Bitola — almost time to begin

On 20 October, DOMAX will host From Frameworks to Practice: Quality, Learning Outcomes and Professional Development in English Language Education in Bitola, North Macedonia.

The event brings together English‑language teachers, school leaders, Directors of Studies, academic coordinators and professionals involved in curriculum design, quality assurance and language assessment for a full day dedicated to professional growth and practical classroom insight.

The programme includes opening remarks from Dr Vesna Milevska, followed by sessions on:

• Educational partnerships in North Macedonia
• Services and opportunities for schools, teachers and education professionals
• Structured professional development, with a focus on the Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CERTEFL) and continuing CPD pathways
• A practical workshop for teachers, offering hands‑on ideas that can be applied directly in the classroom

The afternoon workshop sessions may run as one extended experience or as two complementary topics, ensuring flexibility for participants and space for meaningful exchange.

Gratitude goes to Dr Vesna Milevska for their collaboration and support in bringing this initiative to life.

Is AI stealing your mind?

Today, we look at ways to approach AI in a mentally sustainable way.

Monday 3rd, August 2026 – Issue #3

You are halfway through your CERTEFL module. It has taken you the better part of an evening to sit down, settle the noise of the day, and finally open your laptop. You type a question about lesson sequencing into the chat window — and within three seconds, a fully structured answer appears. It is confident, coherent, and, as far as you can tell, accurate. You stare at it for a moment. Then a quiet, unsettling thought creeps in: Why am I even doing this?

If that moment sounds familiar, you are not alone. Many adult learners working through online courses right now are asking the same question in different forms. Do I still need to understand this? Does my thinking matter anymore? Am I learning, or am I just supervising a machine? The anxiety is real, and it is worth taking seriously. How you answer those questions will shape not just how you finish this course, but how you grow professionally for years to come.

The good news, as you will see, is that your mind is not being stolen. But it does need a new strategy.

There is growing evidence that students who lean heavily on AI during learning retain significantly less than those who engage in generative processing — the mental effort of producing, organising, and connecting ideas yourself. Research consistently shows that wrestling with a problem before receiving an explanation leads to deeper understanding than receiving the answer first.

The OECD’s Education Policy Outlook of 2024 echoes this concern, warning that delegating too much cognitive work to technology risks weakening higher-order thinking skills over time. Crucially, the report does not recommend avoiding AI altogether — it calls for intentional, balanced use that keeps students genuinely engaged with complex thinking, rather than outsourcing it.

This Is Not a Failure of Willpower

Here is something worth sitting with: the disorientation you feel around AI is not a personal failing. It is a rational response to a genuinely disorienting situation. The tools are new, the norms are unclear, and nobody handed you a manual. Of course it feels strange. Of course you are uncertain about the rules. You are not behind. You are navigating something that even experienced educators and researchers are still figuring out. The question is not whether to use AI — most of you already are, and that is fine — but how to use it in a way that keeps you at the centre of the learning. So here are some tips that may help you along the way.

Think First, Then Ask

Before you turn to an AI tool for help with an assignment or concept, spend five minutes writing down what you already know or think about the topic. A few bullet points, a rough paragraph, a question you are trying to answer — anything that externalises your existing thinking. Only then, start asking the tool to critique it, suggest alternatives, or play devil’s advocate.

This keeps intellectual ownership with you. Instead of receiving information passively, you are evaluating it against your own ideas. You notice gaps. You push back. You are learning, not transcribing. This small act changes everything about the interaction that follows.

Protect Your Thinking Time

Designate a regular study window — even thirty minutes a week — where you work entirely without AI assistance. No search, no chat tools, no instant help. Just you, your course materials, and whatever you can work out on your own. The discomfort you feel in those sessions is the feeling of your understanding consolidating. It is a good sign.

So, Is Your Mind Still Your Own?

Yes. Unreservedly, yes. AI has not made your thinking obsolete — it has raised the stakes for it. The skills that CERTEFL is building in you — the ability to reflect, to analyse learner needs, to make considered pedagogical choices, to communicate clearly — are precisely the skills that no tool can replicate. Use the tools available to you wisely and strategically. But never mistake speed for depth, or convenience for competence. The most important thing you bring to your teaching career is a mind that knows how to think. Guard it, train it, and trust it.

“Oh no! What have I put myself into?”

How to integrate an online course into your routine without sacrificing your social or family life…

Wednseday 22 April, 2026 – Issue #1

You just made it home after an 8 hours shift and need to take care of your three kids. You worked overtime to finish an urgent task and are now late for your second job… trust me, we have seen them all!

Whatever your situation is, in this article, we want to show you how adding an online course on top of your routine is doable – but – with the right structure in place. We know it, balancing work, study and everyday life can feel like a juggling act, and the line between attending an online course and building a recipe for burnout is thinner than people think.

Recent data shows exactly this issue: part-time adult learners – pretty much everyone following a CERTEFL course – are part of the most vulnerable group when it comes to completion rates in online courses.

A study from Park and Choi (2025) revealed that the dropout rate for students who are part of this category is between 40% to 80%, depending on the education context.

The main barrier separating students from their desired certifications is time. Yes, as you might have intuited from the punchline of this article, time is your biggest enemy.

But don’t worry, this is why we want to focus on giving you tips on how to manage your time to effectively integrate online learning into your routine.

Time is limited – so instead of creating “new” time, we have to work with what we have. The best way to handle our time is to create a sustainable ecosystem where your mental health and family relationships aren’t the price you pay for your education.

Tactical Time Management

To make learning sustainable, you must move away from “cramming” and toward “micro-learning.”

The “Cook Once, Eat Twice” Philosophy: Have you thought of how much time it takes you to prepare a meal every single day? If you want to save some time from this, try to batch-cook meals reclaim 2–3 hours a week during your course period.

The Pomodoro Technique: You don’t have a full hour today? That’s not a problem at all, try to work in 25-minute sprints followed by 5-minute breaks. This is often more effective for most working students going through very busy days.

Setting Healthy Boundaries

Sustainability requires a clear line between “student mode,” “parent mode,” and “employee mode.”

Create a Dedicated “Focus Zone”: Even if it’s just a specific chair or a desk in the corner, your brain needs a physical cue that it’s time to learn – use the same space over and over to see the results of your study hour!

Digital Hygiene: Use “Do Not Disturb” modes on your devices. It may sound obvious I know, but for many, the stress of online learning comes from the constant ping of work emails or social media notifications while trying to read a module.

Integrating the Family

Instead of the course being a “thief” of family time, try to make it a shared goal.

Parallel Study Hall: If your children have homework, do your online course alongside them turning your study into a shared family activity.

Delegation: Can a partner take over bath time? Can an older child help with the dishes? Try to temporarily delegate certain tasks which you are used to do in your daily life to better integrate your studying journey.

So where does all this leave us?

As we found out, time is enemy No. 1 for part-time adult learners. Thus, managing your time in a smart way is your best weapon. Unfortunately, there is no golden rule for this – the best way is to try some of the ideas we shared and see if they work out for you!

📍 Location: Malta (residency required)
🕒 Type: Part-time | Flexible hours
🏢 Organisation: DOMAX – Accredited Further & Higher Education Institution

DOMAX is looking for a part-time Registrar to join our growing team. This role involves registrar duties as well as supporting our Quality Assurance department with administrative and compliance-related tasks.

If you’re a highly organised individual with excellent written English and an interest in education, this is your opportunity to be part of a professional and collaborative academic environment.

Key Requirements

• Native English speaker or C2-level English proficiency (written and spoken)
• Must be 21+ years old
• Must be a resident of Malta
• Strong communication and organisational skills
• Ability to manage documentation and follow procedures with precision

Desirable Skills

• Spoken Italian and/or Spanish
• Experience in education, quality assurance, or administration
• Familiarity with digital tools like WordPress, Google Workspace or Canva.

What We Offer

• Flexible, remote-friendly working arrangements
• A supportive, education-focused work environment
• Real potential for growth and greater responsibility within the organisation

Interested?

Send your CV and a short cover letter to: domax@domaxltd.org

Excited to Lead the LASLLIAM Benchmarking Seminar for Malta!

I’m delighted to share that on 12 December 2025 I will be hosting the LASLLIAM Benchmarking Seminar as Malta’s national coordinator for this important Council of Europe / ALTE initiative.

What is LASLLIAM?
LASLLIAM provides a set of innovative descriptors designed specifically for adult migrants with little or no formal literacy education. Its goal is to support fair, inclusive, and context-sensitive language assessment by helping educators better understand learners’ written and oral abilities.

During the seminar, participating teachers and assessors will:
✔ explore the LASLLIAM scales and descriptors
✔ analyse real learner performances (written and oral)
✔ work together to reach shared judgments on LASLLIAM levels
✔ strengthen assessment literacy for low-literacy and emerging-literacy learners

This kind of collaborative calibration work is essential for ensuring reliable and meaningful assessment practices in migration contexts.

I’m looking forward to an engaging, hands-on session with colleagues who are passionate about language education, inclusion, and evidence-informed assessment.

A big thank you to ALTE and the LAMI SIG for their continuous support and for advancing high-quality language assessment for all learners.

If you would like to learn more about LASLLIAM or future training opportunities, feel free to reach out. 🤝