Room A

11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time

Rhiannon Carter

“Mastering Your Mindset: the Secret Weapon You NEED in Your Online TEFL Business”

You’ve watched the webinars, you’ve read the blogs, you’ve even signed your first few clients! You are ready to get started as a TEFLpreneur. But wait… something is missing… In this talk, Rhiannon Carter shares exactly why developing your business mindset is just as important as mastering new technologies, tweaking your methodologies, or learning how to market yourself. You’ll discover what “mindset” means when it comes to running a TEFL business, the mindset traps Rhiannon herself has fallen into over the past 4 years of working for herself, and learn the most important mindset shifts that will make all the difference in your TEFLpreneur journey. 

Room B

11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time

Teacher Little Mary

“Marketing Your Teaching Skills to Get Direct Students”

Did you know that an estimated 1.5 billion people across the globe are currently learning English? That means there are certainly enough students out there for you to start your own online teaching business and become successful in no time. No fancy computers nor beautiful spare rooms in your house required. All you need to get your first direct students are a couple of marketing strategies, your knowledge as a teacher, and a bunch of engaging ideas to retain your students and turn them into your word-of-mouth marketers. Does it sound too easy to be true? Even if you’re starting with zero students, Teacher Mary will guide you through the process of becoming a fully-booked online teacher in just a few months.

Room A

1 - 2pm Eastern US time

Karen Taylor

“The Color Vowel Approach: A ‘Must’ for All TEFLpreneurs”

Working for yourself means working *on* your business and *in* your business. Color Vowel® helps you with both! Learn how this simple but powerful method will boost your learners’ speaking success and make you fall in love with teaching all over again. Then find out how Color Vowel® licensing options give you the extra edge you need for effective client marketing, recruitment, and retention.

Room B

1 - 2pm Eastern US time

Carmen JOseph

“Building a Thriving In-Person ESL Business (Yes, Even as a Non-Native Speaker!)”

Are you thinking about starting your own English teaching business (online or in-person) but don’t know where to start? Carmen transformed a room in her home into a classroom and slowly but steadily grew her student base. In this session, she'll share her journey to success, offering insights on how you, too, can start your ESL business, even as a non-native speaker. Whether you teach online or prefer face-to-face interaction, Carmen's story and practical tips on finding your niche, setting your prices, and marketing locally will inspire and guide you to success.

Room A

2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time

Liz Bigler

“How I Learned to Love Online Teaching”

As one of the many teachers who was suddenly thrust online in 2020, Liz had to adapt her methodology in a hurry. But necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and Liz quickly realized she actually preferred online teaching over in person. She’s now at the point where she’d much rather be online! Using Zoom, free basic tools available on Google, and a few other strategies, Liz can easily stay on top of her clients’ progress and conduct engaging, interactive lessons. In this session, she’ll demonstrate her favorite tips and tricks in real time - plus short recorded clips of exactly how she uses them with her clients.

Room B

2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time

Leo Roux

“Going Off-Road: How to Sidestep Anxiety and Enjoy Your Entrepreneurial Journey”

Sooner or later, many people get thoroughly stressed out when they start a business. Leo was one of those stressed-out entrepreneurs for over a decade, but he’s not so much anymore. To his surprise, this profound shift had nothing to do with his external ‘successes’ or ‘failures’. In this session, he shares the advice he would give his former business-self if he could go back in time 10 years. Interestingly enough, the advice wouldn’t be about ‘how-to’s and strategies, even though those are clearly essential aspects to starting and running a business. What Leo realized is that if you are prone to anxiety, perfectionism, and overthinking, no amount of external strategizing will save you from the saboteur inside your head. Leo learned a lot of things the (very) hard way, and if this sounds anything like you, he’d like to save you some of the trouble.

Room A

4 - 5pm Eastern US time

Nika Minchenko

“Attitude Matters: Managing Your School with Purpose”

“What impact does my work have on the world?” “What are my core values?” “How can I find joy in my work?” “How does my attitude shape my teaching business?” These questions helped Nika change her language school, kindling her daily motivation even during the war. In this session, she’s excited to share her uplifting journey of rebranding and transitioning from a Russian language school to a Ukrainian language school. It's her aspiration that this story serves as an inspiration, encouraging you to embark on your own path of growth, guided by your deeply held values.

**This is a pre-recorded session**

Room B

4 - 5pm Eastern US time

Peter J. Fullager

“The Whys and Hows of Creating LGBTQIA+-inclusive Materials”

You want to include everyone in your materials and classroom, but the traditionally-published resources consistently omit LGBTQIA+ identities. How can we represent queer identities in a usual way while respecting the community? In this session, Peter explores the need to represent LGBTQIA+ identities and shares some examples from his own materials of how this can be achieved.

**This is a pre-recorded session**

Room A

10 - 11am Eastern US time

Kirsten Smith

"Digging Deeper: Establishing My Niche as English for Mining Industry Professionals"

There is so much noise in the “teacher entrepreneur” sphere! So many people offering their insights and they often contradict each other. So how do you navigate your own transition into freelance teaching and find the confidence in your own abilities and decisions, while also trying to do it all? Listen as Kirsten shares her journey from the boardroom to the classroom. She will share some of the “mistakes” that she has made and how they have become her most powerful learnings that she has used as a springboard to propel her into the TEFLpreneur world. Worried that your niche is too specific? Join Kirsten to hear how she carved out a niche that’s about as specific as it gets!

Room B

10 - 11am Eastern US time

“Fluency MC” - Jason levine

“Motivating Students with Rhythm and Rhyme”

Music and song lyrics develop accuracy and fluency across all four skills. This workshop will focus on the unique role songs play in language learning by exploring issues surrounding memory and motivation. Join Jason Levine, better known as Fluency MC, to learn how to select songs, plan activities, and create materials that meet your students’ needs.

Room A

11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time

Alex Birmingham

"Where to Begin…? #thestruggleisreal"

Starting a career as a new teacher or freelancer looking to build your own business is an exciting yet nerve-wracking journey. The road is full of challenges—money worries, self-doubt, and figuring out how to market yourself. The fear of failure can be paralysing, making every decision feel huge. But don't worry! You’re not alone. Many have had to face these same hurdles, and Alex is one of them. Check out what he has to say now that he is putting the finishing touches on what he believes is the beginning of the new phase of his career, and why he has no intention of ever looking back.

Room B

11.30am - 12.30pm Eastern US time

Derek Callan

“A Decade in the Life of a Teacher Entrepreneur: Building Online Influence and Beyond”

In this talk, Derek will share his experiences of being a teacher entrepreneur over the last 11 years. He’ll talk about his reasons for going it alone, the first steps he took when he put his business online, the important things he’s learned along the way, and how it’s going now. Get ready for lots of practical advice and insights on a range of topics including running a YouTube channel, building an email list, how to structure landing pages, and much more. Hopefully, Derek’s insight will inspire your own entrepreneurial journey!

**This is a pre-recorded session**

Room A

1-2pm Eastern US time

Jacqueline Sedore & Rachel Laycook of the TEFL Lab

“Maximizing Your Planning and Admin Time as an EFL Teacher”

Working with adult learners to meet specific goals in their English learning journeys is incredibly rewarding, but can also require a lot of work.  In this session, Jacqueline and Rachel will share their expert tips for maximizing your time spent on lesson planning and administrative tasks that teachers can use to reclaim their free time, leverage technology, and find space for additional classes (and earnings) in their schedules. Get expert tips on sourcing authentic materials and other lesson content, as well as how to use AI and free tools to get great results and save time outside of class. 

Room B

1-2pm Eastern US time

Fergus Fadden

“Travel the World While Teaching English: A Guide to Digital Nomadism for Freelance ELT Professionals”

Are you an aspiring freelance English Language Teacher looking to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle? Join Fergus Fadden as he shares essential strategies for building a sustainable freelance teaching business while traveling the world. This session will provide actionable tips on how to manage your finances, secure online and in-person freelance teaching opportunities, and diversify your income streams. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your freelance business, this talk will equip you with the tools and insights needed to succeed as a digital nomad and independent ELT professional.

Room A

2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time

Karin Bates

“Bring Success into Your Freelancing Work with Confidence”

Looking for professional materials that will work in person or online, with small groups or 1:1? Join Karin to discover how you can teach with Intercambio’s Confidence and Connections curriculum. It’s designed to work well for students who want to learn authentic English and for teachers who want and need a curriculum backed by sound English language teaching principles but that is also easy to teach from. The name “Confidence and Connections” says it all: this curriculum builds skills, increases learner confidence, and inspires life-changing connections for all participants. Karin will share a little about the history of Intercambio, what "relationship-based ESOL” is, and how the Confidence and Connections curriculum can help teachers break into freelancing with confidence.

Room B

2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time

Nicola Prentis

“Making Money Doing (Almost) Nothing: Investing for ELT Professionals”

ELT is a hard-working industry not served well financially. Many of us have no idea where to start when it comes to money. Securing your financial future is an overlooked but key part of professional development, especially if you’re setting up your own teaching business. Join Nicola for a practical look at some basic investing concepts to help you grow your salary, increase your savings and start – or improve – a pension or retirement plan.

**This is a pre-recorded session**

Room A

4-5pm Eastern US time

Shannon Felt

“Ask a TEFLpreneur: Behind the Scenes of TEFL Horizons

Have you ever wished you could pull back the curtain on a successful online ELT business to see exactly how it’s running? Or wanted to sit down and pick a successful teflpreneur’s brain about the strategies that actually work, the logistics of earning money day to day, and the mistakes they’ve made along the way? Join Shannon for an interactive Q&A session in which you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at TEFL Horizons and will have the opportunity to ask anything you’ve ever wanted to know about how it all works.

Room B

4-5pm Eastern US time

Nik Peachey

“10 Things I’ve Learned About Building and Marketing My Own Products”

Many teachers have ideas for ways they can generate extra income or create their own business. Many of them stay as ideas and are never realised. Why is this and how can we overcome the inertia? Nik Peachey has been a freelance learning consultant, teacher trainer, blogger, author and publisher since 2007. In this talk he shares the story of how he got started and some of his successes and failures over the years as well as some insights into agile product development and how to build a sales pipeline. 

**This is a pre-recorded session**

Room A

10 - 11am Eastern US time

Jelena Petkov

“Instagram: Build a Brand and Get Noticed”

Have you thought about using Instagram to attract paying students? In this session, Jelena will take you through her journey of building up her @CambridgeEnglish.Ellen Instagram account, where she now has 50,000 followers. She’ll share the way she uses Instagram to build an online presence, as well as why branding is the key to success. From there, she’ll take you through facing (and surviving!) competition and the different ways to market your teaching services and make a profit online.

Room B

10 - 11am Eastern US time

SHereen Jaff

“Stepping into Online Content Creation”

Are you a teacher who wants to build an online presence, but is hesitant to step into the online spotlight? Join Shereen (@anenglishnerd) for an empowering session on building your teacher brand online. Learn practical strategies to overcome camera shyness, generate engaging content ideas, and authentically showcase your expertise. Whether you're camera-shy or unsure where to start, this session will equip you with the confidence and tools to attract clients and share your teaching passion with the world!

Room A

11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time

Olga Kiriushina

“So You Want to Start a YouTube Channel…”

You don’t need fancy equipment and an over-the-top personality to create a YouTube channel with the goal of teaching English. You don’t even have to be a native English speaker. You do, however, need to become a sort of jack-of-all-trades in a way. Olga, the creator of YouTube channel Fluent English with Lady Giraffe, will teach you what the process of creating an educational video looks like, how long it takes (you’re in for a big surprise!), the basics of how the almighty YouTube algorithm works, what kind of skills you’re expected to acquire, what challenges you’re going to face when you decide to upload your first videos, and what being a small content creator feels like.

Room B

11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time

Boelo Van Der Pool

“Dyslexia... Problem or Opportunity? (Hint: it's the latter!)”

OMG. Another student with dyslexia. What should you do? Ignore him? Send him somewhere else? NO!!! Teach him! Treasure him! Make this your opportunity to gain new and more students. Get into a niche market that represents 10-15% of the population. In this workshop, Boelo will guide you through looking at what dyslexia is and what you can do to offer dyslexia-friendly language classes. And how you can make this an opportunity.

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