Get richer teacher with Ola Kowalska

Can you stand out in ELT by just being YOU? Of course, you can!

In this episode, I invited my ex-colleague-turned-friend and probably a twin sister in some other life, Maddie Boldero Rito, for a chat. She is a ball of energy just like me and kindly agreed to talk to me about her journey in the ELT world and what her biggest lessons have been so far.

Maddie has been in the industry since 2007 as a teacher, a manager, a teacher trainer who has always been able to recognise what she wants which proved a useful skill. Her extraordinary optimism is her personal magnet and she used it many times in the classroom and managerial experience as her leverage. She is also known for her professionalism, hard-working attitude and knowing what she really wants. She's now in the middle of another career pivot which she sees as an exciting opportunity. Fingers crossed for that, Maddie! You can follow Maddie's journey at @anotherbunchofacronyms on Instagram!

Make sure to listen till the very end where Maddie shares what she thinks it means to stand out in ELT and how you can achieve that!

WOO-HOO, what a chat! Perfect to lift your mood for sure! :)

Go on, give it a listen and let us both know your thoughts!

Picture this.

We're in a feedback session on a CELTA course, where I'm the tutor. I'm giving feedback to my trainee on how she's dealt with a pronunciation issue in her class (she made an obvious mistake). She looks at me with a lot of doubt in her eyes, at some point, she rolls her eyes and doesn't actually take any of my words seriously. Next time she makes the same mistake and uses the argument 'that's what we, native speakers, say'.

I'm a qualified teacher, an ex-manager in a language school, an ELT business owner, and a Cambridge-qualified teacher trainer. It doesn't matter.

Native speakerism and the debate about native vs non-native teachers is far from being over.

Unfortunately, people interpret the activism and support of non-native speakers as diminishing towards native speakers. That often comes from their own insecurities. But we must stop thinking that giving more attention or recognition to one group means taking it away from the other. A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, anyone?

This episode touches on the problem's obvious aspects and adds my passionate voice (or a rant) to the discussion. I share stories, reflections, statistics, thoughts, and ACTION POINTS for all of us.

Thanks for tuning into the Get Richer Teacher Podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe, rate, and leave your honest review. Connect with me on Instagram, visit my website for even more detailed strategies, and be sure to share your favourite episodes on social media. Get your free marketing 10 ways to find students for your language classes here.

Now, it’s time to go get richer, teacher!

Picture this.

We're in a feedback session on a CELTA course. I'm giving feedback to my trainee on how she's dealt with a pronunciation issue in her class (she made an obvious mistake). She looks at me with a lot of doubt in her eyes, at some point she rolls her eyes and doesn't actually take any of my words seriously. Next time she makes the same mistake and uses the argument 'that's what we, native speakers, say'. 

I'm a qualified teacher, ex-manager in a language school, ELT business owner, and a Cambridge-qualified teacher trainer. She doesn't care. 

So if you're bored of the native versus non-native speakers in ELT debate then you may as well be bored of feminism. Because it's exactly the same. We still need to talk about it and we need our own activists. It's still extremely unequal.

Unfortunately, people interpret the activism and support of non-native speakers as diminishing towards native speakers. That often comes from their own insecurities. But we need to stop thinking that giving more attention or recognition to one group means taking it away from the other. LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, anyone?

This episode touches on the obvious aspects of the problem but I also wanted to add my own passionate voice to the discussion. I share stories, reflections, statistics, thoughts, and ACTION POINTS for all of us.

Give it a listen and let me know your thoughts. Have you ever been discriminated against as a non-native speaker? What do you do to level the playing field for yourself or for others?

If you are ready to create a business in ELT that stands out - this is the podcast for you!
As ELT professionals, we know how to teach - this is our actual superpower but developing a business mindset and business skills can be tricky. And I'm here to help BRIDGE THAT GAP! Between teachers and entrepreneurs! You can be one of them. Even in, what people call, the saturated market of English Language Teaching. Badass ELT entrepreneurs - I'm ready for you!

In this episode, I introduce the podcast and talk about who I am and what it will be about!

Thanks for tuning into the Get Richer Teacher Podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe, rate, and leave your honest review. Connect with me on Instagram, visit my website for even more detailed strategies, and be sure to share your favourite episodes on social media. Get your free marketing 10 ways to find students for your language classes here.

Now, it’s time to go get richer, teacher!

If you are ready to create a business in ELT that stands out - this is the podcast for you!
As ELT professionals we know how to teach - this is our actual superpower but developing a business mindset and business skills can be tricky. And I'm here to help BRIDGE THAT GAP! Between teachers and entrepreneurs! You can be one of them. Even in, what people call, the saturated market of English Language Teaching. Badass ELT entrepreneurs - I'm ready for you! 

In this episode, I introduce the podcast and talk about who I am and what it's going to be about!