This week on Gav & Em’s How to English TEFL Pod, we take a nostalgic wander through the weird, wonderful, and occasionally chaotic world of TEFL life! ✈️📚 Gav puts Em on the spot with a not-quite-true-or-false quiz that somehow turns into stories about teaching in bathrooms, cupboards, art galleries, and even gas refineries (yes, really). We chat about adorable (and slightly uncooperative) student pets 🐱, mega-long commutes, and the classroom games that got way too competitive… with adults 😅. Then things get a bit more reflective as we dig into our CELTA experiences—what stuck, what annoyed us, and how it’s shaped the teachers we are today. We talk about classroom dynamics, teacher “fingerprints” on students, first impressions (and first-lesson nerves!), and why being human in front of your class might just be your biggest strength.

As always, it’s relaxed, honest, and packed with teaching insights you’ll definitely recognise—whether you’re in the classroom or learning in one.

☕ If you enjoy the show, you can support Gav & Em (and keep the coffee flowing!) at 👉 ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Resources

Quiz music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=proOvlY-WKk

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro with TEFL nostalgia

03:17 – Gav’s “true or false” quiz begins 😄

03:47 – Weirdest places we’ve taught English

04:40 – Cutest (and strangest) student pets

06:02 – Longest commutes & travel stories

07:09 – Funny things students have called us

08:02 – Essential TEFL survival items ☕

08:32 – When classroom games get too competitive

11:02 – CELTA reflections: love it or hate it?

17:05 – Teaching style, classroom vibe & being approachable

18:22 – Can you spot another teacher’s influence?

23:18 – Bad habits students bring with them

25:24 – First lessons, pressure & first impressions

26:59 – Surviving the “autopilot” lesson blur

31:06 – Being human, making mistakes & wrapping up