Job Discussion Forums

[SaratheSlytherin]

I just graduated from a Tefl certificate course (Trinity Cert TESOL) last month. I think that everyone made a good deal of progress, but when we were wrapping up the course we discussed the areas in which we need to improve.

I want to teach English abroad as soon as possible, but I can't do it immediately because I want to save a substantial amount of money before I move abroad, to ANY country.

I'm concerned about two things:

1. That what I learned will be "lost" and get "rusty"

2. There are so many things that I need to improve and work on. Now that the course is over, and our teaching practice is over, how does one work on them? If there are so many areas in which a teacher is lacking, how does that person manage to get, keep, and perform well in a teaching job?

Some of the tutors said that you can't expect to be GREAT when you start out, but it's really overwhelming to want to perform well and to have all these weaknesses. Like I said, we did a teaching practice as part of our course, which lasted a month. Now that it's over, though, it seems like the next step is finding a job... how does one improve and work on their skills, to prepare for a real classroom? Did anyone else have similar feelings?

I can take an honest answer, but I do not need any nasty answers. Thank you if you can help me.

I don't wanna fail... I wanna be successful.

[johnslat]

Dear SaratheSlytherin,
You could try your local community college ESL Department; it could well need "Literacy Volunteers."
At Santa Fe Community College, such volunteers can get classroom time - but it's no pay, of course.
Let me reassure you, though. Anyone who's as concerned as you are with doing a good job, WILL be a very good teacher. We can ALL always improve, but that'll come with time and experience. The important thing is that you WANT to improve.

Regards,
John

[jdl]

Good advice. I would only add that that once you are settled in a school/job establish a network (formal or informal) of colleagues and acquaintances of a similar 'self improvement' mind. You can sit in on each others classes, plan together, share planning, develop instructional teams that are stronger by virtue of your collaboration.....possibilities are endless and so much more interesting than existence behind the 'closed classroom door'

Whatever you do have a lot of fun!

[Glenski]

[rogerwallace]

good question/good post! When I was in teacher credentialing(CA), it was 6 months in the classroom, with a master teacher of 30+ years. Standing up in front of the class, day after day was the experience I needed. The advice about community college/literacy programs, etc is well taken! What ever it is-just do it. The worst that can happen is that you learn from your mistakes and success's.

[Glenski]

[DaughterOfaTeacherman]

Once you get a job, ask the school if you can sit in on an experienced teacher's classes.

[fluffyhamster]

Keep (buying and) reading books, especially on grammar, linguistics and language generally - becoming ever more knowledgeable will obviously help you to sort the wheat from the chaff (and there is a fair bit of chaff in ELT) in the practices you witness or hear about, whilst helping you to formulate your own approach at an, er, 'Approach' level.

[BocaNY]

Am new in teaching ESL and my biggest problem is grammar. I look up the grammar I need to teach for my class and make notes on it and even understand it but the problem comes when I have to teach it. I get confused and the students are asking all these grammar questions that have nothing to do with the topic am teaching. I try to predict what they will ask so I can have a reply but I just can�t seem to do it. Any advice on what to do? I have sat in on other teachers lesson.

It really doesn�t help when your boss keeps saying how so and so is so great at teaching grammar. Yea am sure they are since they have over 5 years experince.

Any help would be greatly appricated.

[johnslat]

Dear BocaNY,
Well, there's really no "short-cut" that I'm aware of. I was fortunate enough to have had a parochial school eduction; those nuns drilled grammar into us, and we diagrammed a veritable forest of trees.
But over the years, I've learned at least as much by teaching grammar as I did back in those classrooms.
It sounds to me as though you're doing the best you can. All you can do is keep it up; the knowledge will gradually accumulate.

By the way, on your thread "Master's Program," you wrote:

"What about between the four?"

which should be, "What about among the four?" (Ah, those nuns.)

And on that thread, I also think it would be helpful to potential responders if you could add just what you intend to use your degree for - e.g. teaching ESL in the States; teaching EFL overseas. What are your long-term career plans?

Regards,
John

[Glenski]

[Insubordination]

I agree, know your subject. Grammar as well as teaching techniques (ways to teach reading, for example).

Even though it's no fun, being observed helped me improve my weak points (white board organisation, having the students sit isolated from each other, not pausing enough to wait for answers, no correction of pronunciation or grammatical errors, too much moving around the classroom, teaching to the more animated students and ignoring the quiet ones etc.).

[fluffyhamster]

'Teaching grammar' makes sense in the context of teacher training/training teachers, but even there, there is the assumption that one will have read a good descriptive set text or two beforehand, if not (continue to) reach one's own conclusions. It makes less sense however in the context of teaching general students, especially if the teacher is formulating pedagogy (and not even theories!) on the basis of quite limited training and knowledge. (Not having a go at you, Boca, just saying that a lot of the grammar so-called explanations and presentations that you see in classes are quite forced, and would be less "necessary" if courses were more "sophisticated" i.e. of wider scope in design, content especially, and execution).

[Von Dut]

Some advice that has helped me in teaching was that in every class you will have 20% that are really interested and are eager to learn and try, 20% that don't care and will do nothing regardless of what you do, and 60% that are on the fence. Gear lessons towards those 60%. You can always adjust for the great 20% and the lesser 20%. Try to get as many students as possible to work in class.

Even after all the advice I have been given I am still learning how to be a better teacher. Although I did recently earn a award for teacher excellence!! (Yes, tooting my own horn!!) We are all a work in progress. If anyone thinks they cannot get better, time for a new career.

[jdl]

Von Dut,

Congratulations on the award! There is entirely too little recognition of excellence in teaching. We are sometimes such a critical lot.

Well done!

Spread the excellence around and recognize a colleague for his/her contribution.