starting teaching

[beautiful eyes]

Hi
I am going to start teaching in afew next days. I would like to know what is the secret for becoming a brilliant teacher.

[Rover_KE]

I am going to start teaching in the next few days. I would like to know what is the secret for becoming a brilliant teacher.

We would all like to know that. Start by becoming a competent one.

Rover

[TheParser]

NOT A TEACHER


Hello,

May I share some thoughts?

1. Keep studying grammar and/or literature. If you love grammar and /or literature, your students will sense it.

2. Prepare meticulously. If you have an 8 o'clock class, be there at 7 in order to prepare everything down to the

last detail. (Remember those teachers who walked into the class at 8 a.m. with the students and then wasted time

preparing themselves to teach?)

3. Be very humble. Here is some advice that I once read: "There is less than three-tenths of the language we can

claim to have some knowledge about. Be sure not to blow these three-tenths or to bluff on the other seven-tenths."

***

4. Remember that teaching is a two-way street. Enthusiastic (and well-behaved) students + enthusiastic (and well-prepared) teacher = successful class. Here is a proverb that I once read. It is reportedly Japanese. I read it in a Spanish translation. Here is my bad translation: "One day with a good teacher is better than 1,000 days of conscientious self-study." ****

5. If you can find the right school with the right students, I am sure that you will be a brilliant success.

Teaching, IMHO, is not a job; it is a calling.


HAVE A NICE DAY!


*** Professor Kun Chang. [He may have been referring to Chinese, but -- IMHO -- his advice applies to all languages.]

**** [In case my translation is wrong, here is the Spanish: "Un solo dia con un buen maestro es mejor que mil dias de estudio concienzudo."]

[Tdol]

Know your stuff, care about your students, have a sense of humour and be willing to improvise- these may not make you a brilliant teacher, but they will stand you in good stead. Get them to know you and your good points and bad points- at first some students find my willingness to arrive a few minutes late, coffee in hand, and feel that is fine unprofessional, but then they see my willingness to stay far more minutes at the end- create a style that fits your personality and works. Build a realistic rapport. Get results- be clear on objectives and work towards them. Then find time for a chuckle.