The Necessity of Managing Equipment and Teaching Aids
Teaching aids have become fundamental for teachers in all types of classrooms. These aids serve in honing the students' reading skills and comprehension, keeping the class from becoming boring for the student, and presenting material in practical ways that can be applied in everyday activities.
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Katrina K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Habits
Being organized plays a big role in teaching, no matter what the subject is. Part of being organized is knowing how to use your resources. The teacher may have a dozen wonderful teaching aids, but if the teacher doesn't know where they are, or must spend half the class time looking for them and organizing them, it dampens the effect it will have on the student.
Also Read: "Ways to Encourage ESL Students to Learn English"
Working with books
The most commonly thought of teaching aid is most likely a coursebook. In an ESL class, coursebooks can be wonderful aids. However, if class activities are limited to coursebooks only, class time becomes monotonous and students may lose interest over time. Most teachers will use supplemental aids and materials like worksheets, as well as visual aids such as pictures, flashcards, and objects. For students in an ESL class, learning a new language can be aided greatly by visual aids. Visual aids can be easier and more effective at expressing a concept than words for a language student. Visualization will often help with memorization, which is an intrinsic component of learning a new language.
Digital equipment
There are many kinds of equipment that can be used in teaching, including overhead projectors, cassettes, and CDs, TVs, and computers. Before the lesson begins, all equipment should be set up and ready to go. The teacher should have tested the equipment to feel completely confident in his or her ability to use it. It is very important to have this done before class. Otherwise, the teacher will be taking up precious class time that could be spent helping the students.
Also Read: What are the hiring seasons for teaching English abroad?
Printed materials
If the teacher has a lot of teaching aids for one class, such as flashcards, pictures, posters, or worksheets, all materials should be kept in an orderly manner. The teacher can then go from one activity to another without needing to search for what they need. Time is extremely precious in the classroom. The teaching should spend as much of it as possible focused on the students.
Other tools
Cassettes players, though seemingly outdated, are widely used in new language courses. If a cassette player is being used, the teacher should ensure it is ready to play at the right spot before teaching begins. This includes knowing how far to rewind if it is necessary.
Whiteboards or chalkboards are widely used in teaching. When using a whiteboard or chalkboard, the teacher should have as much as possible already written on the board before class. Everything should be written neatly and cleanly, using lower case letters as they are easier for ESL students to read. Information should be written in columns, using different colors to emphasize different word points. Everything written on the board needs to be done carefully and correctly, as this is where students will look to get their notes.
Also Read: The Useful Skills I learned Taking a TEFL course
No matter what piece of equipment is being used, the teacher should always have a backup plan, especially when using technological/electrical equipment. There will always be a chance of something going wrong. Having too much prepared is always better than not having enough. Everything should be prepared beforehand, and the teacher should be comfortable with what they will be presenting to the class.
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If the teacher is prepared and organized, he or she can better serve the students and more time can be devoted to them. It also will serve in giving the teacher more confidence in teaching if he or she is well-organized. The students will respect the teacher more and feel that the teacher is more competent. When students see a confident, well-organized teacher, they are more at ease and feel confident themselves in learning the material being presented. Teachers want nothing more than relaxed students eager to learn in the classroom.
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