When I boarded my flight to Vietnam from Switzerland with my TEFL certificate tucked safely into my backpack, I genuinely believed I was ready for anything.
I was 24, excited to travel, eager to meet new people and convinced teaching English abroad would be exactly like all the inspiring Instagram posts I'd been scrolling through for months.
Spoiler alert: it wasn't.
Don't get me wrong—I absolutely loved my first year teaching English overseas. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. But I also made plenty of mistakes.
Some were embarrassing.
Some were stressful.
A few nearly convinced me I'd made the wrong decision altogether.
Looking back now, I'm actually grateful for every single one because they helped me become a far better teacher than I ever expected to be.
If you're about to start your TEFL journey, hopefully my mistakes will save you from making the same ones….
Mistake #1: Thinking My TEFL Course Had Taught Me Everything
Completing my TEFL with Premier Tefl course gave me confidence.
Too much confidence.
I thought I'd arrive knowing exactly how every lesson should run.
Then reality hit.
Within my first week, I realised classrooms rarely follow the lesson plans you carefully create.
Students ask unexpected questions.
Technology stops working.
Half the class might finish an activity in three minutes while the other half needs fifteen.
My carefully timed lessons quickly fell apart.
Instead of panicking, I learned that great teaching isn't about delivering the perfect lesson.
It's about adapting.
What I learned
Every class is different.
Even experienced teachers change activities halfway through lessons.
The more flexible you become, the better teacher you'll be.
Top tip: Continue learning after your TEFL qualification through professional development and observing experienced teachers.
Mistake #2: Trying to Be Everyone's Friend
I desperately wanted my students to like me. So I became the "fun teacher."
I laughed at everything.
I rarely corrected behaviour.
I avoided saying no.
For about two weeks, it worked.
Then the classroom became chaos.
Students interrupted constantly.
Late arrivals became normal.
Homework disappeared.
One day, I spent almost ten minutes trying to regain everyone's attention after a game.
That's when I realised something important.
Students don't need another friend.
They need a teacher they respect.
That doesn't mean being strict or intimidating.
It means setting clear expectations from day one.
What I learned
Children—and adults—actually appreciate consistency.
Once I introduced simple classroom rules and followed them consistently, everything improved.
Behaviour became easier to manage.
Lessons became calmer.
Students learned more.
Mistake #3: Underestimating Classroom Management
This was probably my biggest mistake.
I'd spent hours preparing worksheets, PowerPoints and speaking games.
I'd spent almost no time thinking about how I'd actually manage thirty energetic children.
My first primary school class was unforgettable.
Within five minutes:
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Two students were standing on chairs.
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Someone was crying.
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One child had somehow disappeared into the corridor.
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Everyone was shouting.
Meanwhile, I stood frozen at the front wondering how experienced teachers made it look so easy.
The truth?
Good classroom management isn't about shouting louder.
It's about routines.
What changed everything
I started every lesson exactly the same way.
Students entered quietly.
Books came out immediately.
Instructions were short.
Rewards were clear.
Transitions became predictable.
Within a month, behaviour had improved dramatically.
The lessons hadn't changed.
The routines had.
Practical classroom management tips
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Learn students' names quickly.
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Give short instructions.
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Demonstrate activities first.
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Keep students busy.
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Praise positive behaviour more than negative behaviour.
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Use visual cues instead of constantly raising your voice.
To be honest, this course really helped me too.
Mistake #4: Not Understanding the Local Culture
This mistake wasn't about teaching.
It was about living abroad.
Before moving, I’d spent plenty of time researching Vietnamese culture, customs, and daily life.
Or at least, I thought I had.
Within my first month, I realised how much I still had to learn.
I accidentally broke social etiquette without meaning to.
I misunderstood workplace expectations.
I sometimes interpreted my Vietnamese colleagues’ quiet and reserved communication style as distance or disinterest.
I also expected my students to participate the same way students would back home.
They didn’t.
And it wasn’t because they lacked confidence or interest in learning English.
The classroom culture was simply different.
In many Vietnamese classrooms, students are used to showing respect by listening carefully and avoiding mistakes in front of others. Speaking up without being asked can feel uncomfortable, especially when there is a risk of giving an incorrect answer.
Some students preferred to wait until they were invited to share their ideas.
Others understood the lesson perfectly but hesitated to speak because they didn’t want to lose face in front of their classmates.
Once I started to understand these cultural differences, my teaching changed completely.
I stopped expecting Vietnamese students to learn and communicate the way I was used to.
I started adapting my approach.
And that made me a much better teacher in Vietnam.
What I learned
Teaching abroad isn't about expecting another country to work like your own.
It's about understanding why people communicate differently.
Showing respect for local customs helped me build stronger relationships with colleagues, students and parents.
That made me a better teacher—and made living abroad much more enjoyable.
Ways to learn local culture faster
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Ask local colleagues questions.
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Observe before making assumptions.
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Learn a few phrases in the local language.
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Read about cultural norms before arriving.
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Stay curious and respectful instead of judgemental.
By the end of my first month abroad, I'd already made more mistakes than I care to admit.
The funny thing is, none of them ended my teaching career.
They simply became the lessons that no TEFL course could fully teach me.
And as you'll see next, the biggest learning moments were still to come…
Read the blog from my friend Erin about specifically teaching in Vietnam.
Mistake #5: Overplanning Every Single Lesson
After my first chaotic weeks in the classroom, I reacted by doing the complete opposite.
I overprepared.
I spent hours creating colourful presentations, printing worksheets and planning every minute of every lesson.
I thought the more preparation I did, the better teacher I would become.
Sometimes, I was right.
Preparation matters.
But I eventually realised there is a huge difference between being prepared and being unable to adapt.
I remember one lesson where I had planned a speaking activity, a vocabulary review, a grammar exercise and a final game.
It looked perfect on paper.
Then my students struggled with the first activity.
Instead of moving on, I stubbornly followed my plan because I didn't want to "waste" my preparation.
The result?
The students became confused, frustrated and disengaged.
The lesson wasn't successful because I was too focused on my plan rather than their learning.
What I learned
A lesson plan should be a guide, not a script.
The best TEFL teachers know when to slow down, change direction or completely abandon an activity.
Better lesson planning habits
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Always prepare a backup activity.
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Allow extra time for difficult concepts.
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Focus on student outcomes rather than filling time.
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Leave space for questions and conversation.
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Consider different learning speeds.
A flexible teacher will always be more effective than one who simply follows a perfect plan!
Mistake #6: Talking Too Much in Class
This one is still slightly embarrassing to admit.
I became a teacher because I loved communication. Coming from a performing arts background in Switzerland :)
So naturally, I communicated… a lot.
Too much, actually.
I would explain grammar rules for ten minutes.
I would answer my own questions.
I would jump in when students took too long to respond.
I thought I was helping.
I wasn't.
I was taking away valuable practice time.
One of the biggest lessons I learned as a TEFL teacher was that students need opportunities to use English—not just listen to someone explain it.
The importance of student talking time
A successful English lesson should not involve the teacher doing most of the talking.
Students improve when they:
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Ask questions.
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Make mistakes.
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Have conversations.
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Experiment with vocabulary.
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Practise speaking naturally.
How I reduced teacher talking time
I started asking:
"How can I get students doing this instead of me explaining it?"
Instead of explaining a new word for five minutes, I used examples.
Instead of correcting every mistake immediately, I encouraged communication first.
The classroom became more active, and students became more confident!
Mistake #7: Forgetting That Every Student Learns Differently
At the beginning of my TEFL journey, I created lessons for the "average student."
The problem?
There is no such thing.
Every classroom contains different personalities, abilities and learning styles.
Some students loved speaking activities.
Others preferred writing.
Some understood grammar quickly.
Others needed more examples and repetition.
I initially thought students who struggled were not paying attention.
Later, I realised my lessons simply weren't reaching everyone.
What I changed
I began including different types of activities:
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Visual tasks
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Pair discussions
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Games
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Written exercises
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Listening activities
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Real-life conversation practice
This helped more students participate.
It also made my lessons more interesting for me.
My advice for new TEFL teachers
Don't ask:
"Why aren't my students learning?"
Ask:
"What can I change to help them learn?"
That small shift in thinking can completely transform your teaching!!
Mistake #8: Not Asking Experienced Teachers for Help
When I first started teaching abroad, I wanted to prove I could do everything myself.
I thought asking for advice would make me look inexperienced.
Looking back, this was a mistake.
The best teachers I met were constantly learning from others.
They shared activities.
They discussed challenges.
They gave each other advice.
Nobody expected a new teacher to know everything.
What I learned
Teaching is not something you master alone.
A supportive teaching community can make your experience abroad much easier.
Some of my biggest improvements came from simple conversations in the staff room:
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"How do you manage this class?"
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"What activities work well with teenagers?"
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"How do you explain this grammar point?"
Experienced teachers had already solved problems I was struggling with.
I just needed to ask.
Advice for new TEFL teachers
Find your community.
Connect with:
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Other TEFL teachers.
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Local colleagues.
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Online teaching groups.
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Professional development communities.
You don't have to figure everything out alone :)
Mistake #9: Saying Yes to Everything
Teaching abroad can be exciting.
There are opportunities everywhere.
Extra classes.
Private tutoring.
Social events.
Travel plans.
Cultural activities.
At first, I said yes to everything.
I wanted to experience every opportunity and make the most of my time overseas.
But eventually, I became exhausted.
I was working evenings, preparing lessons late at night and barely giving myself time to relax.
I started losing the excitement that brought me abroad in the first place.
What I learned
Having boundaries doesn't mean you are not dedicated.
It means you are protecting your energy.
Good teachers need rest too.
Things I wish I had done earlier
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Scheduled proper days off.
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Protected my personal time.
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Avoided unnecessary commitments.
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Made time for travel and hobbies.
During the adventure, you should always put your mental health first.
Mistake #10: Forgetting to Enjoy the Journey
This might be the biggest lesson of all.
When I first started teaching abroad, I was constantly worried.
Was I a good enough teacher?
Was my lesson good enough?
Was I making mistakes?
I spent so much time trying to become better that I forgot to appreciate what was happening around me.
I was living abroad.
I was meeting people from around the world.
I was learning about a new culture.
I was doing something many people only dream about.
Eventually, I learned to enjoy the process.
The imperfect lessons.
The funny classroom moments.
The conversations with students.
The friendships.
The unexpected challenges.
They all became part of the experience.
The truth about becoming a TEFL teacher
Nobody starts as a perfect teacher.
Your first lesson might feel uncomfortable.
You might make cultural mistakes.
You might have difficult classes.
You might question whether you are doing the right thing.
That's normal.
Every challenge is an opportunity to improve.
Final Thoughts: The Mistakes That Made Me a Better TEFL Teacher
Looking back at my first year teaching English abroad, I don't remember the perfect lessons.
I remember the moments when things went wrong.
The chaotic classes.
The cultural misunderstandings.
The lessons that completely failed.
Those were the moments that taught me the most.
If you're considering becoming a TEFL teacher, don't wait until you feel completely ready.
You will learn by doing.
A good TEFL qualification will give you the foundation, but your real growth happens when you step into the classroom, meet your students and embrace the experience.
Making mistakes doesn't mean you're a bad teacher.
It means you're learning.
And sometimes, those mistakes become the stories you'll remember forever.
Ready to start your own TEFL journey? Explore Premier TEFL courses and discover opportunities to teach English abroad or online. With internationally recognised training, practical support and internship options, you can take the first step towards a flexible teaching career.
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