Here's what some of our past participants have written about their experience in the SIT TESOL Certificate Course:

Selma Herzberg who had been teaching English for three years when she took the course said, " I do not know how I was even teaching without knowing everything I learned in this course. It was a very organized and efficient way to learn. The teachers were very sensitive to the needs of the participants and the classes were full of good humor and interaction. Not only was the content so rich, but also the teaching experience and group work provided us with real growth and left us with plenty of things to think about. This was the first time I'd heard of the experiential learning cycle and reflective teaching and I think education, in general, would be much richer if these ideas were used in every school."

Heather Shaughnessy, who had no experience teaching English when she took the course says, "The SIT TESOL Certificate Program was an amazing learning experience. I really appreciated the practical, yet fun and creative tools we were given, which could be applied in many situations, not just teaching EFL. Following the course I got a job working for a private language institute in Boston, Massachusetts called ASPECT. I taught grammar, oral communications, writing and a listening-speaking-pronunciation course. I worked with people from all over the world. Thanks to the course, I felt well-prepared and most important, confident enough to manage a multi-level, multi-age, multi-cultural classroom. I am now working in the public school system down in Cape Cod. I work with the immigrant population. It has been the most incredible work experience I've ever had. A truly amazing experience made possible due to the SIT TESOL Certificate program. I am truly grateful to have been a part of a program that has opened me up to two such incredible opportunities. Thank you very much."

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Phayvanh Luekhamhan said, "I had no idea when I signed up that the practice teaching sessions would be such an important part of the course. Not only was it tons of fun, but also I was amazed to see my progression from an unsure instructor, not really understanding what I was doing, to someone who really felt comfortable teaching a language in a classroom.

Jan Church says, " The commitment, dedication and professionalism of the trainers was superb. I was dazzled by my observations of their lessons and learned so many things from their manner, presence, and gentle firmness that I want to carry into my own teaching."

Carolyn Sadeh says, "The course was a taste of a wonderfully rich and rewarding profession. It was thought-provoking, mind-expanding and totally great. The trainers were exuberant and energetic and totally complemented one another's gifts and strengths."

Martha Braun says, "I came away from the course with a confidence that I too will be a good teacher because the SIT Trainers didn't just tell me how, they showed me how. Instead of dreading the critique sessions, their gentle manner made me WANT feedback."

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And more from a trainer and faculty member:

Trainer, Connie Tumavicus says, "The SIT TESOL Certificate course goes beyond the "how-to" of teaching. Through experience, feedback and reflection, participants enter into a personal discovery of who they are, and who they can be, as teachers. Each time I train, I see participants' eyes light up as they begin to understand the possibilities of learning and growth open to them."

ESOL luminary and author, Diane Larsen-Freeman says, "I believe the TESOL certificate participants find the course so rewarding because it takes the "best practices" of our MAT program and applies them in the certificate context. SIT's comprehensive approach gets participants thinking reflectively and planning and teaching learner-centered classes. Dramatic changes occur when the learner is respected and understood as a whole person, when teachers and students engage in building communities of learners, and when beliefs and practices are challenged in safe and constructive ways."

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Last modified: 03-May-2004