Teach English in Xiaohe Zhen - Ankang Shi

The reason for my choice of the topic is that the TEFL course has helped me encounter some problems I didn't know I could be challenged with, performing in a classroom for real as a teacher. Being an introvert by nature I have avoided all chances of proper contact with people out of hesitation, unless facing them has been really necessary. As a result of the same, I see that I am weighed down by my weak observation skills. This has primarily been the reason for my low score in Unit 6. I wasn't able to properly assess the body language of the teacher and the response of the students to his lesson in the first video. I saw that the students were smiling and concluded that they were happy and confident. I couldn't judge that they were intimidated. I thought they were simply below the grade being taught. Just the same, I couldn't make out that the teacher's rate of speech was slower and his diction clearer in the second video, where the response of the students had been a lot more enthusiastic and their participation had been very willing. I learn that I'll have to be patient, precise and decisive. I've marked some wrong answers in several units, owing to hastiness and submitted my tests without going through them for a re-check. Never before have I really understood why it's important to keep the rate of speech slow, the diction very clear and the formation of sentences simple in spoken language at least. Since I've assessed myself on these grounds, I'm going to practice my new training thoroughly, as an exercise before committing myself to young Chinese students. The lesson I loved best was 'Course Books and Lesson Materials' in Unit 9. Having been a student in India, my mind's been habituated to accepting learning from books as the only right method of learning. It is true that young students have short attention spans and it isn't possible to make the best of it if the topics and tactics employed for teaching them aren't good enough to engage. I'd totally opt for self-curated materials after getting to know my students better. Audio lessons would greatly interest them I feel. Rhymes have the potential to possess a mind and students of the age group 3-10 years would heartily welcome musical English lessons which I can deliver proficiently, being a musician. I used to believe that writing on the board simply would be good enough to teach an alphabet, accompanied by simple drawings. I understand now, the importance of visuals, sounds, gestures, presentation of emotions and a positive body language, to deliver a lesson successfully. I went through the two video lessons again to study my mistakes and to carefully evaluate. I managed to assess everything that I could not do right in the first play. I still have to figure out how I'd correct the mistakes of my students, if picking on them individually for corrections isn't the right approach. I did see how embarrassing and demotivating that'd be for a student, being a shy one myself, but I couldn't work my mock drill around for alternative ways. I understand that I must repeat my study of the 'Study' phase of ESA. I have recurrently committed mistakes in my fight on this topic. I have been wrong in believing that introducing games in class is not that good of a proposition as it may hamper the seriousness through a session. I see now, that games not only help with factual usage of the language but also with relieving students of their inhibitions. Course books are still dominating and influencing the students in India more than their teachers can, which is majorly a reason why the teachers fail to earn respect from their students. I will try to bring my new learning into actual practice and maybe try and introduce it in my own country as well.