Erin O'Byrne: Fixing Your Freelance Messaging

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Erin O'Byrne: Fixing Your Freelance Messaging

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Erin O'Byrne: Fixing Your Freelance Messaging, Educational consultant, .

I Help Freelance Language Teachers Stop Blending In And Start Standing Out
Join my Freelance Female WhatsApp Group to cut through the sea of vague, generic posts and speak to your Perfect Pupil:https://chat.whatsapp.com/JzDpMYtuxk2Kd2NKIVuqW4

16/02/2026

You're tired. A lesson is imminent. You didn't prep as much as you wanted. Life stuff.

Then the fear grips you:
“I need to plan 60 minutes. That’s going to take me at least half an hour.”

No. It won’t.

You’ve been conditioned that more is good — more tasks, more worksheets, more explanations.
Wrong.

Less is more. For you and your student.

You don’t need to steer the lesson the whole time.
You don’t need to fill every moment with content that comes from you. You don’t need a single worksheet.

You just need a simple four-step plan that’s rooted in connection.
One easy template. Any lesson. Five minutes of planning.

Rinse, repeat, refine.

If you fancy finishing that morning coffee, drop PLAN in the comments and I’ll send you my four-step method that gives you your time back —because that’s exactly what it’s doing.

16/12/2025

Just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean it works.

Yesterday, someone came for me because I challenged the holy grail of grammar teaching: the gap fill.

All I said was, there’s another way: one that actually matches how our students learn today, not how we were taught to teach 30 years ago.

I know it’s uncomfortable to question what we’ve always done but what other industries don't move with the times?

You’re allowed to trust your instinct and you should, especially if you've been teaching for a while and you're feeling a shift in belief about what works (and what doesn't).

You’re allowed to try something new but maybe you need a safe, non-judgmental space to experiment.
You’re allowed to rebel. It's what sparks change. And change is good!

If you’re ready to follow what your brain has been telling you - that rules-led grammar and gap-fills are not the only answer — join the Grammar Rebel waitlist. We start in February.

✸ Drop GR in the comments and I’ll send you the link.

10/10/2025

Grammar: it doesn't always need to be purely grammatical. Can your learners play with certain common phrases instead of focusing on just the rules?

If you want to change the way you teach with simple, practical tips, I have a few great episodes of Everything EFL Podcast that address this very topic.

Have a look at my back catalogue. Link in bio. ❤️

26/09/2025

The Big Declutter continued....

If you're still using the same stuff as 5 or 10 years ago, maybe it's time to reassess. To me, this is a sign of not evolving, which is essential as a teacher.

There are a lot of reasons for this:
- lack of tIme to explore different ways of doing things
- lack of headspace to find the time to explore different ways of doing things
- being stuck in a rut and now knowing how to get out of it
- being scared of change - what if your students don't respond to a different way of doing things?

- All of these are very valid states to be in. But it's time for a change. 'What if' isn't a good enough reason to stay where you are. Isn't the beauty of teaching that we have so much choice, methods, podcasts add great LinkedIn posts?

Stepping outside your comfort zone is a real fear but you don't have to do it alone. If you want bite-sized support and practical tips, plus brilliant guests with plenty to say, subscribe to Everything EFL Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/24ssw06fKwSWcrIZgG6ixy

Because who's looking out for you?

23/09/2025

In today's edition of The Big Declutter.....
How would you present relative clauses? Not like this, I hope!
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Note: this video series is not intended to judge anyone. It's intended to spark debate, conversation and a safe space to discuss teaching language.

What are your thoughts? Comment below.

22/09/2025

Have you ever critiqued your own materials?
No?
Maybe you should...

It might be a little painful. If you saw my first video last week, you'll know what I mean. If you missed it, there are many more to come.

Join me as I critique the mostly-home-made teaching materials that have been gathering dust on my shelves for years and realize, as I do, that I've been hanging onto them for absolutely no reason. Man, I've made some crap in my time. But as least I realize it now!

You may have been wanting to change things up for a while but you're just not sure how. Going through the stuff you've been using year after year is a good start.

You might find it hard to critique yourself. You know you're a great teacher. But are your materials meaningful, purposeful and effective? Guess what? There's no shame if they're not. Do you know a perfect teacher? I sure as hell don't.

You might need a little support to reflect, change and take small, actionable steps. Bite-sized changes are best. So consider listening to a bite-sized episode of Everything EFL Podcast. Small steps, big changes.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/24ssw06fKwSWcrIZgG6ixy

19/09/2025

THE BIG DECLUTTER: POINTLESS, RANDOM ONLINE FLASHCARDS

When was the last time you looked at a online materials and thought “Who talks like this?”

In my Big Declutter, I came across this absurd collection of questions. What was I thinking?

Maybe I was busy. Maybe I thought " This'll do!". 2025 Erin says, "No it bloody won't!

How much do you lean on ready-made materials.? I barely use them anymore because a lot of them look like this.

Your students are preparing to face the very real, messy, wonderful, English-speaking world. And the world does not speak in random, grammatically-dubious sentences.

You care about your students. You want them to walk into real conversations with confidence. And that means giving them language they can actually use.

This post isn't about judgment of you if you use online materials. Most of us do. But you have to ask yourself whether they reflect what your students need and will encounter.

If you’ve been feeling that little nagging doubt — that your materials aren’t matching up with your students’ real-world needs, don't feel to bad about it: just consider this your sign.

Ready to explore how to make that shift? Join my Breathe Easy, Teacher newsletter community for weekly tips, advice and a growing community of like-minded teachers.

Join us here: http://subscribepage.io/breatheasyteacher

18/09/2025

Do you have hoards of teaching materials gathering dust? Me too. Until last week, that is. I decided to have a ruthless clearout and guess how much stuff I kept? Less than one per cent.

The result? The Big Declutter? I ended up making over 80 videos, critiquing my materials, most of which I'd created myself. I'll be releasing them weekly and I've love you to join me.

You may see yourself in them. It may be uncomfortable. It may sting a bit. If my videos force yourself to think about what and how you're teaching, then I'd love to know your thoughts.

If they provoke some negative emotions, that's okay too - just know that these videos are not a judgement of you.

My goal is to create a space for teachers who need to know that :
- it's okay to be an imperfect teacher
- It's okay to feel like you're not doing enough
- it's okay if you only know one way of doing something
- It's okay to want help and support.

That's what I'm here for. I'm Erin and I'm here to support you and your journey of change and growth as a teacher.

For weekly support, tips and teacher love, join my Breathe Easy, Teacher community here: http://subscribepage.io/breatheasyteacher

16/09/2025

Stop for a second and be honest. When was the last time you gave your class (or yourself) a real brain break?

If your answer is “never” or “not enough,” you’re not alone.

Most teachers cram too much in and plan more than they can possibly deliver.

And most teachers forget that pausing is just as powerful as pushing through.

A brain break isn’t wasted time. It’s what keeps students engaged, your lessons memorable and you sane.

So if you’re telling yourself there’s “no time' maybe it's worth asking: what’s the cost of never letting your class breathe?

This week’s short-but-sweet episode of the Everything EFL Podcast shows you how to make brain breaks work — and how to combine them with another simple (and forgotten) technique that can transform your lessons.

LIsten here: :https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/everything-efl

05/09/2025

Take action. Be accountable. Get the support you need to change your teaching.

I'm with you every step of the way. And by the looks of these messages, it really helps you to move forward and make real changes in your teaching.

The No-Nonsense Lexical Toolkit is open for another day. Grab your spot here: https://refreshyourteaching.com/toolkit/index.php

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http://www.refreshyourteaching.com/

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What’s all this about then?

We are two EFL teachers based in the beautiful city of Dublin, Ireland. We felt the need to expound our vast knowledge of this subject with you, the listener. We aim to cover such topics as: critical thinking, the corpus, the dreaded PARSNIP and more. With a few stories of our own, we also aim to entertain and have a laugh along the way. This page is here for you to follow us and share your own stories and experiences.

Listen and learn. Listen and laugh. Laugh with us. Laugh at us. And tell your mates at work.