Meet the Teacher: Teresa Bestwick on Empowerment & Skills

In this interview, Kieran reflects on the defining experiences that shaped his identity as a teacher. From discovering the power of a supportive, empathetic classroom environment to embracing film and multimodality as transformative tools for learning, he shares how these early influences continue to guide his practice today.

Thinking back to your teaching journey, what was a defining moment for your teacher identity?

Two defining moments shaped my teacher identity early in my career. After completing my postgraduate teacher training in Bournemouth, I spent a year teaching at a language school in Madrid and later worked at Selly Oak Colleges in Birmingham. It was an unusual institution, as most of the students worked for international charities and NGOs and needed English as a lingua franca in their workplaces. The staffroom library was exceptionally well resourced, with many books on psychology, humanism, and pedagogy. One day, I discovered Jill Hadfield’s Classroom Dynamics, which was full of humanistic activities designed to develop empathy, compassion and a caring classroom atmosphere. That book profoundly influenced both my career and my teacher identity. From then on, I made it a priority to create a positive, supportive and caring environment in my classes. Later in my career, I developed a course on empathy in language teaching, spoke about empathy at conferences around the world, and wrote extensively about its importance in the language classroom.

The second defining moment also occurred at Selly Oak Colleges, when trainers from International House London came to deliver training on the use of film in language teaching. I was immediately captivated by the approach they proposed and recognised the enormous potential of film to develop students’ language skills and cultural awareness. Since then, I have used film and video throughout my teaching career, and they have had a lasting impact on my teacher identity. My specialisation in the use of film and video, and multimodality, eventually led me to set up my teacher resource website, Film English, which promotes the critical and creative use of film and video, and multimodal literacy. I have also written several books on film and video, and multimodality in language education.

These two experiences — one grounded in empathy, the other in multimodality — continue to define my approach to language teaching and learning today.

Is there a routine or technique that you use to hone a feeling of power or efficacy, i.e. what is your power pose/ritual?

Rather than relying on a specific routine or power pose, I try to draw a sense of efficacy from empathy and connection. My ritual is greeting students individually as they enter the room, which instantly creates connection and sets a positive tone for the class. That moment of human contact reaffirms my purpose and energises me. I also make a point of maintaining eye contact throughout the lesson. It helps me stay fully present and ensures that students feel seen, valued and supported. For me, true power in teaching comes from authentic connection and shared attention.

Do you recall a moment when you felt disempowered as a teacher?

Yes, there was a period in my teaching career when I felt disempowered because of the sheer volume of teaching hours I was required to do. At one point, I was teaching up to forty contact hours a week, often on split shifts — starting early in the morning, returning for midday classes, and then teaching again until ten at night. I found it incredibly demanding, both physically and emotionally.

I began to feel frustrated because I simply couldn’t give every class the same level of energy and attention, especially those later in the day. I also felt a sense of guilt that the workload was affecting my family life; I couldn’t see as much of my wife and children as I wanted to, and that imbalance took a personal toll.

Over time, that experience taught me a valuable lesson about sustainability in teaching. I realised that to be fully present and effective in the classroom, I needed to protect my own well-being and maintain a healthier work-life balance. Since then, I’ve been much more mindful about pacing myself, setting boundaries and ensuring that I can give my best to my students without sacrificing the other important parts of my life.

What does teacher empowerment mean for you?

For me, teacher empowerment is about feeling that what I do genuinely matters — that my work has meaning and impact. It’s the sense that I’m helping learners not only improve their language skills but also grow as people. Feeling that connection to purpose and impact gives me motivation and energy.

Equally, I believe empowerment also comes from meaningful human connection. When I’m able to create a caring and compassionate classroom atmosphere where students feel seen, respected and supported, I feel empowered. That sense of relational trust is, for me, a real source of strength in teaching.

How do you create spaces for conversation in your lessons?

I create conversational spaces by fostering a classroom atmosphere where students feel safe, respected and genuinely listened to. I begin by modelling — sharing an opinion or a short personal experience — to show students what authentic communication sounds like. I then give them low-stakes pair or group activities, such as sharing opinions or brief personal stories, which help them connect on a human level. When learners trust that their voices matter, conversation flourishes naturally. I also listen actively and model curiosity, so students see that communication is about connection, not just correctness.

One of the most effective ways I’ve found to spark conversation is through multimodal texts such as short films and videos. Visual storytelling naturally provokes emotion and curiosity, encouraging students to move beyond scripted dialogue into genuine discussion. After viewing, I ask open-ended questions that invite empathy, interpretation, analysis and reflection rather than “right” answers. The visual and emotional stimulus gives learners something meaningful to talk about and helps them practise authentic communication in a rich, human context.

Download Kieran’s Multimodal Approach Framework and learn about the five learning processes.