewarding in so many ways, but it's far from easy. I honestly think that one of the hardest things about this job for me is how alone I have often felt. Many of my colleagues work at two or three places, so they breeze in and out of the school always rushing to another teaching gig. We barely say hello. My supervisors are always stretched thin, overwhelmed by sales targets, budgets, or the push to improve student satisfaction. (As someone who has worked as an ESL administrator, I can sympathize.) My friends, loving though they are, have never really "gotten" what I do. How can someone with a masters degree be working a job with no benefits, no sick days, no vacation, and contracts which renew (or don't) every 6 weeks? What kind of job is that?Sometimes I ask myself the same question.

How is it that a job that's about connecting with others can make you feel so isolated?

So, I created Teach Support to give teachers and administrators the help and connection that so often seems to be missing from English language programs. Teach Support fills in the gaps by providing quality materials, training, and consulting services as well as this blog which will cover many common school and classroom challenges. We want to make this blog about giving you the information you need in order to keep your school or classroom running or just to keep yourself sane. Please feel free to contact me with any topics you would like me to cover or any specific classroom challenges you might be having. We'll blog about them and get advice from our online community as well.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you.