Teach English in Tangcun Zhen - Jining Shi

Confidence is an essential characteristic in a teacher. However, many young teachers cite confidence as an area in which they need growth. As an English instructor to students who are learning English it is important to understand that showing confidence is important because your students will need confidence instilled in them. As teachers we want to show our students what a healthy confidence looks like so then they can also exhibit these characteristics when applying the concepts, they’ve learned in the real world. When teachers hear the word “confidence” the first thought that comes to mind is “How do I obtain confidence in the classroom?” ESL teachers from all around the world state that the key to increasing confidence in the classroom is to be prepared to teach, having rules, routines, and building rapport with your students. Being prepared to teach is one of the most important aspects of teaching. Teachers who have not prepared a lesson plan or have put in minimal effort into creating a lesson plan are going to have very little confidence in the classroom. Simple ways a teacher can be more prepared is by creating back up plans for if there are uncontrollable issues such as technological failure or by checking technological aids before the start of a class. Going the extra mile and doing extra reading will also help you be ready to answer student questions. Many teachers don’t like public speaking and as a result of this distain will feel a lack of confidence when in front of students. Being prepared and creating an interactive lesson plan will limit teacher talk time and increase student talk time. Having a lesson that enables the students to elicit English will go a long way in increasing the confidence of an educator. It’s important that teachers maintain control of a classroom. Losing control of the classroom is an indicator of many issues in the way a teacher manages a class. Losing control of a class is morally defeating and can cause an educator to lose self-esteem and confidence. Having both the teacher and student mutually understand the set rules will help the teacher feel confident in the way he or she manages the classroom. When working with young students it is very helpful to work with students to create some class rules. Ultimately it is up to the teacher to establish the rules but allowing students to participate in decision making processes will create a better and more mutually understanding relationship between students and teachers. This will also help with building rapport which will be discussed in the next section. Having rules set in place will give the instructor more confidence in his or her ability to properly manage the classroom. Having routines in the classroom will be beneficial in increasing one’s confidence. Routines will also help students know what to expect during each class period. Routines are important in maintaining structure in the classroom and helps the teacher with staying organized. Many English language learners cite the lack of rapport to be an issue amongst their foreign teachers. One might think to themselves what does rapport have to do with confidence? Building rapport and friendship with your students will help you feel more comfortable and relaxed when speaking in front of the class. This will also help students be more confident in speaking and practicing English concepts with their teacher. It’s also important that teachers take the time to learn student’s names and how to pronounce each name correctly. Making this effort will not go unnoticed by students and will give teachers more confidence when selecting students to perform certain tasks or duties. Teacher’s should take the time to invest in the lives of their students and try to find common interests. Doing this will be helpful in creating and increasing teacher confidence. As you can see there are many different avenues that will allow a teacher to increase their confidence in the classroom. For example, being prepared for any situation will be useful in reducing any anxieties and increasing confidence. Being prepared will also show your students that you care about their education. Creating rules and routines will also help with maintaining control of the classroom and will help teachers feel confident in their ability to manage a classroom. Confidence in a teacher is important because it will make the classroom an enjoyable place to be, increase student progress, and will allow teachers to get their concepts across more clearly.