Teach you badly once, shame on YOU! Teach you badly twice, shame on ME!

This just got into my mind and I grabbed the laptop not to let my ideas slip (sleep) away. 🙂zzzz

Well, I thought of teacher development and how important it is today!

Having all the technology, all the magical tools to prepare and have the perfect lesson, it is a fact, and many of my colleagues would agree here, that this idea is doomed. Why? What might go wrong? 

Here is my list:

#1 my students are not in the mood of studying, they are just not feeling that way right now;

#2 my students have got some issues to solve, something which is lingering in their minds;

#3 my students might have had a terrible day at work or something very important has been planned for the day ahead.

And you are there, on their agenda, yet another thing to deal with! … So, what is the typical scenario here?

You start discussing something that nobody cares about, but it is in your book.

You start listing and defining vocabulary, the very same ones from your book.

You start inventing context to activate these phrases, …. scraping the bottom of the barrel here, putting so much effort into something that is not touching them at all, but it is in the book. Is this what you call an English lesson? Words, phrases, info, a few sentences mumbled?

My answer is NO!!! I must admit I was teaching some of those classes but I learned MY lessons from them!

To make this piece of article a little bit more practical, I am sharing my simple tips how to avoid the above-mentioned scenario:

1. Expect the unexpected! Actually, ditch your expectations!  Anything might go wrong from bugged technology to spilled coffee on your book 🙂 
2. Learn to adapt! Things could be beyond your control. You cannot be aware of all of the issues people are dealing with!
3. Crack a joke to warm up the atmosphere, to break the ice as they say (if you are feeling like it)
4. Smile!
5. And Breathe! You are their leader for the next hour AND do your best to INSPIRE them and bring emotions to class so they would feel happy about what they are doing!

For me, it is as simple as that and so hard at the same time! It’s just you and your students, fully present during the class and you have to guide them along the fascinating journey of learning a new language. 

Make them switch into English, both literally and metaphorically. 

Many psychologists note that people are generally more willing to share their thoughts more freely in another language, different from their native one since they feel detached from the words.

I tell them to learn this language because next time they struggle to express something in their native tongue, English can make it much easier for them. Just imagine all the words and phrases you will be able to use when addressing an angry driver beeping their horn at the traffic light. 🙂

I am definitely sharing some funny moments from my classes, if I am allowed to of course, in the following articles. So, follow for more!

And now, going back to teacher development, I am really grateful to the Macmillan webinar speakers I am joining in regularly to stay tuned about all the latest insights and methods of teaching a foreign language. These sessions allow me to bring fresh ideas, effective strategies, and innovative approaches into my classes, ensuring a high-quality learning experience for all my students. I have understood that lifelong learning is an inevitable part for our job as teachers and even if we think we have enough experience and don’t need yet another seminar, what this is worth being part of is the inspiration it brings. You CAN give it away after that and YOUR STUDENTS can feel that. They know you care! So, they will be there with you in their next class!

Check my blog for more and if you ever need a class, I am here!