Teaching is as much a science as it is an art. There are formal rules one can choose to follow—however it is much more effective and better in the long term, if the
teacher maintains teaching style that is flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances. To be sure—perhaps the most important characteristic for an effective
teacher is adaptability and flexibility—especially to rapidly changing and unknown situations.
I plan on teaching elementary-age
children in South Korea—so the lessons on classroom management and teaching young/beginner learners were particularly informative and important. It is key to maintain a positive, friendly, passionate personality when teaching young
children, as more often than not, they will not have made the conscious decision to learn
english. They are usually in class because they are required to be there. I believe that by making
english fun, exciting, and designing a lesson plan and learning environment that naturally meshes with a child's inherent curiosity I can provide unbeatably high-quality
english language instruction.
children are, in many ways, more difficult to teach than adults. The course was keen on emphasizing that and, rather effectively, pointed out these differences. Now that I am aware of them, I believe that my lesson planning will actively reflect this and I will provide lessons that are naturally in tune with
children's' demeanor.
Much of what is taught in these kinds of courses comes naturally to those for whom
english is their native language. Native
english speakers take these things for granted—and so it is hard, sometimes, for us to explain the conventions of
english to others. I believe that this course has taught me to rethink the way I think about teaching
english. It has made me much more aware of the subtle intricacies and it has taught me never to take what I see to be intuitive, for granted. I believe that the skills I have gained through the course have furnished me with an increased ability and increased confidence to take on the challenges of the classroom.