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Women in Leadership
Name: Sigrid Plessers
Role: Director of Studies
Company: Kaplan International English, Cambridge
A bit about you: I am Belgian and moved to the UK 10 years ago. I was trained as a secondary school teacher of English in Belgium and worked there for a few years before moving to the UK to teach English as a foreign language in language schools. I then moved into teacher training and became the Cert TESOL head teacher and course coordinator at a language school in Oxford, before moving to Cambridge and taking on the role of Director of Studies at Kaplan. I worked at Kaplan for 5 years before having children and deciding to be a full-time mum for a while.
What is it like working in your company? Working as a Director of Studies was very rewarding. In a language school, English is taught to people from all over the world. Their course length can vary from 2 weeks, up to 18 months or more. I managed the academic side of the school, the teaching team, and the academic team. We had a weekly intake of new students, meaning the school slightly changed every week. With so many different language needs, course lengths, and so many different cultures, there was never a dull moment. It broadened my horizon a lot and I will always remember it as a hugely interesting experience. Not only were the students from all over the world, we had a multi-cultural teaching team as well. They all trained as teachers of English in their own country or in England and brought many different views and methods to the table.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? After teaching and managing teacher training courses for a number of years, I was ready for a new challenge. Managing the academic side of a school seemed the perfect opportunity to learn more about the ‘behind the scenes’.
I missed the creativity of teaching and the one-to-one bonds you create with your students, but the new role was certainly very rewarding in its own way. Being able to help students one-on-one with different academic enquiries and working with teachers on their professional development were ways I felt gave a real sense of accomplishment.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? The combination of having Qualified Teacher Status and doing the CELTA (or CertTESOL) course as well as an MA in TESOL meant I had the opportunity to work in teacher training and management.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
- The different ways in which you can have one-on-one bonds with staff and students.
- The multi-cultural environment.
- The ever-changing school because of the weekly intake of students means there is never a dull moment.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career? When I started out in the language school in Oxford, I went from one zero-hour contract to another zero-hour contract for months on end. This felt quite scary because it meant that if work dried up, I would be without a job. However, hard work was very much valued and even when there were periods with not many students in the school, the management would find jobs for me, e.g. doing observations, working one-on-one with students, etc.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry?
Female academic leadership in a language school can be hugely effective; women’s unique capabilities and abilities to build relations with students and teachers, to enhance teamwork and promote development, are undeniable.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path? The summer is a very busy time for a language school, so if you want to get your foot in the door somewhere, it can be a good idea to apply for a summer job. Very often if this is a successful experience, you will be kept on afterwards and with a bit of patience, contracts can become more permanent.
