Topic: Teacher education | Empowering Second-Stage Career Changers in ELT: Stories, Strategies, and Community Building
Presenter: Suzannah Redmond
Presentation details
As English language teaching emerges as an exciting new path for many career changers, particularly second-stage women, it is vital to create supportive, inclusive environments that build confidence and unlock potential.
In this session, I will explore why ELT is such a natural fit for career changers and share the practical strategies we use to guide, encourage, and empower them throughout this transition.
Key areas include:
Recognising existing strengths: Career changers bring a wealth of life and work experience, alongside soft skills like communication and empathy. These strengths are actively validated and leveraged throughout the course.
Creating a supportive, inclusive environment: From the moment prospective trainees express interest, we encourage them to observe classes and connect with tutors about their journeys, which helps to boost confidence and address early doubts. We offer a TESOL Foundation course for self-paced preparation, enabling trainees to build familiarity with key concepts and develop a sense of belonging before the CertTESOL begins. Throughout the course, we maintain open lines of communication by setting up small group WhatsApp chats and providing extra tutorials, particularly towards the beginning of teaching practice when trainees have the most fears and worries. We also offer a range of flexible practice placements: mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends, which can be completed entirely online, entirely face-to-face, or through a combination of both, reflecting our commitment to accessibility and flexibility.
Maintaining momentum beyond the course: Post-certification, we offer opportunities for shadowing, conversation classes, and team teaching to help trainees sustain confidence and continue growing. These initiatives reinforce that trainees are part of an ongoing community of practice.
Our framework, recognising strengths, creating inclusive environments, and maintaining momentum, is grounded in practical classroom experience and directly bridges the research–practice gap that Masatoshi Sato explores.
Real-life stories from course graduates demonstrate the transformative power of these strategies. Attendees will leave with a practical framework (recognising strengths, creating inclusive environments, maintaining momentum) and actionable ideas to support second-stage career changers in ELT, fostering a more diverse, resilient, and empowered teaching community.
About the presenter
Suzannah Redmond has been teaching English since 2001 and has worked in a variety of settings, including universities, schools, voluntary organisations, and colleges in the UK and internationally. An experienced examiner and item writer, she leads community ESOL programmes in Greater Manchester and heads up the Trinity CertTESOL at Train-to-TEFL.
Suzannah has run various projects across Manchester, working with local councils to deliver ESOL classes. She is passionate about delivering teacher training courses, including the level 5 Trinity CertTESOL and TESOL Foundation Course, which she designed to offer accessible pathways into English language teaching.