Video transcript
If you’re on a CELTA course, this is quite likely to happen to you. You’re doing the first half, you’ve probably had four Teaching Practice lessons, you’re feeling pretty good, thinking you’re getting the hang of it and…
It's now Week 3 of your CELTA. You walk into your Teaching Practice session feeling pretty confident, you've nailed four lessons, you're finally getting the hang of this teaching thing and you really like the tutor you have: they’re supportive and funny and they’ve really helped you to gain confidence. You’re getting to know and like your TP learners too…
And then you come to the mid point of the course and it all changes. You go to a new level, either higher or lower than you were teaching before and you’ve got a new TP tutor…
Suddenly it feels like you've forgotten how to teach entirely. Your feedback session sounds less like encouragement and more like a forensic breakdown of everything you did wrong.
So what just happened? Did you suddenly become terrible? Or is your new tutor just... mean?
I’m Jo Gakonga, I’ve been a CELTA tutor and assessor for over 25 years and I’ve seen this scenario so many times. If you want to know the truth about it, keep watching and if you like this, give it a thumbs up and subscribe, I make new content every week and there’s more at my website, too.
So first things first.
Your second tutor isn’t meaner than your first one. Shall I tell you how I know? You probably swapped with another group and the trainees in that group, who now have YOUR first tutor- the one you loved- are saying exactly the same thing.
You didn’t get worse, either. It’s just that the goalposts keep moving in CELTA – expectations increase and you’re held to a higher standard...
In Week 1, tutors are just happy you didn’t fall in a weeping heap on the floor and you managed to get the learners to DO something.
But by Week 3? We expect more. You’re growing and so are the expectations. So your second tutor isn't stricter. They're just holding you to Week 3 standards, not Week 1 & 2 standards.
Relationships matter too. You probably developed a bit of a rapport with your first tutor.
You understood their style, their feedback, their little quirks. Now you’ve got someone new and it feels different. Not worse. Just… unfamiliar. Give it time.
New level = new learning curve.
You’re also teaching a different level and that means different challenges.
If you moved to a higher level, suddenly you're explaining complex grammar that maybe you barely understand yourself… and dealing with learners who’ve got enough language to ask difficult questions.
Moving to a lower level? Now you have to simplify the language you take for granted and give much clearer instructions. Activities usually have to be much more structured too.
So yes, it might seem like you’re taking a backwards step but that’s because you’re navigating new waters.
Are tutors different? Well, of course, everyone has a unique teaching style but all CELTA tutors go through an annual standardisation from Cambridge and we also collaborate and talk about all of the candidates throughout the course. That means when your second tutor gives you tougher feedback, they're not being randomly harsh. They're applying the exact same standards your first tutor would have used at this stage of the course.
So what do you actually do about this?
Don’t take it personally. Your tutor isn't attacking you. They're training you. There's a massive difference.
Ask for specifics. If feedback feels overwhelming, say: "What's the most important thing I should focus on for my next lesson?" Most tutors love this question.
And keep the real goal in mind. Every tutor wants the same thing: for you to pass the course and become an effective teacher. If they're pushing a bit harder, it probably means they believe you can handle it.
Give the relationship time. You'll probably like your second tutor just as much as your first once you get to know them.
What's been your biggest shock about CELTA so far? Drop it in the comments. Misery loves company, but success loves sharing strategies even more.
And if this helped you make a bit more sense of the CELTA rollercoaster, check out my website at ELT-Training for support now and way into your teaching future.
