Building a Successful TEFL Teaching Career
Even though I am currently teaching, I found lessons from my TEFL courses to help build onto my already growing teaching career. Being a first-time teacher can be stressful, especially if you have no prior knowledge or experience before. Even though I have been teaching for only three months, my courses gave me many insights and suggestions on improving myself to create a positive learning environment.
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Angela S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Shaping the attitude
One of the first things that my TEFL course taught me was my students' attitude and approach. When the school first started, my students could see that I was nervous and overwhelmed based on my appearance and attitude. When I interacted chaotically, my students would respond similarly. I knew once I built structure, then my students would understand how to function in my classroom. To gain classroom management, I created lesson plans for the first time. At first, it was overwhelming because I believed there had to be a certain way my goals needed to be written. However, what my courses have taught me is there is no exact method to lesson plans. It is whatever makes you feel organized, which could be a detailed document or a scrap of paper with scribbles. As long as you mark your goals for both yourself and your students, you can create a structured atmosphere. When I attempted to write my lesson plans based on what I learned, my students could get into a calm and fun schedule. They could see that I was relaxed because I had everything organized and prepared, which created a soothing atmosphere. It also gave me the confidence to stand in front of the room and teach a lesson that my students were capable of learning.
Teaching approach
To add on, my courses helped me open up to the idea of different methods of teaching. I always thought songs and videos could distract my kids from fundamentally learning the basics. However, after studying about creating games and attention-grabbing lessons, I decided to have fun and creative exercises. This is precisely what my students needed. For example, when teaching my students about snow, I learned a song that led them where their eyes, nose, and mouth were on their face by comparing it to a snowman. They also learned that you wear a hat and scarf when it is cold, just like a snowman does. This created science and nature elements to my lesson, and the kids were able to learn about the weather and body parts. Also, I was able to keep my student's attention throughout the study, which at times can be a crucial motivation for them to learn. Through music, they were able to learn a new subject in a fun way.
Are you ready to teach English abroad or online?
My experience within my TEFL course helped me open my mind to new ways of approaching my career. Each day in the classroom will not always look the same, and what I have learned is that it's okay. Leave room for flexibility within the structure. Don't be afraid to make a mistake and learn from it in the future. Each class will give good and bad feedback that will help me grow as a teacher. The most rewarding part of my teaching career will be the success of my students. All that matters to me is my student's education and experience. If they can have fun and become well-rounded children, I have successfully built onto my teaching career.
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