TEFL TEACHING- The First Day of Class

The First Day of Class

 

 

 

 

 

If you are considering becoming an English language teacher you need a program which prepares you for the realities of teaching, not one that fills your head with a bunch of useless information that you will never use. At Paradise TEFL we focus on providing our participants with a practical approach toward Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

 

A common question we hear time and again is, “How should I prepare for the first day of class?” Keep in mind it is normal to feel anxious and concerned about the best way to break the ice with your students and maintain a professional and well disciplined approach.

 

Both new teachers and old teachers alike feel a few jitters on the first day of class. But it is not just the teachers who struggle with returning to school. All parties – students included – are a little nervous on the first day of a new class: the students because they don't know what to expect and are afraid of being unable to perform, and the teacher because he or she doesn't know what kind of collective attitude the students may possess towards learning, and how much of themselves they will be willing to invest in improving themselves.

 

The teacher should, of course (in one sense), know better than to feel too anxious, because he or she has probably "been there and done that" numerous times in the past. In another sense, however, the teacher, like an actor performing before a new audience, really cannot know in advance how receptive the students will actually be, at least of their own accord. There are ways, though, to virtually ensure a successful class from the very first day, and that is what we will be discussing here.

First things first. A successful first class begins before it ever meets; i.e., a placement exam has been given to the students to group them in a class of a similar knowledge and ability level; a textbook and other study materials have been chosen; and a teacher has been selected for the class who is experienced and successful with the given level of students, or at least has been trained to know how to teach them well, even without prior experience. If any of these elements is lacking, the teaching is not likely to be very successful, and the students may not be happy no matter how well the teacher may teach.

Given that the above conditions have been met, a conscientious teacher is likely to arrive with plans for teaching the first two or three lessons, probably along with some supplementary material (and regalia to bring conversational situations to life), which of course is exactly the correct procedure. Now, however, is the time for caution! Read and heed the following instructions about what not to do on the first day of class:

DO NOT:

·         Start right in teaching. You and the class need to get acquainted and bond with one another first.

·         Begin speaking in your students' language, if it can be avoided (in other words, if they are above beginning level).

·         Correct any conversational errors at this point.

·         Give more attention to the brighter or more outgoing students than to the others.

·         Spend too much time talking about yourself, especially your personal life.

·         Criticize the book that has been selected by your school for the class! If this is not your favorite textbook, or even if you hate it, you must not at any time allow your personal attitude to be known!

DO:

·         Introduce yourself briefly. Smile and be modest, while at the same time assuring the students of your qualifications for, and interest in, helping them.

·         Answer with a smile any questions relating to your marital status, whether you like Thai food and Thai people (if you are in Thailand!), etc.

·         Clean up your native accent to make your speech as understandable as possible.

·         Do not speak too fast, but also do not speak unnaturally slow. Never speak "pigeon English" in order to be understood. And never stop joining sounds in a natural way between your words and syllables,as otherwise your students may understand only you, amongst all the other English native speakers they will meet!

·         Take your time and get thoroughly acquainted with each member of your class.

·         Find out brief personal (but not too personal!) information about each student.

·         Learn the students' names and how to pronounce them and take brief (and non-distracting) notes about the conversational strengths and weaknesses of each one, while also finding out and noting down what English problems each student feels he or she has.

Whatever plan of action an unemployed educator decides to take, in general, the more advanced certifications a TEFL or TESOL Teacher holds, the more opportunity they possess in terms of their marketability and increased number of employment options.

 

For a limited time, Paradise TEFL Certification Program offers these advanced certifications such as TOFEL, IELTS, and TEYL at the SAME PRICE as the basic TEFL/TESOL certification!

The advanced course provides additional English Language teaching certifications and is offered in tandem with our site course in Hua Hin and  Chiang Mai Thailand (and other locations such as Cambodia, China and Mexico)  or as a complete series of online modules.  You should have already completed a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA course first in order to be eligible and teaching experience is necessary. (Our on-site program provides 2 to 3 weeks of hands on observed teaching practice to help our teachers to effectively develop their skills).

All courses are certified and you will receive a certificate of completion, which is internationally recognized and accepted when yo graduate from the course. Many of those who already have experience as TEFL instructors are finding that becoming a certified TEFL trainer is another opportunity and feather in their cap in terms of meeting the demand of TEFL instructors (who are leaving their home countries and working abroad) by teaching others how to teach TEFL effectively.

Graduates with these additional certifications have the advantage of substantially increasing their marketability and employment status. Improve your chances of getting a good job with a higher level of pay by enrolling today!