I've lately been thinking a lot of the things I knew before I was a teacher and what I've learned since then. This blog coincides with the prompt for this month's Reach To Teach Blog Carnival: "what you've learned in the ESL classroom." (If you'd like to contribute to next month's Blog Carnival contact dean@reachtoteachrecruiting.
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What I knew
before I started teaching
o
I knew…
§
enough essential English grammar to recognize
things that are wrong and why
§
a few ways to settle a classroom
§
some classroom games
§
that I loved teaching
·
What you
will learn the first few years of teaching
o
I know…
§
random details of English grammar (I’ve gotten
really good at appositives and random TOEFL grammar)
§
patience. INCREDIBLE amounts of patience.
§
more classroom games and activities (and what
games / activities are best suited to a class / lesson)
§
how to break down complicated concepts into
simple ideas
§
to quickly identify words and phrases in a text
that will be difficult for my students
§
to communicate very well without using words
§
to guess quite accurately what someone is saying
(even if it is in a different language) very useful for traveling :D
§
to use random objects in class successfully
§
millions of ways to amuse myself during meetings
(analyze the grammar, make your own listening activity, etc.)
§
the internet is an amazing tool with activities,ideas, worksheets, and inspiration everywhere you turn!
§
to not fear the silence after I ask a question.
Students are thinking!
·
What I hope
to learn the next few years or teaching
o
I’d like to
§
be more apt at helping students overcome their
pronunciation issues.
§
become aware of more uses for my tablet in the
classroom
§
become more familiar with the needs of different
English assessment tests so I can better prepare my students
§
create more activities where my students are
actively working with people from other countries.
§
develop more patience…I am sure I’ll need it.
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