Nowadays, it is possible to work from almost anywhere, in positions as diverse as data entry and bookkeeping. For instance, a career that has grown hugely in recent times is that of TEFL, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This subject has soared in popularity lately, and there are many reasons for this.

To begin with, the world’s population keeps growing and the population of China alone is over a billion people. This creates a huge market for learners who need the language for their own work or study reasons.

Additionally, with so much of the modern world online, and the Internet dominated by the presence of English, it makes sense that individuals wishing to leverage the power of digital learning and living ought to arm themselves with a quality English education. This is where an effective and hard-working TEFL teacher comes in.

Therefore, it is well worth considering looking for work as an online TEFL teacher. Below, some of the most common questions shall be assessed and considered, and some useful tips provided along the way.

What is a TEFL teacher?

Put simply, a TEFL teacher is a speaker of the English language who puts a lifetime of learning into practice, in order to help non-native speakers progress in their own learning journey. This typically happens through either in-person or online instruction.

With in-person instruction, this typically follows one of three primary paths. Principally, the majority of in-person TEFL teachers teach in a school or university setting, providing instruction according to a pre-designed curriculum. The classrooms and materials are usually provided, but the class sizes can be large, and the paperwork often onerous.

Alternatively, there are private language academies in many major cities, which offer smaller classroom sizes, but tend to pay less and typically have non-standard working hours, such as early mornings, evenings or weekends. Finally, there are business settings, where small groups of adults are placed by the organization, with the goal of improving the staff’s overall grasp of English for commercial purposes. These can be fun, but people do change jobs, and so there might be a transitory feel to some of these sessions.

How does teaching TEFL online differ?

For one thing, an online TEFL educator does not need to worry about the dreaded commute if they have the capacity to work from home, or indeed from almost anywhere, with a decent WiFi connection. On top of that, it is possible to work with students from pretty much any country on the planet, for instance having a morning session with a learner from Indonesia or an evening class with a pupil from Chile.

This creates the opportunity for an online TEFL instructor to diversify their teaching content, adding value and meaning to their sessions, as well as finding a wider range of resources to teach kids and adults alike. What’s more, a lot of online TEFL classes are individual, and this mean the teacher can really dive deeply into the kinds of mistakes the student might be making, and offer direct advice on how to fix those quickly and easily.

Finally, an online TEFL teacher can live almost anywhere, which gives the opportunity to go and see the world first hand. This could be in the form of teaching some morning classes before going to see the Forbidden City, or taking a weekend trip to Shanghai before getting back to the online work on Monday morning.

What countries should an online TEFL teacher consider?

One country that offers a wonderful opportunity to start a TEFL teaching career is China. This is about getting the chance to see a totally different culture first-hand during down time between classes. It’s also about the experience of choosing to teach English in China. To put it another way, being a TEFL teacher online in China may just open the door to other work opportunities in the future.

Perhaps this could be in the form of combining online TEFL work with a little bit of in-person instruction. This is a popular option among those who wish to gain a foothold in both styles of teaching, for their long-term career.

What is a good initial decision to make?

A great first step to take is to get TEFL certified, as many Chinese cities operate on a tiered visa system. This effectively means that those who are certified stand a far greater chance of being granted entry to a broader range of locations, than those who aren’t.

The upsides of taking a TEFL certification course do not end there, of course. Obviously, there is the real experience and study chances that doing such a course offers, as well as getting time to know and get along with peers who are in the same boat.

What’s more, the course leaders are most often former or current TEFL experts, who have been in the field for years, if not decades. This experience should go a long way in allaying any fears a new TEFL teacher might have, being on hand to answer any difficult questions about grammar, vocabulary, or even lesson planning.

What are the long-term benefits of being an online TEFL teacher?

As well as the short-term advantages of teaching TEFL online, like getting paid to do it and learning a new skill, there are also some longer-term boons to think of as well. One such boost of teaching TEFL online in China is to learn the notion of ‘guanxi’.

Guanxi, taken directly from Mandarin, is a concept that alludes to the idea that networking is essential to getting ahead. This does not mean it is necessary to pay lip service to superiors, in and of itself.

Instead, the focus is on building a network of contacts over time, through meaningful and varied interactions, so that a successful lifelong relationship will develop and ideally flourish. While this idea is evidently popular in Chinese culture even today, there are lessons from it that can be applied to a life in any country.

Many people are curious why temporary school buildings are used in so many of the nation’s schools since they were first introduced in educational institutions. Impressively, temporary school buildings are becoming more popular in local and international schools and are replacing permanent structures today.

Some people with little knowledge of temporary structures claim that the reason temporary school buildings are becoming more popular is only that they are more affordable than any permanent structure. If the cost factor is carefully considered, this might be a possible part of the explanation. However, a significant portion of the population across the country is unaware of the health advantages of temporary school buildings. You can view it now to quickly glance through them.

This article will go through the health advantages of temporary school buildings and give you more detailed information about temporary school buildings overall.

What Are Temporary School Buildings?

Temporary school buildings are structures located on a school campus that serve a variety of functions including classrooms, sports facilities, research facilities, nurseries, shelters from inclement weather, such as snow, staff offices, playgroup facilities, dining areas, lecture halls, daycare facilities, laboratories, auditoriums in higher education institutions, kindergartens, and canteens.

They could be prebuilt or constructed in just 28 days. The purpose of a temporary school building is to accommodate schools’ urgent space needs within the smallest practical time frames. They offer low labor costs, efficient time management, a long lifespan, sustainability, and minimal maintenance. The fact that temporary school buildings are unaffected by inclement weather while they are being constructed or erected is an enticing truth. This is due to the fact that the majority of them are prebuilt by the construction company.

Construction Materials for Temporary School Buildings

Temporary school buildings are typically made of materials that are durable, adaptable, and recyclable. With continued usage, the materials’ durability provides the safety typically associated with temporary school structures. These resources are adaptable and can be scaled up to meet the expanding demands of school administrators. These materials’ ability to be recycled is what makes temporary school buildings so energy efficient, high performing, environmentally friendly, and economically viable. Let’s look at them now.

Wood

Wood is a sustainable, easily workable, and flexible material. Furthermore, unlike a building built of concrete that requires a wooden support, a building made of wood does not need any support from any other sort of material. The fact that wood is an insulating material and does not carry heat or electricity is another benefit of using it. This makes it a suitable material for prioritizing safety. Wooden temporary structures also improve air quality.

Steel

Has a good strength to weight ratio and is durable, adaptable, affordable, and versatile. Steel temporary school buildings are less expensive, easier to install, and can be moved around. They are secure and safe thanks to their reasonable weight, studied design, and resistance to corrosion.

Fabrics

Fabrics are employed for temporary school buildings because of how easy they are to use and how transportable they are. They are made of strong materials and are lightweight. PVC-coated polyester is the fabric that is most frequently used to construct temporary school buildings. It can last for between 15 and 25 years.

Other materials used in temporary school buildings include bamboo, recycled plastic, timbercrete, and shipping containers.

What Are the Health Benefits of Temporary School Buildings?

A safe structure

Sometimes, temporary school buildings are first installed because of required repairs to an existing structure. Age, flooding, fire, or a failure to meet modern building code can necessitate changes. Temporary buildings exceed all safety standards and provide a safe place for students.

Sufficient air circulation

The design of temporary school buildings helps to ensure proper air circulation. The availability of oxygen is crucial for human survival as well as for pupils’ performance on academic work. The production of energy necessary to do our everyday chores successfully depends on oxygen. Additionally, the availability of energy is essential for the operation of several bodily systems, most notably the respiratory system. Everyday schoolwork demands energy for students to function at their best. The utilization of temporary school buildings ensures clean air. The pupil breathes in this air, which is used to produce energy.

Diminished greenhouse effect

Temporary school buildings are constructed using environmentally friendly elements that are crucial in minimizing the consequences of global warming. Furthermore, this structure (for instance, one constructed of wood) absorbs carbon and shields pupils from exposure to it. The spread of infectious diseases like malaria is one consequence of global warming that can affect attendance.

Prevents overcrowding

With the additional space offered by temporary school buildings, students will have the room they need to learn in a comfortable environment. Class sizes can be maintained at optimal levels and adequate social distancing can be achieved when necessary. The affordability of this solution means that other educational needs will not have to be compromised.

Conclusion

In-depth analysis of some significant health advantages is provided above. A temporary structure is perfect if you are concerned about selecting a space solution that prioritizes both the welfare of your students and the needs of your school.

Explore different ways to help underserved school kids.

Enriching your child’s learning through travel is one of the best things you can do for their growth. As wonderful as classrooms are for education, there’s a lot children can learn outside of their walls. Traveling provides one of the best learning opportunities outside of school for your children.

Children can develop essential life skills, learn to appreciate diversity, and nurture their relationship with themselves.

Let’s explore the above and a few other ways traveling can enrich your child’s learning and life.

Cultivate Various Life Skills

Traveling is wonderful for children because they can cultivate various life skills every trip. Not only will there be time for developing technical skills, but there will also be chances to grow their soft skills.

Look for opportunities to advance your child’s skillset while traveling. For example, it can start before you reach your destination in the planning stage. Teach your child about budgeting when planning financially for your trip. Consider using a kid-friendly budgeting app to help them grasp saving for the trip and spending money responsibly during it.

Staying safe is another crucial life skill your children can cultivate while traveling. Be sure they’re practicing the buddy system wherever they go. Designating meeting spots when exploring and ensuring they know what to do if they get lost will also help them learn safety skills.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to help your child develop these essential life skills while traveling:

• Communication
• Time management
• Organization
• Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Flexibility
• Problem-solving
• Creativity
• People skills

Traveling also exposes your children to different cultures.

Experience Different Cultures

One of the best things about traveling is experiencing different cultures. You can see how other cultures live, eat, shop, talk, love, and move through daily life. You also get to see the physical differences people have.

Your children need to experience other cultures because it will help them embrace diversity. You want them always to respect and appreciate others regardless of differences. In addition, when they embrace diversity, they can learn from everyone around them.

So, encourage your children to immerse themselves in the culture wherever you travel to. Meet new people with them, pick up a few words in a new language, try new foods, and do as many culturally-rooted activities as you can.

Another way traveling can enhance your child’s learning is by helping them become more familiar with who they are.

Help Them Learn More About Themselves

It’s vital for children to not just learn about the world and what’s in it but also to learn more about who they are. It’s much better for a child to understand who they are and learn to love it than to go through life confused and disliking themselves.

Traveling can help a child learn more about their own interests and desires. They’ll become more confident as they experience new things and face fears. They’ll also have a chance to do things that help them define what they like, don’t like, and are curious about.

Allow your children to explore their curiosities during travel and encourage them to try everything. Children can also learn more about the importance of family bonding when traveling.

The Importance of Family Bonding

Family bonding is necessary for all families. It’s essential for developing healthy individual relationships as well as sharing meaningful experiences as a family. Strong family ties also ensure your children have a robust support system to help get them through school and other life events.

Use traveling to instill the importance of family bonding. Give your children time to connect with their other siblings if they have them. Ensure they get time with each parent and with everyone as a whole.

Your kids will need their family throughout life, and they should learn to lean on your support early on.

Appreciate What They Have

You can enrich your child’s learning through travel by instilling gratitude in them. When you travel, especially internationally, the difference in how people live is apparent. Traveling to places with fewer resources and means is good for children.

Of course, vacations at fancy places with plenty of fun activities are a must. But it’s also important to plan trips to places with the purpose of showing your children how others live. Seeing how others live happily with less can inspire your children to appreciate what they have more.

When children learn to appreciate what they have, they become more humble. They’ll also learn to respect others regardless of means, something critical for success in adulthood.

Show Them the Value of Relaxing

Traveling allows you to show your children the value of relaxing. So much of the world encourages children to do something and advance in some way constantly. And many of those kids grow up as adults who can’t ever take a break and eventually burn out.

Relaxing and resetting are primary parts of traveling. So, you can show your children the value of both whenever you take a vacation. Set aside time each day you’re away for naps and relaxation. You can also put activities like spa visits, time at the beach, and a day at the hotel on the itinerary to further the lesson on relaxing.

Show your children the value of resetting and relaxing by making that a primary part of each travel experience.

Conclusion

Children learn a lot in the classroom. But they can learn more about life and the world outside those walls while traveling. Take advantage of as many traveling opportunities as you can with your children to enrich their educational journey.

About the Author
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in education, mental health, family lifestyle and online safety. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. You can follow her on Twitter.

Technology is continually becoming a bigger and bigger part of our everyday world. This has been an ongoing trend for quite some time now, but was specifically accelerated over the past few years. The major technological and digital acceleration that happened recently was largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the globe.

As the pandemic reached its peak, businesses were shutting down left and right unless they were able to successfully transition to remote and digital operations. As a result, students began taking classes online and the remote-work and work-from-home cultures have absolutely erupted.

Additionally, though, this means that more students and professionals than ever before are performing the majority of their work tasks through a screen of one type or another. A laptop or desktop computer, a tablet, a  video-conference, or any other tech-facilitated activity today likely involves a screen.

Additionally, even our freetime is overloaded with technology and the presence of screens. From social media, to mobile gaming, to console-gaming, television streaming, and just about everything in between. Almost everything we do in a day in 2022 involves a screen.

While technology can certainly make life a lot easier, spending all of our waking moments in front of screens simply isn’t good for the health of our eyes in the long run. This is why blue-light glasses have come about and risen in popularity over the past few years.

What is Blue Light?

Blue light is a wavelength that’s naturally present in a light source. In fact, blue light is even present in light that’s emitted from the sun. However, blue light is a particularly short wavelength which many doctors associate with a higher risk for eye-damage. Because blue-light is a naturally present wavelength in all light, it is actually emitted from the majority of electronics. Even lightbulbs and other less intricate forms of technology radiate a percentage of blue light.

TV screens, computer monitors, and other high-end-technology though, are often created with LCDs or liquid crystal displays. As such, LCD screens produce a lot more blue light than non LCD screens. However, because of the clarity and crisp imaging that LCD screens provide, they continue to be a popular choice for consumers and manufacturers alike.

It’s also important to note that most of the harm from blue-light comes from over-exposure, and that blue-light isn’t innately bad for us. In fact, blue-light can also improve alertness, awareness, and be a signal to our bodies and brains that it’s time to get up and start the day.

Understanding all of the different ways that blue light is naturally present in our lives, as well as all of the additional sources of blue-light that we utilize in our normal everyday routines can illuminate a need for greater eye-protection if possible. Afterall, we rely on our eyes in more ways than we even realize.

The Potential Harm of Over Exposure to Blue Light

Over exposure to blue light has been associated with headaches, eye strain, visual fatigue, and has even been identified as a culprit in interrupting one’s natural circadian rhythm. Chronic headaches can be a nightmare to deal with, while having an abnormal circadian rhythm can make it difficult to ever get a reliable amount of sleep in a night.

Not only that, but if you’re someone who needs to be able to read large spreadsheets or deals with data on a regular basis, visual fatigue and eye strain can really tamper your ability and in turn, productivity.

The Theory Behind Blue Light Lenses

The idea behind blue light blocking glasses is that they’re made with a specially designed lens that blocks or drastically reduces the amount of blue light able to pass through. In turn, this cuts down on computer-screen-induced eye-strain, visual fatigue, and can even help lessen the severity of screen-induced headaches.

As such, if blue light blocking glasses can be successfully manufactured, working professionals, pro-gamers, and anyone else who finds themselves regularly using a screen for hours-on-end, can finally rely on a product that will reduce eye strain and fatigue caused by the short blue-light wavelength.

What the Science Says so Far

However, this is kind of a big if. The studies conducted on blue light blocking glasses have been relatively inconsistent and inconclusive so far. There have been multiple trials conducted with blue-light blocking glasses, but the results haven’t proven anything definitively.

While more research and trials are needed on the efficacy of blue-light blocking glasses, some individuals still swear by them, and they may be worth trying for yourself.

Final Thoughts on Blue Light Lenses

If you’re regularly using screens for hours at a time in your day-to-day life, you may be looking for ways to reduce eye strain and vision fatigue. The best way to reduce these effects is by taking regular 10 minute breaks every hour or so. If you’re looking for more, though, blue light blocking lenses may just work for you.