I met a retired engineer the added day and she told me she was half way through a TEFL training course. She wanted to know what I thought her chances were of finding a doctrine employ when she has completed the course. Well, I can't disguise the fact that there is a lot of age prejudice in the world of ELT. I think all sorts of reasons combine to make this a profession dominated by teen teachers.

First, it appeals to those who want to be able to see the world and gain experience: inevitably it's the teen who fit this profile. Second, if we're honest, pay is often plain in comparison to added professions and teen people will tolerate that in a trade-off with their travel ambitions. Then schools themselves often revalue the enthusiasm and energy that is related with youth, not to mention that the teen are more tractable.

Having said all this, I also know lots of teen retirees who hit found gratifying second careers in this field. If schools took a moment to think about it, these grown teachers hit lots to offer. Their experience of life in its broader sense gives them additional \"weight\" in the classroom: in discussion, for example, or in that strange, unquantifiable calibre called wisdom. Many cultures respect senior people and students may hit greater confidence in a grown teacher for that reason.

The senior teacher crapper also hit a calming and helpful influence on younger colleagues, who may encounter many aspects of their new career overwhelming. Where the more grown teacher has a background in added professional area, the school may well be able to make use of that expertise to offer ESP classes in that field. The engineer I mentioned would surely be an asset in a school where students were preparing to apply for a university locate in a technical subject.

But having said all this, I think the age of the teacher should not really be an issue. The main point is, crapper the teacher do the employ well? If so, surely that's what matters.