"We look for teachers first. Why? Because those skills do transfer quite nicely when you're developing content. [...] We're first and foremost a content platform for English teachers. [...] Planning, preparing, actually speaking in front of people really helps you write better lessons."
— Ben Buckwold, founder of Ellii
Reflection and podcasts... These are two of my favorite things! Combine these with two of ELT's brightest hosts and you get The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast, a show I think you're going to love.
I was an early fan of this ELT podcast and have enjoyed many episodes over the past few years. As a superfan, I invited Anna and Shey to join us at ElliiCon in 2023. We also met them in person at this year's TESOL conference in Tampa. Ben (founder of Ellii) and I were thrilled when they asked us to be guests on their show this season and have eagerly awaited Episode 60: From Teaching to Materials Writing: A Chat with Ellii (with Ben Buckwold & Tara Benwell).
One particular area of interest Anna and Shey have been exploring recently is how ELT careers can go beyond the traditional classroom. They asked us to speak specifically about materials writing and share stories about how we branched into the publishing field. After 18+ years of working together, it's no surprise Ben and I got a little nostalgic at times. We hope you love Ellii's origin story!
As a team of makers who started in the classroom, we have explored similar topics on our own blog as well. Here are some related posts to check out after you listen to the episode.
- Beyond Teaching: ELT Careers to Keep You Motivated
- 5 Ways to Earn "Passive" Income as a Teacher
- How to Be a Teacherpreneur
- We've Changed Our Name to Ellii
And here is Anna and Shey's reflection question for you to ponder. Please share your thoughts in the comments below or with our hosts on their own blog!
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to transition into another area within education? What roles are you entertaining? Have you already done it? How have your teacher skills transferred into your new role?
You can download this podcast in a variety of places:
Subscribe to the Teacher Think-Aloud podcast and reflect on your teaching practices with a variety of ELT guests and topics! Be sure to follow Anna and Shey on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or X and find your own way to support their work.
Happy listening!
