Job Discussion Forums

[danstarr]

I've been really encouraged by all the positive posts so thanks very much indeed. I taught a paid 3-hour cover lesson on Monday evening and it went really well; I started the lesson sat in front of the students and invited them to ask me any question they liked which I then answered and corrected any grammatical mistakes on the board. I had a lesson plan but amazingly, time flew and before I knew it I had only a little time left to do some coursebook exercises. I was pleased because the class were responsive throughout and I even had some positive feedback from one student. I feel that I've turned a corner and although I'm still volunteering, I will be doing more paid cover lessons over the forthcoming months. I know there will be challenges but I'm more confident now and hopefully things will stay that way.

[Sashadroogie]

That's the way. See, not so daunting after all. Keep it up.

[evolving81]

Great news! I was nervous at first as well...I would sweat a lot in class. That didn't last very long though as I got more comfortable with being in front of the class and I really enjoyed the students. As far as your lesson plan, I think it is better to have overplanned than underplanned so not finishing your entire lesson seems ok. This might depend on the school though!

[Isla Guapa]

Congratulations! We knew you could do it. I think the key to dealing with your nerves is to focus on the students, not on yourself. Since you "really enjoyed the students", it sounds like you probably have figured that out already.

[gaijinalways]

Hey good for you. Don't worry, it gets easier with more classes under your belt.

[danstarr]

I've just taken another couple of 3-hour lessons which have both gone very well and I'm generally very pleased with how things are going. For me, I've found the real key to overcoming nerves is in my lesson prep - if I've prepared well then I usually feel confident in the lesson but if there's a game or activity procedure that I'm not 100% sure of then that's when my nerves kick in.

I guess in time, with a few more teaching hours under my belt, it'll all be like water off a duck's back but in the meantime, I'll continue to make sure I prep my lessons the best I can.

With ESOL lessons, there's a fair amount of admin to do i.e. Individual Learner Plans and Evaluation Forms which are inspected by the local funding authorities so there's added responsibility to ensure these are kept up-to-date. However, despite this being time-consuming, I feel that it is all good experience which will stand me in good stead for any future teaching position I may hold.

Thanks all - just wanted to share how things are going

[Perilla]

You're certainly not alone - speaking in front of large groups is enough to make most people nervous, as posters above have pointed out. I was terrified of doing my first class during my CELTA training, and in my early days of teaching always had a preference for small group teaching round a table - I found it far less intimidating.

However, over the years I gained a preference for teaching classes. As someone pointed out, once you get accustomed to it, it is actually easier than one-on-one or small group teaching because you don't have to be the centre of attention so much.

But even after many years of teaching, I still get quite nervous before meeting a new class, and especially the first class after a long summer holiday.

[basiltherat]

My congratulations, too.

In a couple of years (if you stay in this that long) you'll probably look back at your first days and ask yourself what the hell you were fussing so much about.

all the best for the future. You sound as though you really care - which is really nice to hear. Keep going.

Best
Basil

[artemisia]

Teaching (any subject) can be such a challenging job and although the teacher certainly has a lot of influence over the class atmosphere, a lot depends on the mix of students, their goals and levels etc, in terms of what you can do and how you deal with the class.

There's some really good and specific advice on this site so I'll just add a few things. Once you've initially got the ball rolling with a language class, it can be helpful to start off each class with some sort of vocabulary review at the beginning which puts the focus on the students. You can do this with a variety of exercises. If the level is high enough, I'll do A/B pairs with lists so that they have to describe the words/ expressions to each other and guess. You do have to give some examples to explain what to do (the first time) and I usually write up some examples of how to go about explaining vocab.
Sometimes instead of lists, I'll use a crossword puzzle (the puzzlemaker and word find programs online are great). You can also do grammar reviews with a set of 'find the mistake' sentences or presented as A/B sentences for pairwork. Both students have to compare and decide which is the correct version. Basically anything that reviews, gets them talking to each other and takes the focus off the teacher (once it's set up) works well and gives you some breathing space at the start. I often want this so I can set up whatever's coming next or so I can walk around and help the pairs (usually I do both). No reason why this can't be done during the class, too (not just the start).

The other thing I do, if possible, is rearrange the room so they sit at small groups of tables - not necessarily all directly facing the board. I find this more conducive to promoting conversation than a series of rows of desks or L shapes etc.

Hope it all goes well for you!

[Mrs McClusky]

Man up, confidence man, get in the gym and lift some weights.

[isitts]

[justjust]

Think of the students as your friends .. meet up for a coffee or have lunch together if you happen to be teaching adults .. this often happens anyway.This way you will start any lesson with a casual conversation which will make you forget about your nerves and start teaching.Throughout the lesson generate discussion..and try not to speak too much yourself the more the students speak the better!Good Luck..if you follow the brilliant advice that everybody has given you,you will be absolutely fine Take Care

[danstarr]

[Cardinal Synn]