We spoke to Jake Castaldi, principal at English in Margate and Leo Languages, about his experience of the DELTM.
Jake took the management course in 2013-14 when he was the academic manager of English in Margate. Other colleagues had already gained the DELTM qualification and found it useful, both for their professional development and for the new ideas and knowledge they brought to the organisation.
Three years on, Jake reflects on the DELTM as a way to really understand how all parts of an ELT institution work, giving people from an academic background the opportunity to learn more about the business and vice versa. With his background as a teacher, Jake felt he gained a new perspective and appreciation for the business as a whole.
"The benefit of the DELTM was immediate," he said. "I was able to start implementing the tools learned every month - in the time between sessions." In the long term, Jake felt the DELTM inspired him to make aspects of his job more enjoyable and cement a clear trajectory for his career.
"The DELTM was also a great opportunity to meet people from different centres and different sides of the ELT sector. Having the chance to meet people from different schools and hear about problems they have faced and overcome, gave me different ideas of how I might run things in the future.
"The face-to-face sessions were very valuable. No time was wasted and the content in sessions was practical and simple to put into effect back at English in Margate. The perspectives from people in other centres, particularly those from smaller organisations, brought the course out of my context. It allowed me to come out of my world and see how things are done elsewhere," Jake explained.
To prospective candidates, Jake says: "if you are seriously thinking of making a career of academic management, the DELTM is essential to your professional development."
But this course is not only for your continuing professional development, he would add, "it allows you to cement your point of view, whether that be academic or business, alongside others and alleviate the friction between areas. The DELTM makes a huge difference."
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