Meet the Teacher: Teresa Bestwick on Empowerment & Skills

In this interview, Teresa looks back on the defining choices, challenges, and daily practices that have shaped her identity as a teacher, from navigating tricky classrooms to finding joy in conversation-driven learning.

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

It was a few years into my career, and I was working in a place which I felt wasn't meeting my development needs. Monthly meetings were administrative rather than focusing on helping us to become better teachers and supporting our learners more and having been to a few conferences, I was ready for more. So, I took the plunge, looked for a new job and never looked back.

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?

To be honest, not really. When I'm running a session, I like to write my notes out using different colours, but I don't think it's particularly a ritual. I've encouraged other people to use power poses, so maybe I should practise what I preach!

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

I remember a particularly tricky teenage group and, you know the old cliché, I wish I knew then what I know now, as I might have approached it differently. One boy was especially disinterested, and I feel I didn't handle it particularly well. There were lots of phone calls home, with his mum saying she was getting similar calls from his other teachers. I wish now that I had done more to try and work with him, instead of expecting his family to wave a magic wand and solve the problem for me.

What does teacher empowerment mean for you?

For me, it's related to finding what you enjoy about the profession and building more of that into your career, whether that's finding a niche that you're passionate about, getting into materials development or moving into teacher training.

How do you create spaces for conversation in your lessons?

Conversation is a huge part of my work as I really believe people need to use the language to make it stick. With group classes, I often start with some questions so that people can get into an English mindset and start using the language the second they walk in through the door. It's also a way to help them use the language in a more meaningful way — sharing their opinions, talking about past experiences — and a great way for learners to build rapport with each other.

Teacher voices matter, and stories like these prove it! To continue the conversation and hear more about creating spaces for authentic communication in the classroom, join us in the upcoming Energise your Classroom Webinar Series.

You can also watch Teresa’s webinar on our YouTube channel.