| When I started teaching English my students often | | | | down in the back of the classroom and for about ten |
| complained that my classes were boring. Most | | | | minutes pretended to be talking to me on the |
| beginning teachers get those kind of complaints. It | | | | telephone. It was really bizarre. He wanted to get me |
| actually took me about a year and a half, even close | | | | to loosen up, and to show me that we could stretch |
| to two years, before I got beyond that stage. | | | | the boundaries of our role as teachers. |
| There are many things that I've done that have come | | | | You have to constantly sense the level of energy of |
| easily and naturally to me, but teaching English wasn't | | | | the group. Teaching English is more like facilitating |
| one of them. I thought it would be, but it was pretty | | | | group therapy, or being a party host, than what you |
| difficult for me to learn, and though I've gained | | | | normally think of as teaching. You're constantly sensing |
| confidence through years of experience, it has taken a | | | | the needs and desires of the group, leading them |
| long time (eight years now) to get to where I can | | | | through activities, ready to change if it's not working. |
| teach without getting stressed out about it. | | | | Some students will always complain about being bored; |
| I am by nature a quiet, soft-spoken person. I don't | | | | it's their way of avoiding the hard work of learning a |
| know whether it's a good or bad trait, but it certainly | | | | second language. Some classes, especially classes of |
| makes teaching more difficult. Loud and opinionated | | | | young teens, will never be entertained enough. You |
| people have an easier time. I envy teachers whose | | | | could bring in Britney Spears and Michael Jackson to |
| voices are naturally loud. If only I was loud, obnoxious, | | | | sing a duet for them, and they would still just sit there |
| and boorish- teaching would be much easier! | | | | and roll their eyes and complain, "Teacher, boring!" It's |
| So first of all, I had to learn to speak very loudly. | | | | really annoying. You do your best. |
| (Quirky tip for teaching English: Pop your ears before | | | | Try to keep a balance between different types of |
| class, so that your voice will sound normal to yourself. | | | | activities in one class session. l usually have 90-minute |
| Actors do it before going on stage.) You also must be | | | | classes and I try to keep a balance between me |
| aware of the timing of your speech- the speed and | | | | talking to the whole class, students interacting with |
| the length of pauses in your speech. | | | | each other, students listening to something, playing |
| In my first year, a Vietnamese teacher who was | | | | games, etc. At my language-center job the usual class |
| helping me in class gave me this tip: when doing choral | | | | starts with 15 to 30 minutes of me talking with the |
| repetition of vocabulary or whatever, don't pause | | | | whole class, then 15 to 30 minutes of the students |
| between words. I was doing it too slowly, pausing for a | | | | talking in pairs or groups, then 15 to 30 minutes of |
| second between words. It made the students feel | | | | listening exercises, and then 15 to 30 minutes of |
| bored. Now I keep up the pace; I'm starting to say the | | | | game-playing or some other activity. |
| next word when the class is right at the end of saying | | | | Also balance the types of activities from class to |
| the previous word. There is no pause; it keeps the | | | | class. I'm talking about the activities you bring to class |
| energy up. | | | | that are outside of the class textbook or regular |
| And when I do word-guessing games with the class, I | | | | curriculum. Give the students an information-gap |
| try not to have pauses between words, and I keep | | | | activity one day, a game the next day, some music |
| the pace up so the class doesn't get restless. I have | | | | the next day, group conversation topics the next day, |
| seen teachers who give the class a word to guess | | | | etc. |
| and after they finish that word the teacher thinks | | | | In general, don't think of yourself as a teacher, |
| about the next word, takes a while to write the next | | | | especially when teaching at an English language-center. |
| word, meanwhile the class is fidgeting... | | | | Teaching at schools and universities is a little different, |
| In general, always keep your sense of humor | | | | and teaching TOEIC/TOEFL/IELTS is certainly |
| front-and-center. You don't want to become a clown, | | | | different. (When students say they're bored in TOEFL |
| you don't want to just be an entertainer, but you do | | | | class I just say, hey, what do you expect- this is |
| need to keep it fun. Sometimes I tell a joke or say | | | | TOEFL. Of course it's boring!) But language center |
| something completely absurd, just to find out who is | | | | students also have a job or go to school and the |
| awake. | | | | English class is extra. They are tired and you need to |
| Also back in that first, difficult year, a foreign teacher | | | | help them stay awake. |
| at my school saw that I was struggling with this issue. | | | | Think of yourself as a talk-show host, a group-therapy |
| We chatted about it a bit in the teacher's room and | | | | leader, an inspirational speaker, not as a teacher. Be |
| then I went to class. To my surprise, and the students', | | | | entertaining but don't go overboard; don't try to be Mr. |
| five minutes later he opened the door and walked into | | | | Bean, but keep it light, keep it moving, and keep up the |
| my classroom wearing a full-face wolf mask and | | | | pace. Smile a lot. |
| carrying a telephone. I was like, uh, come on in. He sat | | | | |