Antonio Gavira

Patient, fun and organised EFL teacher accustomed to working in a teaching department alongside other teachers, creating effective curricular plans and fun extra resources. Excellent communication skills in English, certified by Cambridge and honed by living in different English speaking countries: the UK and Ireland. Here are some other good reasons that support me as a good choice:

• Motivational skills. Throughout my over 8 years' experience, I have developed motivational skills to prevent students to get bored or unfocused in class. It is important to introduce themes they can relate to and allow them to express their questions and opinions on them. That makes them feel reassured as individuals and encourages them to take more interest in the language. It is also important to get use of a wide range of formats beyond the coursebook. This will not only grab their attention but also make sure they develop their language skills in different contexts. For example, displaying tweets or comments posted by famous people they might admire, short clips from TikTok or other popular social media, songs, short extracts from podcasts, newspaper or magazine snippets, etc. When the students are very tired, especially at the end of a lesson, it is sometimes necessary to run a game to put what has been taught into practice in a fun way and restore their mood. In this respect, I use online resources such as Baamboozle, Wordwall or Kahoot. I also create my own Power Point presentations inspired by well-known panel gameshows such as Would I lie to you, Who wants to be a millionaire or Jeopardy, using pushers if possible to make it realistic and challenging.

• Team-oriented skills. I enjoy working with or directed by other teachers because it helps me learn and enhance my team work skills. For example, in my previous job, teachers had to conduct oral exams for another teacher’s students, so there was a constant communication among us as examiners/teachers regarding our students’ specific problems or prospects of achievement, performance in the exam, marking criteria, tips to improve frames and visuals of the exam, etc.

  Additionally, the teaching department staff had regular trainings every two weeks (4 hours per month) and was a great way to improve my collaborative skills. These meetings would run group discussions concerning class management, lesson planning, teaching techniques, advice, exams structure, marking criteria, writing/speaking assessment, important coming dates and events, special webinars provided by Cambridge, etc. I followed the school program, rules and instructions exceedingly, reported behavioural or learning issues, asked questions or gave suggestions, and kept a constant communication with the management, head teacher, secretary and other members of the staff.

• Lesson planning is essential. I plan a yearly curriculum before the course starts, which may be subject to many changes during the course. It includes the language functions that are meant to be learned by the students every day, as well as activities and extra resources that I plan to bring to class.

  Even more important, I keep up a daily lesson planning, detailing thoroughly and step by step what to do in the class and highlighting the language functions they need to learn on that day. The lesson structure varies from day to day according to the students’ needs, but it’s important to show the language in a variety of contexts that involve the four basic communicative skills (speaking, writing, reading and listening), set individual, pair and group dynamics, and make sure each phase of the lesson does not take too long. Of course, the content needs to be thought-provoking and interesting for the teens and has to be arranged in a logical way.

• It is highly important to set the rules from day one and go through them every time the class or a student fails to follow them. When explaining the rules, it’s good to ask students to think of why each of them is important. However, the best way to manage a classroom is to keep an effective, respectful and sympathetic communication with them, be clear and simple when giving instructions to avoid contradictions or misunderstandings, and build rapport with students as well as get feedback and suggestions from them.

  What would they like to see more in class? What can be done better? What topics interest them the most? This allows them to take part in the lesson plan according to their preferences. When a particular student presents constant behavioural issues, it’s helpful to have a conversation apart with this student to find out where the problem comes from and tackle it if it’s at hand.

  The teaching department and the head teacher are informed of these possible issues frequently, in order to collect information of the student other staff might know better and therefore provide effective team solutions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills both in English and Spanish. Spanish is my mother tongue and I have a passion for its literature, its wide range of varieties across the world and the cultural aspects of every country. Similarly, I am fluent in English due to my education and career, honed during different stays in the UK and Ireland, as well as by working hand-in-hand with native English speakers in a teaching department and being in constant contact with English speaking countries, people and culture.

• I can adapt to changes easily, be flexible with work arrangements as well as being open to any instructions keeping up a positive attitude. A clear example is when I had to teach hybrid lessons due to the pandemic situation, which lasted about a year.

  That required many quick changes and decisions: new software, adaptation of class material that suits both online and on-site children, scheduling emails to invite students to their online lessons, dealing with technological problems or connection issues, as well as dealing with certain students’ anxiety and uncertainty feelings due to the situation. However, that phase increased my resilience and creativity, and helped me find great tools, games and activities that I still run in class. The teaching department and my managers’ professionalism and help were essential.

  They taught me how important it is to make instructions simple for parents and students, think of their interest and comfort mainly, and keep a calm, nice attitude in the class at all time. 

• Real English Lebrija (February 2020 - June 2022). Teaching ESL/EFL A1-B1 levels based on the Cambridge system (YLE, KET & PET). Constant usage of Zoom and lessons adapted to hybrid lessons during and after the lockdown. Creation and assessment of mock oral tests oriented to the official speaking exam from Cambridge.

  Creation of all sorts of teaching resources: worksheets, games, presentations, etc. Frequent usage of websites like Kahoot, Baamboozle and Wordwall, and software like PowerPoint, Word, etc. Writing diplomatic students’ reports at the end of the course.

  Daily classroom management, setting rules from day one but also allowing them to be spontaneous if necessary in certain sections of the class. Lesson planning, following a coherent organisation. With kids, dividing the lesson into sections or blocks that would not last over 15 min, and usually starting with a fun routine section in which students review the vocabulary seen previously in class.

  Attendance control in each class, informing the head teacher of any repetitive miss. Regular training days with all the staff to improve all of the skills mentioned above, as well as to discuss any doubt or problems.

• Academia Aula Abierta. (Sept. 2017 - Jan. 2020). Company that provides private English lessons in public spaces throughout the country.

  I personally worked as an EFL teacher in different high schools around Seville and Los Palacios. Working in different state schools and other public spaces at the same time around Los Palacios and Seville. Lessons based on the Cambridge and Trinity systems designed for A2-B2 levels and a wide range of ages.

  Classroom control and assessment, lesson planning, creation of fun material, etc. Prepared and held a meeting with the parents. 

• Premier Language School. (Dec. 2016 - June 2017). Company that provides private English lessons in public spaces throughout the country.

  Teaching

  Cambridge lessons (KET, PET & FCE) for children and teenagers. In permanent contact with the parents. In charge of organising meetings to promote lessons in the area. Training provided on emotional education in the classroom.

  This academy closed down.

• Red Hot World Buffet. 6 months in Leeds, UK, working as a self-employed Spanish tutor and complementing it with a job at the waiting department in Red Hot World Buffet.
• Formación y Educación Cervantes. (July 2015 - June 2016). In charge of A2/B2 levels, different ages (primary, secondary and adults, up to 60 y/o). Plenty of independence and workload.

  Creation of all sorts of fun extra resources. Helped kids with their afterschool homework. In permanent contact with parents.

• Gereanios82. (Feb. 2015 June 2015). Unpaid university internship. Creation and assessment of oral exams based on Trinity.

  English Language

  Assistant to help teachers with their primary classes. EFL Teacher for teenagers and adults aiming for B1. 

• Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language Certificate (2020-2021)

  Instituto Cervantes & Instituto Hemingway.

• Degree in English Studies (09/2011 - 06/2017)

  University of Seville.