Job Discussion Forums

[Irish]

Just wanted to say that I've really enjoyed following this thread. As I begin my practice teaching, this topic has been weighing on my mind--I'm terrified that I'll be an awful teacher. The comments made here have given me a lot to think about and I hope to benefit from everyone's experience.

As for pomposity...maybe it's me, but I don't see it. Of course, there's no way for us to prove that one person or another is a good or bad teacher. So what? Compared to those who put no thought or effort into improving themselves as teachers because they think having native speaker status is qualification enough, this brand of pomposity looks quite attractive.

[Lynn]

TESL/TEFL is such a braod field when I think about it. I'm realized I'm better in some fields than others.

1)conversation school in Japan: Adults had learned the basics of English in six years of school, but never really had a chance to speak it. Therefore, they signed up for English class like a hobby. My lessons weren't even really lessons. I just had to go in there and have a good time. Basically, the students just wanted to hear me speak and try to speak to me. When I tried "teaching" once, a student told me quite frankly that she wasn't paying her good money to get any more "English learning" she'd done enough of that in school. ( I wasn't very good at this kind of TESL and eventually left after 5 months)

2)Public elementary schools in Japan: Boy, oh boy! I used about 10%English and 90% Japanese for this job. I had to rotate to all 15 elementary schools in the city. I saw each classroom only 4 times a year. Again, it wasn't even really "teaching", it was more like an introduction to a foreigner. But I really liked this job. The kids were great and I got along well with all the Japanese teachers. And my Japanese was at an all time high (it was at this time I passed the level 2 test) I stayed there for 2 years.

3)EFL in New York:

a) teaching immigrants is what I find most rewarding. We literally start from zero, and work our way very slowly. "name, country, greeting" takes one week (12 hours) to master. We don't move on until everyone has it down solid. My school has a great methodology where the students speak 80% and the teacher 20%. I am very comfortable with this system. It is quite straight foward. I had my own supplement work, but we stick to the lessons.

b)the international students. Sometimes I have good classes, but basically I'm not good with this group. They are usually Asian or from other developed coutnries. It is very similar to the "conversation" school in Japan. These students are in the states on an F-1 Visa, and have a time limit. They also have to have money. I also find that sometimes the students know more than I. This is when "winging" it doesn't work for me. The students might want to talk business or politics or something I am really unfamiliar with. I'm the teacher, so I'm supposed to know, right? Argh! These classes always make me lose confidence as a teacher.