Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Guyi Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Chengdu Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
The profession of teaching students is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my adult life. I have been a Title I Teacher and private tutor for over ten years. I teach special needs students in a private school setting. I mainly work with students who struggle in both literacy and mathematics. Inspiring confidence in my students who already feel unhappy in the classroom can be quite a challenge! At first thought, I did not think I would be able to do anything about their low self-esteem. My students often complained about how much they hated being in a classroom and what a waste of time it was. Obviously, I knew that their attitudes would have to change for them to build confidence. How was I going to do this? I quickly learned that my attitude alone was a crucial piece in developing students’ confidence in me and themselves. Yet it’s not the only factor in developing a student’s confidence in the classroom. As educators, we must come prepared with lessons that inspire students. A lesson should accommodate students’ needs to ensure success. Teachers must also make sure students feels heard and special. This is true in any classroom. Now that I am working towards TEFL Certification, I believe that building confidence will be the key to student achievement in a language-learning classroom. A teacher’s attitude in the classroom sets the dynamic of how students will respond to the lesson presented. Each ITTT Unit that I studied was important towards my learning, but ITTT Unit 10 resonated with me. The unit showed two videos of the same teacher presenting a lesson to foreign language students but in completely different ways. In the first video, the teacher had a negative attitude towards the students. The teacher’s attitude created an uneasy atmosphere where the students were confused and not as forthcoming with participation to learn the new vocabulary. However, in the second video, the same teacher came in with a positive attitude and it made a world of difference. Each student felt heard and felt comfortable to learn the new vocabulary. Attitude makes a big difference in any classroom, but especially for students who need a boost in confidence. An engaging lesson or activity can spark interest in even the most unmotivated students. Yet, more importantly, the most exciting activity that a teacher has planned might initiate fear in a student who lacks confidence in their ability to learn it. We must keep in mind that although the lesson might be engaging for some students, it might be inappropriate for another student’s level. There are several ways that we can boost a weaker student’s confidence. We can pair a weaker student with a stronger student to help them feel successful in the lesson. Also, we can accommodate learning based on the student’s ability. Essentially, the student still does the same activity, but the subsequent assessment fits the needs of the student. Teaching a student at his level helps the student to feel more confident in his abilities to complete class assignments and become a better English speaker. The teacher’s attitude as I discussed earlier is important towards student’s confidence, but the rapport we build with our students also makes a huge difference in learning. The first day we come into a foreign language speaking classroom is not the time to use the coursebook. Instead, teachers must create a friendly learning environment to establish student trust and confidence. Ice-breaker activities such as a questionnaire or ‘pass the ball’ activity in which students must interact can build confidence; the students realize that their voice matters in the classroom. The teacher must foster a community of learners that are respected for what they bring into the classroom. To reiterate, a student’s confidence plays one of the biggest roles in what he or she will learn in the classroom. TEFL teachers face a great responsibility in making sure that lessons inspire students to learn, speak, and develop the language skills necessary to communicate in English. I believe that with my years of teaching experience, I can make a difference and boost a foreign language learner's confidence in the classroom!
