| Regardless of your English as a Foreign Language | | | | appear to be at first. You never know what the other |
| teaching area, with competition mounting it's becoming | | | | person may lead you to, or who they may become |
| increasingly difficult to stand out and get yourself and | | | | down the road. Return phone calls and inquiries |
| your teaching practices noticed. One crucial, but often | | | | promptly. Use a system that will allow you to maintain |
| neglected area that you can address immediately is | | | | a schedule of TESOL-related events, appointments, |
| your image as an EFL or TESOL teaching | | | | calls and activities. Keep in regular contact with other |
| professional. Here are some key ways you can help | | | | teachers, administrators and former students. Be sure |
| raise yourself head and shoulders above the rest of | | | | to make use of available tools that may help to grow |
| the teaching pack and increase your chances of | | | | and expand your EFL teaching knowledge and |
| development, professional and personal success.1. | | | | techniques. If you're not using internet tools as |
| Dress for SuccessIncredibly, there are those who give | | | | effectively as you can, read the article "5 Essential |
| little attention to the image they present. Any TESOL | | | | Tools You Need for Marketing on the Internet". It'll help |
| teaching related contact must be treated as an | | | | get you going in the right direction. It's here: Conduct All |
| opportunity to further your skills, knowledge and | | | | Business Matters PromptlyAlways be on time for |
| professional interests. You should be groomed to the | | | | scheduled appointments, meetings and other |
| point of being precise whenever engaged in teaching | | | | business-related activities. Always meet set deadlines |
| or when giving presentations. Always be sure to be | | | | for work or teaching you are contracted to do - |
| properly attired for appointments, meetings and | | | | verbally or in writing. Stick to EFL teaching contracts |
| conferences. Your TEFL teaching area or EFL | | | | faithfully on your part. Keep an accurate clock visible |
| classroom should always be in presentable condition. | | | | during teaching / business hours. Plan ahead. You must |
| How does it look? How does it smell? Clean the floors, | | | | absolutely show respect for other people's time and |
| empty the trash, dust and get rid of anything scurrying | | | | resources. Remember; do unto others as you would |
| around with more than two legs, etc.2. Have well - | | | | have them do unto you. It is said that "an elephant |
| prepared, precise EFL teaching materialsAny | | | | never forgets" - neither do some key people you need |
| paperwork or materials related to your teaching must | | | | now and in the future. Be professional.Working on |
| clearly identify its purpose. You should have letterhead | | | | these key areas will help to get you, your ideas and |
| stationery for both online and off line dealings. Other | | | | teaching practice noticed, generate new leads and |
| documents which must be well-prepared in advance | | | | opportunities, as well as helping you to stand out from |
| of any outside contact include envelopes, contracts, | | | | the rest of the herd. Many of your fellow teachers |
| invoices, receipts, flyers, brochures, letters, folders and | | | | may short-change themselves in some of these areas, |
| business cards. (You DO have EFL teaching business | | | | but now at least YOU won't - right? We'll explore |
| cards, don't you?) Keep your materials focused. Do | | | | more key ways to distinguish yourself as an EFL |
| not adopt a one-format-fits-all scenario. It may be | | | | teaching professional in part 2 of this series coming up |
| cheaper, but it just doesn't convey a professional | | | | soon.Prof. Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, |
| image of you or your teaching. Double and triple check | | | | expert author and photographer specializing in |
| format, spelling and grammar on all written | | | | business, travel, food and education-related writing in |
| correspondence before it goes out or you may really | | | | South America. His work has appeared in Transitions |
| be sorry. Ef U don't no how 2 rite oar spel do whut U | | | | Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From |
| hv 2 too fix the prablum.3. Be OrganizedWithout fail | | | | America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. He lives |
| keep all appointments no matter how trivial they may | | | | in Colombia and teaches at a university in Cali. |