Teach English in Gaozhuang Zhen - Linyi Shi

Observing other teachers It is worth while working with or observing other teachers when ever possible, this is even relevant when it comes to teachers of subjects other then English. It is important to learn different ways of engaging the student as teaching is not an exacting repeatable process, students will always have their own individual needs and being able to meet those needs and expand upon them should be the goal of the teacher. Obviously this is not always easy or even possible when teaching large groups of students which can often be the case, so being able to employ different teaching methods or styles can help keep the students interested and challenged and hopefully meet their needs. When observing it is worth paying attention to some of the following; -How the other teacher interacts with the students -The volume level and tonality of the teachers voice when emphasis on specific words or parts of words is needed. -The usage of props and physical expression or emoting to better convey a language point. -How class mood/attitude/interest can be modified by a skilled teacher -Whiteboard utilization, how a clearly written well organized board can help students keep on track and lead to the next obvious step in progression. -Knowledge of subject will give a teacher the confidence needed in answering questions, students need to be able to seek clarity and have the confidence that they are receiving the correct answers. -Learning different methods of giving feedback can be very useful as feedback is extremely beneficial to the student yet needs to be properly delivered, as it should not come off as criticism and students should feel forthcoming with their own ideas during a feedback session Taking extra online or on-site courses enrolling in an organized teaching course can be very beneficial to a teacher, as not only do most courses give you a certification validating your skills. You also learn better defined concepts and techniques which you can then apply to the classroom. Some things worth keeping in mind when taking a teaching course; -Learn the frame work and how it will better help you deliver a lesson -Methodologies are developed for a reason or purpose it is best to try and understand these reasons first before trying to adopt a new methodology -Repetition helps smooth out ones delivery which allows for a teacher to then focus on giving the lesson Organizing a lesson Having a well organized lesson can be as simple as writing a plan laying out the language points to be covered and finding an appropriate subject matter to engage the students with. By creating or gathering study materials that will be both interesting and challenging for the student and near the end setting a task to which the students can put to use the newly learned language and activate that new resource. ESA works very well for this in its many forms as it is a simple concept with a flexibility that allows for the student to become comfortable, learn and experiment. Of note; -Plans should be written down and easy to access at all times during a lesson for reference purposes -A scheduled plan should not be viewed as an absolute, but instead as an outline, with a time table a teacher will at least know how long they had planned for each section of a lesson. And keep the lesson moving along accordingly. -Naturally some sections may take a little bit longer then others but this can then be adapted to -written plans are also a great tool for looking back on a lesson to make notes on what worked and what can be tried in the future to better a lesson. Delivering lessons learning to deliver a lesson can be stressful, as the teacher often will be the initial point of interest to the class and every word the teacher speaks or writes will likely be studied and repeated. However it is important to get past this initial shock of being somewhat the centre of attention and get on with the job at hand. As a teacher it is worth reminding ones self that you are not there to entertain or even pad your own ego, instead you are there to help others better themselves. And that the joy of teaching is found most in watching your students joy of achievement. Things to keep in mind; -As the teacher you are likely the students best connection to the subject, so be prepared to answer a variety of questions. If anything encourage questions whenever possible -Student talk time is possibly one of the most beneficial aspects of the TEFL teaching system, as it gives students the opportunity to experience the language and practice the usage. Students who speak more often will generally have a smoother command of the language, with things like grammar and phrases used with more confidence. -When getting students to engage in more talk time, it is useful to get them to expand on what they have already said with questions that include a how/who/what/when element. Also encouraging eye contact during these interactions can help as the students will be better able to judge the effectiveness of what they have said by observing their conversational partners reactions. Discipline in the classroom can be a bit trying at times, it is often disrupted due to boredom. Laying out ground rules can help avoid disruption, as the students will better understand how to interact and engage you as the teacher -Yelling and screaming at disruptive students is counter productive, instead it is best to call a halt to whatever may currently be happening in the classroom and quietly deal with said students. Sometimes it may be that the students causing a disturbance either do not feel engaged or challenged by the material, or they possibly find the material to be to challenging. No one likes feeling left out do not leave your students out. Instead make the effort and help them feel engaged. They will likely better respond to input and be more likely to express themselves if they feel that they are included. Creating trust in the classroom between teacher and students, as well as between students and their classroom piers is an important part of fostering a conducive learning environment. Trust can be built with; -group games -group discussion -a classroom atmosphere of patience and inclusiveness -retaining a general openness to topics of discussion, as long as kept appropriate and done in the language of the lesson Giving lesson feedback and receiving lesson feedback At the end of a lesson a feedback session can be conducted, this is useful for both Teacher and Student. For the Student it is and opportunity to reflect on what has been learned during the lesson, and to clarify any possible areas of difficulty they may have experienced. For the Teacher a feedback session can provide insight as to the progress of the students, the possible future needs and to what degree all the materials were digested/understood. In conclusion I feel that teaching should be treated as less of a manufactured process and more of learning experience, students trade valuable time for the ability to learn. Language is one of the few subjects that truly helps broaden a persons understanding of the world. Buddy Weeks