Testimonial from TESOL 101 with Jim in Toronto

Good day fellow TESOL grads and students.

My name is Rob, and I am a recent graduate from Jim's TESOL 101 course that took place last month in Toronto. I just wanted to share my thoughts on the course, and encourage you all in what you are all setting out to do.

When I first joined the course, I heard a lot of people saying "This course will change your life." Like, I am sure, many people before me I brushed off that line like, "Yea, right."
However, I can honestly say that this course has changed my life.

Not so much in the sense that I am going overseas to teach. Not so much in the sense that I have learned some new skill or learned a new teaching method.
Instead, the course changed me in a different way. From every walk of life, every background, a group of 20 different people came together, and instantly bonded. There was no separation of religion, race, or culture, we all accepted each other with open arms, even if we didn't understand one another. We all listened to each others stories, hurts, trials, and triumphs and we encouraged one another to grow and to become better teachers and people.
Jim was not afraid to address the tough issues that many people couldn't handle, that many people didn't want to talk about. He wasn't afraid to ask us to share, and cried with us when we did. We all were there to support, love, and encourage one another.

We often joked that this course was not so much a course about learning how to teach, I should say was not ONLY a course, but rather a self-empowerment course where we all came to believe, "You can teach, you can go across the world and make a different if you can face yourself and believe in what you can already do."

It is rare that you find that kind of attitude in this world. It is rare that you find that kind of acceptance in this world. It is rare that you find that kind of love in this world. And it is most rare to find these kinds of friendships in this world.

So take the course, you won't regret it. Take it even if you are unsure of whether or not you want to teach, like I was, and I promise you - you WILL be changed forever.

I totally agree with Rob! Jim Pellegrini is one of the most amazing and brilliant person I've met in life so far. Taking the Foundation course not only changed my views on teaching, but also changed my views in Life; to search for happiness. The course has proven me in my abilities to teach creatively with blazing colours, as well as, spreading knowledge to the rest of the world! You will not regret taking this course, it's worth it!! :) SUPER INTENSE, BUT THE VIBE WAS GOOD!!

Being a spiritual person and a great believer in the law of attraction I wrote a note a couple of months ago (it was more like a wish list) asking the universe to align the starts and the space for my dreams to come true, at the very top of the list was the desire to be able to travel for a whole year… the thought seemed surreal but I still put it down on paper. As I was writing it I asked myself… how would this happen? I had NO money to travel for a week, let alone a whole year! Anyways something deep within my soul felt that God would arrange it all and all I had to do was wish for it, that simple.

A few weeks later I saw an ad for a flight attendant position with a Middle Eastern airline and I thought OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is it!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it I was so HAPPY!!! So I went to the seminar and stayed for the various elimination-interviews. We started as a group of 70 people which narrowed down to 20 as the interviews went on. In my head I was so sure I would make it to the final knowing that only 5 people would be hired. However, my confidence was short lived when I got eliminated towards the final rounds. I went home, cried and wondered…. was that my chance and I blew it? I went over everything I possibly did wrong and I was very very sad. I kept on asking God why didn’t I get that job? It seemed soooo perfect!!!!

Soon enough I was able to get over not getting the flight attendant job, I convinced myself that if I didn’t get it was because my skills could be needed in a different type of work. After all, I have many years of experience, I’m intelligent and I have soooo much to offer anyone that comes my way. So, life went on and my dreams of traveling got stronger and more vivid, yes I there were times I had my doubts and yes there were nights when I went to sleep wondering… do I deserve to get everything I wish for? Will this ever happen, how can I possibly happen????? But I would calm myself down and fill my heart with hope and faith.

And so one day I was on craigslist looking for a job….. oh yes, I forgot to tell you…. I was in desperate need for a new job, I know that my so call “whish list” should had probably included “please help me get a job” however…. It was not a job I wanted; I wanted to travel, to see the world and believe it or not my wish list also included “I want to help those who might need help” anyways let’s go back to the good part of this story…. So, I came across an ad that said looking for people to teach in Shanghai, must have university degree.

My next point is so very important that it needs to have its own paragraph (Jim… I know I know…. I’m trying to be as grammatically correct as I can LOL). The ad also stated that a TESOL certificate was mandatory. Here is the thing, had I read that part of the ad I would have never ever applied for the job, why? Because I didn’t have such certificate so I would have thought to myself why bother applying when I do NOT meet the requirements. Only God knows how I could have possibly missed that part of the ad, but listen!!!!!! I didn’t see it I swear on my life!!! The lesson of this paragraph is that sometimes in life we only get to see what we need to see and, as incredible as it might seem, we get blinded in order to avoid unnecessary distractions. If you follow your heart, your instincts and your believes you will be enlighten with just enough light to catch your attention and guide your path.
Back to the story, I applied for the job and the next day a lovely lady called me on my cell phone. She explained to me that the position required a certificate, called TESOL, which I could get very easily get because lucky enough there was a training session starting the week after in Toronto (I live in Montreal). So I thought wow that far? Toronto is a bit expensive, this and that… however, every time my subconscious non-believer mind put a block to stop me from getting to where I wanted to go, this lovely lady would come back with a solution…. Her name is Sarra, she facilitated me with everything I needed to embark on this journey (she got the company to pay for my trip to Toronto and she researched and found for me an inexpensive and convenient accommodation close to where the course would be given) Sarra also introduced me to Jim, the director of the school, who called me not long after I finished my conversation with her.

Jim called and there was an immediate connection, we stayed on the phone for about an hour (may be more!!!!) we talked about the course, we talked about me, what my work experience was, we spoke a bit about my background and then he talked to me about what my job opportunities would be after completing the 5 day intensive course. On that first phone conversation he told me about Shanghai, I was probably sold on the idea seconds after he said that I would be teaching children and that classes would start in September. I immediately saw my dreams become real images in my head, everything was so vivid that I could almost touch it/smell it/feel it, it was an awesome very real emotion.

I arrived in Toronto the week after and so the journey began… from the very first day I knew that this was not going to be your conventional “student sits down and listens while the teacher lectures” type of scenario. The classes are very interactive and the students are encouraged to participate at all times, sometimes we would team up and sometimes we worked individually, yes!!!! speaking up in a class full of strangers is nerve wracking but don’t worry… it wears off, by day two most of us were very comfortable with each other and this class of 20 very different human beings plus a teacher (Jim) and his assistant (Sarra) became a big family. We all came from different backgrounds and a lot of us had very little in common however, we got along, we listen to each other and try to help one another. The days were long, the classes super intense and there was very little time to sleep because after class there was work to do, there were readings and some homework too… (well, some of us like to party a little so we had to make time for that too but… that besides the point LOL)

I can’t seem to find the words to explain to anybody how those five days in Toronto changed my life. Did I get the tools I needed to travel abroad and teach English as a second language? Absolutely!!! But that was the easy part of the course, the words of encouragement and reassurance together with the daily boost of confidence I got from Jim and from Sarra were what I really needed to get on board. Day by day I would start to feel stronger and more empowered. There is no question about it, the course is extreme!!!! Very!!!! This is not a little vacation you are taking to Toronto. By day 3 you are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted and by day 5 you are barely crawling to classes but it’s worth it, believe me it’s worth it. There will be times were you will have to open up, speak about yourself, deal with issues from the past that you might want to keep buried… but it’s for the best. The way I see is like this: you don’t have much to offer if you are not giving your very best to yourself, if there is guilt, remorse, anger, resentment and/or any kind of negative feeling within one self’s you simply cannot go out and influence people let alone teach. So, yes the course-material will show you how to become a good teacher but Jim…. he will show you how to become a much stronger person.

I said this on the last day of class and I will repeat it again: you are never too young and you are never too old to change your life for the better. I am 35 years old, have always worked in the fashion industry, as much as there is glamour, decent money and amazing benefits for women like me who love clothes!!!!!!!! there is also a lot competition, envy, and worse of all there is a feeling of emptiness together with a constant feeling of unfilled material needs along with that horrible emotion of seeing your life passing by without any reward. So, I’m leaving all that behind!!! Am I scared??? of course I am!!!!!!!!!!! but I also know, without a doubt, that the best is yet to come.

To wrap this up I would like to say that I recommend this course to anybody who wants a positive change in their lives. I know it sounds almost surreal but I am living proof of this life changing boot camp (sorry Jim hehehehe, I mean it in a good day). Classes finished on June 26th and today, just about a week later… I have signed a contract with Shanghai, I have already bought my plane ticket and I’m on my way to start living the very best days of the rest of my life.

I wish everybody the same happiness that my courage has brought me. Follow your dreams, nothing in the world is impossible for those who chose to believe.

Once again gracias Jim y gracias Sarra, this would have been impossible without the two of you.

Having my tesol course done last month at the course 101 was a life changing moment for me. For so long I knew I wanted to do this but I never thought how inspiring it would be. I came to Global Tesol Toronto because my husband recommanded me to join Jim's class. While my husband was doing his course with Jim prior, he would come home and continiously talk about Jim. He kept praising him and telling me stories about him. So when I joined the course I realised that what my husband had mentioned of Jim was certainly true! I came the first day of the class, Jim was so welcoming and respectful. I left the class on my last day with a bit of sadness, knowing that I might never see my brilliant teacher and my wonderful classmates again. So this course gave me the courage to go on and be a brilliant teacher just like Jim. So I hope to change the lives of my students for the better just like Jim had changed our lives for the better. I recommand anyone to do this course and see what is teaching in reality!

Hi Donya (& ALL),
You obviously have faith in Allah, Donya - yes? I put my faith in YHWH - Father God, Creater of all, Savior of His believers.
I am a confessing Cristian - No, NOT Catholic, Anglican nor ANY divisional denomination, but I AM part of the Body of Christ - The Church.
Which countries should I avoid, if I want to be open about my faith?