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Teach English in Hezhuang Zhen - Laiwu Shi

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Hezhuang Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Laiwu 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 teacher often stands alone in front of the class and is looked to for all of the answers. While in front of the class, the teacher needs to be able to think and react quickly. And needs to consider what they say and do and how that influences each of their students. This can be an intimidating position to be in and one that could influence your confidence level as a teacher. One way to build confidence is to know what roles you might play as the teacher. These roles include but are not limited to, instructor, facilitator, mentor, psychologist, counselor, and policeman. Being prepared to deal with the variety of situations that might arise in the classroom could help to increase your confidence as a teacher. One role the teacher takes on is the role of the instructor. As defined by this course, the instructor is the “knower of a certain body of knowledge”. It is the role of the teacher to identify how to best provide the knowledge to the students so that they are able to absorb and utilize this knowledge. To be confident in your roles as the instructor means to be prepared for the lessons and be able to identify the most appropriate resources for the class. Being prepared means to have a detailed lesson plan that also allows for some flexibility, as some plans do not go as planned. It is also beneficial for the teacher to assess the lesson after and determine what was successful and what needs work. This will help improve the lesson the next time and help to build confidence. In addition, it is important for teachers to be well versed on the subject they are teaching and not fake their knowledge base. Be true to the students and if there is something that can be learned together then move forward with that approach. Another role the teacher might fill is that of the facilitator. According to this course the teacher is the “provider of a learning environment”. During the lesson there are specific times when the teacher needs to be the focal point. Classroom setup should have the teacher and the board accessible to all students. When the teacher is lecturing each student should be able to see the teacher, the board or any other resources they are using. If a teacher gets lost among the students it will be more difficult to get control of the room. This can create a feeling of anxiety and decrease confidence in your abilities. Additionally, a teacher might act as a mentor or a role model for their students. With this idea in mind it is important that teachers are aware of their behaviors, personal statements they make, and their attitude. Learners, especially young learners, are watching their teachers very closely. They pick up their behaviors and they are also listening to their teacher’s thoughts and feelings expressed during class. If the teacher’s behavior or self-expression demonstrates a lack of confidence the students might pick up on that. As a result, they might not take the class seriously and not follow instruction. Being aware of the opportunity to act as a role model might foster more confidence for the teacher. It may provide the opportunity for the teacher to acknowledge their skills and what they bring to the classroom. This demonstration of confidence could also be transferred to the students. Another role for the teacher might be that of a psychologist. According to this course, the role of a psychologist includes “dealing with students’ personal problems”. A student might be having difficulty with a peer, being bullied. A student might have learning difficulties. Or a student may have problems at home and be struggling in the classroom because of it. This might include, abuse, financial difficulties, absent parent, etc. Some of the more serious situations might test a teacher’s confidence level. Continuing education in this area could increase confidence for when this type of situation arises. Knowing you have the skills or knowing that you can refer to another staff to assist in the matter might make the teacher feel more confident addressing more critical issues. A counselor is another role a teacher might fill. A counselor “gives help and advise”. The role of the counselor is meant to assist the student in thinking outside of the classroom and to explore interests. The role of a counselor might have the teacher providing support to students who are trying to identify career goals or encourage them to explore their own individual interests like art, music, or dance. This might be an opportunity to build confidence by getting to know students individually and on a more personal level. Developing a rapport with students might make the task of standing in front of the room a less daunting task when the faces are more familiar. Lastly, the teacher may need to fill the role of the policeman in the classroom. The course refers to this as “crowd control”. For example, a teacher might need to intervene in a verbal or physical altercation. They may need to address the negative behavior of one student. There also may be other situations where students get overly excited because of a fun activity and the situation needs to be deescalated. This might be the biggest test of a teacher’s confidence. When a situation is out of control it takes a strong and confident person to get the attention of a student/students who have escalated their behavior. The student may not be able to control themselves so this creates an even greater challenge for the teacher. In this situation, experience helps to build confidence along with classroom management skills. A structured room and clear list of rules might work to prevent some of these situations, as well. Knowing the roles that might be required of the teacher means the teacher is better prepared for the day-to-day classroom events. Being prepared could increase confidence levels and overall success in the classroom. More success build more confidence.


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