TEFL Hopedale Masachusetts

Our earliest teachers are our parents; as infants, we are taught simple things initially, and as we mature, teaching incrementally becomes more sophisticated until our formal education is turned over to the professionals known as teachers. Even then, however, our learning is not limited to the classroom; it continues throughout our lives in various forums and formats. Teaching is a profession that impacts the lives of everyone—students, parents, families, cultures, and nations. The influence of teachers is not to be underestimated, as it reaches far beyond the boundaries and walls of a school building. This influence is a powerful tool, is not to be taken lightly, and is to be applied with equanimity and purpose. The role of a teacher has changed over the generations and today the profession is highly influenced by technology. Gone are the days of the teacher standing in front of the class with a backdrop of blackboard, chalk, and pointer, and the expectations that students will learn by rote. While the opportunities for an individual's search for knowledge has expanded exponentially, the world itself has shrunken—at least in terms of availability of information through the Internet. Tap a few keys, add a few clicks, and from the convenience of your home you can enjoy a virtual tour of a museum half way around the world, visit a zoo in a land far away, or remotely access an observatory to view constellations in outer space. The advent of easy access has eased an individual's educational pursuits—and has changed the game plan for teachers. With this explosion in technology, the role of teacher today has expanded beyond the transfer of knowledge to include being a motivator (requires knowledge of students' interests); being a resource agent/counselor (advising students how and where they may access additional information/suggest career paths); being a coach/tutor (encouraging efforts/assessing progress and providing additional help when necessary); role model (students learn behavior from modeling), and social change agent (perceived impact of foreign teacher on students). Today's global environment demands both old and new skills for teachers. It is essential that today's teacher be familiar with the operation and implementation of available technology. This allows the educator to take advantage of more sophisticated tools in order to expand the student's knowledge base and be able to better prepare the individual for greater opportunities than were previously available. Hand in hand with worldwide shrinkage, there has grown an international demand for capable english teachers. Effective listening is of paramount importance; it is necessary to be in tune to pronunciation by foreigners and to understand their collective difficulty in pronouncing certain sounds in order to better present lessons plans that may include additional practice through verbal usage of those very words. Students may learn pronunciation and grammar usage, but what about the chasm between knowledge & application? How is that gap to be bridged? Who will navigate the student through that challenge successfully? All of these responsibilities fall squarely into the lap of educators. Add to that the complexity of teaching english in a foreign country. Understanding of and sensitivity to foreign cultures are also highly advantageous skills that desirable teaching candidates possess in order to teach english in a foreign land. Effective communication is essential, and it is necessary to remember that it is a two-way street. The teacher must ascertain that the student understands what is being presented; that the information is useful, and that the student has an opportunity to demonstrate that knowledge. Today's teachers in foreign countries should remain aware of how they may contribute on many levels to a better understanding and acceptance of the universal concept that education is key to successful endeavors, both personal and business.