Meet Melody! She is a new addition to our team of trainers and she will share her story with you. Read on!
Where are you from?
I come from Columbus, Georgia.
How did you end up in Prague?
I saw a picture of Prague in my textbook when I was 12 and I immediately knew I had to go there! So my plan was to move there after finishing my bachelor’s. I wanted to do TEFL, but I needed to save some money first. I decided to go to Slovakia instead and I spent two years there teaching at a high school. I went back to the US after that, got TEFL certified and I also got my master’s. Prague had always been my dream destination, so I finally moved here in 2018 and I’ve been teaching English ever since.
What do you love the most about Prague?
I love live music! There are so many concerts here. Whenever I want to listen to some live jazz music, I can find a place to do so. One of the places I can definitely recommend is U Malého Glena. I live in Prague with my partner and we go to a lot of concerts.
What made you want to become a TEFL trainer?
I have always loved teaching! I started doing observations here at TEFL Worldwide some time ago and I learned a lot about my own teaching. I saw what I’m doing well and what I could do better. So when I was offered the position of a TEFL trainer, I was truly excited about it. I get a lot of joy in providing support to teachers. The other day I got an email from one teacher and she said that I had saved her life and that I really helped her to be better. I have gotten a lot of emails from teachers saying that I changed the way they taught and that is really motivating for me. I am happy when I can show people that they are not alone on their teaching journey.
Do you teach any other courses apart from TEFL?
I also teach children and adults online and I have a few private students. Teenagers are my favorite age group. I don’t particularly enjoy teaching groups of small children, but teaching teenagers is my true passion. I like to mix teaching online and offline. During the lockdowns, I realized that I don’t want to teach 100 % online, I think it’s good to combine it.
What did you find the most difficult when you moved to the Czech Republic?
I don’t think I had any problems because I had lived in Slovakia before and also my partner speaks the language. Maybe getting used to a different medical system was a bit confusing. The good thing is that it is not difficult to find English-speaking doctors and a lot of nurses speak English as well. Plus it is free, so that’s great!
Is it difficult to survive in the Czech Republic without speaking the language?
Not really. I know some Czech and my partner sometimes helps me to translate things, but I don’t think speaking Czech is necessary. It is useful to know it when teaching. I compare Czech and English in my lessons a lot. I’ve been working on my Czech and I’m slowly getting better and better.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I have a book club here in Prague, I adore reading! I teamed up with one former TEFL trainee, we meet once a month and we discuss Czech and American literature. I’ve just finished The Joke by Kundera and I’m trying to get to know Czech literature. I love The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I enjoy that I can discuss it with Czech people and understand their culture a bit more.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I love cooking and baking! I cook and bake all the time. I want to learn how to make Marlenka (a delicious cake that you can buy in the Czech Republic). I got into vegan and vegetarian cooking, even though I’m not a vegan nor a vegetarian, I enjoy experimenting.
