Student Centered Teaching

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching and learning are processes that go hand in hand with one another. Effective teachers are able to inspire and engage students with a desire to learn. They must be able to impart their abilities of learning into students in various ways. Through my personal teaching experiences, I firmly believe in establishing high, yet attainable expectations, creating a curriculum that is student centered, and providing real life experiences for students to help them grasp the concepts taught in the lesson. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarah N. Effective classroom management is more than being a strict or authoritative figure, it requires a structured learning...  [Read more]

  Wieslaw form Poland took the 120-hour online TESOL course with tutor support and videos. In his TESOL review video, Wieslaw tells us he is currently teaching kindergarten students in Nanjing, China. He found the material in the course clear and well put together covering several different topics including classroom management, teaching different age groups, grammar and lesson planning. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Hi, is was a interesting...  [Read more]

  In the TEFL review, Matt describes how he was living and working as an English teacher in Japan when his employer asked him to get TEFL certified which he did through an online TEFL course with ITTT. Policy changes around the world mean that many countries now require their English teachers to have at least a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate. ITTT's online courses are a great way to gain certification without having to take time off work. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word hidebound. This word refers to an unwillingness to change because of a tradition. Some synonyms for hidebound include conservative, conventional and reactionary. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit correlated with what I learned in my Early Childhood Education degree. This unit gave a variety of ways to arrange a classroom as well as how to use your body language and voice to build...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A classroom can be a daunting environment for a teacher. They have been placed as the responsible leader of a classroom, and it is their duty to ensure that the students leave with something. Specifically, in an ESOL classroom, teachers feel that there is a lot of pressure to not fail the students. To assuage this anxiety, teachers must find security in their confidence. They have trained, and they have the knowledge to succeed. By relying on the information that they know, they can create a learning environment that provides comfort for everyone. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sophia L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One...  [Read more]

Laura Payne Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas I am currently working as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan. Before I began this job I assumed that because Japan has a largely homogeneous population, all of my classes would be monolingual. However, I was wrong in this assumption. In addition to my Japanese students, I have many students who are Brazilian or Filipino. These students largely do not use Japanese as their mother tongue and have to learn both English and Japanese as a second language. This diverse student population, in addition to my work experiences and studies, has taught me a lot about working with both monolingual and multilingual classes. In the few monolingual classes that I teach, it is fairly easy to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Discipline is inevitable in any training institution or workplace, in every society, there are norms which people must respect to maintain stability in society. Discipline is said to be rules put in place to regulate people's activities or a code of behavior using punishment to correct disobedience. Our focus here will be on classroom discipline which is the practice of teaching others to obey rules or norms which anyone who breaks the rules will be punished. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bonghanseh Edith M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The teacher uses discipline to ensure classroom norms are maintained and safeguard a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Storytelling in the classroom can seemingly be one of the most diverse and engaging ways to help students learn English as a second language. Storytelling for the purposes of this essay is a broad term that I am using to refer not only to students telling stories about what they did on the weekend for example but also using existing stories that are well known and loved, for example, Harry Potter or the Lion King. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jamie S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, classroom activities using storytelling when centered around the students are a great way for students to get to know one another....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There is no doubt that it is the Information Age people are currently living in. And it is cannot be ignored that online education is one of the fastest growing teaching and learning methods in recent years due to different reasons and needs, which takes the advantages of the Internet and save both teachers' and learners' time and energy that has been spent on the distance and traffic. Among that, ESL online learning gets a great acceptance from the ESL learners. And here is a discussion about the advantage of ESL online education. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Xue L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Compared to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning English can be a daunting task. There is a great amount of vocabulary, a phonics system that is filled with exceptions, grammar that doesn’t always follow its own rules, and pronunciation that can be difficult to reproduce. A failure to speak and understand English effectively can have damaging effects on a student’s life. They could miss out on a crucial job opportunity, or lose face at a social gathering. It is for these reasons and many more that learning English is often a stressful task for students. It is therefore of vital importance to reduce the amount of stress that a student feels when learning English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gregory M. Please note that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas It’s a daunting but all-too-common sight for many teachers: A classroom full of rowdy students who are unable to focus on the lesson. Classroom management techniques may get things back on track, but valuable time has already been lost. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Andrew K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Many experienced teachers know that making meaningful connections with students is one of the most effective ways to prevent disruptions in the first place, and a new study set out to assess this approach. In classrooms where teachers used a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas For the last two years, I have worked as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) at a Japanese high school. Along with my teaching job, I have volunteered at a weekly English conversation class, where I teach English to both children and adults. Next year, I plan to transition out of my ALT job and into private ESL teaching. It is most likely that I will do most of my teaching online, where I will be one-on-one with a student. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bailey J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In this case, when looking at my experience with teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The best thing I learned from the TEFL course cannot be explained in one thought or topic sentence because it was significant. However, for this essay, I will narrow it down to one concept. I am an experienced licensed teacher from the United States, but there is always more to learn. In the United States, I would have one or two students in my class each year that were not native English speakers. So, the idea of teaching a classroom of students where all the learners are not native speakers is new to me. I was unfamiliar with ESA's acronym (Engage, Study, Activate) until I took this course, and I appreciate this concept the most. ESA was the best thing I learned from this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching offers the chance to change other people's lives permanently for the better. As a teacher, you can help develop someone's subject of knowledge and/or their mind and personality. Teachers are instruments that ignite powerful thoughts in students, helping them unleash their true potential. In addition to being knowledgeable in their area of expertise and having the ability to plan and execute lesson plans, to be an effective and successful teacher you need to possess some personal emulateable skills. To bring a long-term impact in the lives of your students, it's important to have the following qualities; This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Magdaline A. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]

Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Classroom setup is an important part of setting up a welcoming and friendly environment. It is the foundation on which a teacher can build strong relationships with their students, and build a more student-centered class while incorporating their passions into their work. The way a classroom is set up is a great first impression for students, which means it’s important for teachers to put in an effort to make their classroom a welcoming environment. Moreover, a fun classroom set up can reflect your personality or what you’re passionate about as a teacher, and it can be a fun way to introduce yourself to the students. Even having speakers so that you can play music in the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching English to foreign-speaking students comes with much responsibility, creativity, patience, and kindness. On the opposite end, learning another language is challenging, requires practice and can be frustrating. To make the teaching and learning exchange seamless there are a variety of lesson structures and independent/ group activities available for teachers to implement into classrooms. Although many methods can be used, grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, and speaking are all important structures taken into consideration as learning the language comfortably and fluently is always the end goal. Throughout this summative task, different methodologies will be paired and compared to find...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lesson planning is, at least to some degree, a vital function of teaching. The degree to which a lesson plan is necessary is often directly proportional to the teaching experience of the teacher. The less experience the teacher has the more necessary and beneficial the lesson plan is and vice versa. Lesson plans give the class structure, hold the teacher accountable, and function as a helpful aide, overall adding to the effectiveness of the class and the student’s opportunity to learn. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Katie A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Unit 9 from this course points out that lesson plans can range...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A good student-teacher relationship inside the classroom is necessary for the instructor to teach efficiently and for the students to learn effectively. Several factors need to be taken into consideration to manage the classroom well. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roxanne C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, good eye contact should be established within the classroom. This signifies the connection between the teacher and students and it shows sincerity on the part of the teacher. Eye contact is encouraged during a teacher-centered activity but not in students- centered activities. Proper use of gestures, on the...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In my years of teaching English to students aged 4 to 14, I have found that nothing brings a child more confidence than being able to do something they previously thought impossible or too challenging. Speaking in front of an entire class, having to memorize speeches or dialogues, and being put on the spot in general can all pose a huge challenge for students and can often end in hurt pride and a lowering of confidence. I have seen students hang their heads in shame as they return to their seats after giving an almost perfect speech, hyper fixating on one single mistake that elicited a laugh or two from their audience. While serious practice and formal testing are all part of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom Management is a method used by many teachers to help students be disciplined, organized, and most importantly develop an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. It aims to control student's behavior and assist them to be more academically productive. Classroom rules implementation can be of great help to achieve a well-maintained class environment. It serves as a guide for the students to know their limitations and allows them to observe if their actions are appropriate or not. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate ANDREA D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are enormous numbers of rules which we can be utilized to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Some English training centers will require newly hired teachers to observe classes for a certain period of time. During said time, the new hire can become familiar with the general culture and atmosphere of the institutions learning environment. The new teacher can then also learn the rules of the classroom that students are expected to follow. In some cases, the observed teacher may sometimes include the new hire in activities so that the students begin to feel more comfortable with the newly hired teacher. During this period of observation, the teacher can start to establish rapport with students not only inside the classroom but also in passing outside the classroom. During my experiences teaching at...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A lesson plan is a teacher working document which serves as a step by step guide that provides a detailed description of a course or what the students are supposed to learn and how effectively it can be done during lesson time. Over time there have been lots of description as to what a lesson plan should look like or how a lesson could be planed. It is very important to plan a lesson because it is very difficult for inexperienced teachers to be flexible in a lesson without a teaching guide. However, planning a lesson should be carefully done so as to avoid making the teacher less flexible to meet up with the needs of the students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mireille L. N. We...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Reading is important. It is an important tool that aids in language acquisition whether the language is native or foreign. Unfortunately, it is sometimes neglected, especially as the students move up in their studies. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Wesley J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Having been raised without television until I was in junior high school, I would read books, magazines, and the Sunday newspaper. At an early age, my first card was the library card. I could borrow many books. I would often borrow fifteen to twenty books every two weeks in addition to the four books I could borrow from my school library....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences It is to most people’s belief that to be a good teacher one has to be an outgoing teacher in the classroom but there are many good teachers who very low key and chilled but delivering epic classes, while another teacher can be both lively and amazing. One should bear in mind that for a class to be at its best and be the effect, the teacher must be a role model and very inspiring to his or her students. A teacher must be flexible and be able to adjust based on the situation ahead of them and this has been the reason for this summary as I talk about classroom management, what is it that is called classroom management? what skills are required for great classroom management? how to arrange the classroom, and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Vocabulary represents one of the most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a foreign language. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills like Reading comprehension, Listening comprehension, speaking, writing, and pronunciation. Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use English effectively. When he/she is confronted with a native English Speaker, when watching a movie or when listening to a favorite song, when reading a text or when writing a letter to a friend, students will always need to operate with words. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vivian M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A lesson plan is a series of instructions written by the teacher on how to cover his lesson It is also a working document to refer to during the lesson ad a record of the class content useful for future lessons or for other teachers. An effective lesson plan should be flexible and open to change. How a lesson plan is written depends upon the teacher. It's complicated because it doesn't exist the perfect way to write a lesson plan. It can be formal following a specific pattern or written in the form of notes but simplicity is essential. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daniela F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, a...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Vocabulary represents one of the most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a foreign language. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills like Reading comprehension, Listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling, and pronunciation. Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use English effectively. When he/she is confronted with a native English Speaker, when watching a movie or when listening to a favorite song, when reading a text or when writing a letter to a friend, students will always need to operate with words. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vivian M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The study stage, when the teaching is actually done, is the second phase of a straight-arrow ESA lesson plan. What needs to be taught in this stage depends on the course content and the source the teacher is expected to cover through a specific period. But generally speaking, languages are made of receptive and productive skills in addition to systems like syntax or grammar, vocabulary or lexis, and phonology. The content of textbooks is normally centered around these areas. Although the ESA method is supposed to be applied for almost every lesson, no matter if it is allocated to a skill or system, the details of the procedure may vary based on the aspect of language that is...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas So you’ve got your TEFL certificate in hand and landed your dream teaching job abroad. Once you’re at the school, it’s time to prep for your classes. More often than not, teachers are expected to create their own course syllabi for their different classes. Here is our guide to writing your first TEFL syllabus. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Zirui P. The syllabus of a course is the frame of what the course is. It tells the students and the teacher what is being taught in the course as well as in what order it is being taught. This is especially true in language learning, as different types of syllabi will indicate what is being learned. There are many types of syllabi for language learning. Depending...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Regardless of the ESA type applied in a lesson plan(straight-arrow, boomerang, patchwork, and so forth), the activation phase, when the target language is supposed to be practiced and promoted through various techniques and activities, is usually the last stage of every lesson. A well-designed activation can be an essential characteristic of a fruitful lesson which highly affects learners' level of participation during the lesson and their sense of achievement at the end of the lesson. This phase is naturally divided into some steps to facilitate the activation process, including the controlled, semi-controlled, and free practices that are briefly discussed in this post. Controlled...  [Read more]