Teach English in Anlong Zhen - Chengdu Shi

Classrooms, they make us who we are, they can become our favourite places given the conditions. They can also build us into the people we aspire to be. The billion dollar issue is who runs the classroom. This is where teachers come in. Teachers make classroom what they want it to be. Their character can manifest in interactions of students to students and students to other teachers. Confidence is the cornerstone of teaching, not only to be heard but also to be understood and put into play. So how does the teacher build confidence in classroom? Most people report that standing in front of a crowd is their greatest fear, and yet that is what teaching is all about. So how do teachers do it every day? I believe all speakers get nervous even the most experienced ones. The key is not to eliminate or get rid of the jitters but it is to turn them into energy one can use to boost their teaching delivery. There is a cliché that goes ‘failure to prepare is preparation to fail’. This applies for each and every profession, teacher being among them. To build confidence teachers must prepare for day to day lessons, period and or class. That is they should know what they are going to teach and why they are teaching it. As they also say practice makes perfect. Practicing how one is going deliver their class can also increase one`s confidence. They can practice in front of a friend or mirror. Practice comes in all shapes and sizes. Because understanding the concept is one thing that builds more confidence, one can try to bring up the topic they are to teach to a group so as to bring up a discussion which will in a lot of ways open their mind to other people`s opinion. And with technology having brought social media, one can use such platforms to open discussions and the more they discuss the more they get a clear picture of what and how they are going to teach. Rehearsing how one will deliver the lesson can also add to the confidence. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. As much as teachers would like to sound sophisticated every time they deliver lesson, they should remember this simplicity saying. In most cases the using of sophisticated and ambiguous words to teach will not only leave the class confused but will make them sound like they are attaching when they are asking questions. If simplicity is followed, chances are they will comment to add or elaborate further with their own examples because there is an idea of what the teacher is trying to put across. There is nothing that builds confidence like an appreciation with examples or positive comments to a speaker. So aim, instead, to communicate one basic idea. Keep it short and simple. Knowing one`s class, by names, so that you can call their names here and there during your teaching. This makes them feel like part and parcel of your delivery which makes them not feel hostile, making you not to feel hostile as well. It helps one to relax. They is more to knowing audience than just their name, know what they do and who they aspire to be. Then your teachings can be objective and aimed. During the delivery of a class also focus on them, how they are doing not yourself. This makes them your allies. When class is on your side it makes your work easy. It even makes it easy to understand how the other side of the topic you are delivering thinks. For example if teaching about Abortion and you are against it will be easier to understand or balance the opinion of the class that is for if most of the class are in your side. Visualizing success can help build confidence too. Remembering that you as the teacher are the one in charge can assist you in acting confident. Not showing nervousness does drive it away as you are the only one that sees it. Take in to consideration your strengths. Look deep into yourself. What do you or others consider you to be better at? If you are good at making jokes, then maybe you should make the class laugh every day at the beginning of a lesson to loosen the tension and get their attention. Every teacher has strengths they bring to class and weaker areas to work on, but the goal of this exercise is to boost your confidence so focus on your positive qualities. Make a list and then ask a colleague to add some more. Focus on the things that make you unique as a teacher, whether they are personality traits or knowledge you’ve gained through the years. Get Some Perspective of what you are doing which is similar in a way to preparation. Before you can begin preparation know what the end result should be and then break down how you will get there and the time needed to get there. That is it should be a feasible goal. If for example you are teaching a beginners class English, know how many words you want them to have learnt at the end of each class, and sentences they can use in their day to day life. When you help them towards these goals and they achieve it your confidence will surely sky rocket. Lastly remember that not all teachers you know rocked your world. There are those teachers who taught and every time you think of them you wonder how you passed their modules with the boredom they put you through. It is then that you will appreciate how awesome you are. With that comes confidence. Also stay away from teachers who have negative vibes, those who instead of seeing the cup half full always see it half empty. Focus on the achievements of your students, it brings you closer to them and encourages healthy competition. The say experience is the best teacher so teach as much as you can the more you experience teaching the more confident you become about your teaching.