Behind the Scenes of Language School Holiday
A bit of background: from time to time (normally when I’m procrastinating) I share the behind-the-scenes moments of creating your language school holiday.
I do it so you can get to know me.
I also do this because we are great believers in transparency.
It’s a core belief.
Another core belief is to be ‘authentic’ as a teacher/coach.
This blog explores what that actually means…
Being Brave
I ask my clients to be brave all the time:
- Brave enough to book a plane ticket for a language school holiday.
- Brave and trust that I’ll be at the airport waiting for them (I will be).
- Courageous enough to commit to working on their fear of English (often something they’ve been avoiding for years).
Right now, I’m working up the courage to cold-call international agents, to let them know about our unique holidays.
Holidays in which you can improve in English outside a classroom and by exploring Scotland and having fun.
(So many people – even onses in our industry – still believe one needs to suffer to make English progress, but thanks to all the alternative English learning options, that’s not the case anymore).
I’ll admit it.
I’ve been putting this task off.
The funny thing is that I’m so excited about our holidays I love telling strangers about them.
So I asked myself what was so hard about contacting travel agents?
I believed I HAD to do it (business advice form a reliable, professional source), but my values were dead against it.
It felt inauthentic.
What Does Authenticity really MEAN?
‘Authenticity’ is an overused word, everyone claims to have it,
As an English coach, a woman, a mum, a business owner and a Scot I show up in different ways for different people.
Does code-switching make me inauthentic?
(And how is everyone else managing to NOT code-switch?)
Everything’s Easy When its Aligned
What was holding me back was that I was struggling to work out which ‘me’ agents would need to see.
Values empower you.
They guide you in every context and situation.
When you are clear on your values, answers become easy.
Code-changing isn’t inauthentic.
Value-changing is!
When you are clear on your values, answers are easy.
How Much Should I Share?
I used to believe that my clients don’t need to see the whole of me, that they should only see the front-facing bits, without sacrificing any ‘authenticity’.
It took me gaining confidence in my power as a teacher to realise that this was doing their bravery and willingness to be vulnerable a disservice.
I can be a good English teacher AND lover of Scots language (and cheese and onion crisps) without contradiction.
I can share my life, my world and my emotions through English coaching.
It’s actually how I help. I give a personal language school holiday (not a corporate one).
This makes my client experience stronger and richer.
My ability to share authentically IS my superpower.
This recent post on LinkedIn shares this authenticity.
Do you cry at films?
I didn’t used to, but now everything sets me off.
As I’m writing about the importance of downtime in language learning, I was looking through photos from recent holidays to illustrate it. This one stood out.
It’s my student and I watching From Scotland With Love, an artistic collaboration between musician King Creosote and filmmaker Virgina Heath. All ‘classes’ were finished for the day (official, because the cat had found his way downstairs).
It’s downtime because there’s no dialogue, just a stream of archival film footage held together by wonderful music: a real trip into Scotland’s past.
Only the film tells the story of the last 100 years of Scotland, including the St. Kilda island communities being moved to the mainland, and soldiers going to war, and I cry and fall in love a bit every time I see it.
(I think you can tell I have fuzzy boundaries between professional and personal, but I’m sure your English does too).
I share what moves me. My passion is your passport into English, only occasionally, I care a wee bit too much. From injured eagles to apprehensive islanders, I don’t mask my sadness about history, ecology or the fact I’m being moved by art. I share it.
I had no idea this photo was being taken, but I’m so glad this beautiful moment was captured.
And my student loved the film. It was the right choice for some downtime, and an honour to share it with her.
Behind the Scenes of Your Language School Holiday
I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into the thinking behind your language school holiday.
At Blue Noun, we emphasize the importance of authenticity and its values in teaching.
By sharing personal experiences and values, the school offers a unique and enriching learning environment.
Embracing one’s true self and aligning with core values proves essential for both personal growth and effective teaching.
Join Blue Noun Hub for a truly transformative and genuine English learning adventure.
Tips for Telephone English
Calling a stranger in your second language is daunting, perhaps the most difficult thing to do.
This blog describes a small mindset shift that can help: feel authentic in your second language.
Share your values with each agent, listen to their values – and work out TOGETHER if you have two compatible businesses that can help each other.