Novice Teachers tips

I have been teaching English for six years before deciding to get a qualification in teaching. I used to think that teaching is a passion and so you just bring yourself and your excitement to the classroom and that's it.No need for a plan or goals. Well, my goal was to have fun, making the false assumption that all students share the same learning style as 

I do!

Fortunately, I decided to sign up for a Teaching knowledge Test and so I had to get prepared for that.Little did I know the importance of planning or that every stage of the lesson should have an aim that links to the lesson's main aim!

My first advice to you as a novice teacher is to take it gradually. I can still recall my feelings of being overwhelmed when I was asked to write an hour lesson plan that is to be observed by the manager. I went in planning for days the lesson that was below the required performance. That is mainly because I wanted to do everything at the same time. Many logical steps were missed out such as the stage of feedback and the stage of a semi-controlled activity. All that happened because I was so overwhelmed with the idea of a perfect lesson plan without really considering the steps needed for that plan to work out.

Experiment, Experiment and Experiment that is my golden rule to professional development. Try accepting the fact that you need to learn and develop to teach your students. Although, We all go into our classrooms with the best intentions yet it seems that this is not really enough to satisfy your students need. So allow yourself the luxury of researching new methods and techniques, follow webinars and experienced teachers of different cultural backgrounds'blogs.Try a lesson that is out of the syllabus for the sheer fun of experimenting, I promise both you and your students will be amazed by the results!

Remember! It is the student's class not the teacher’s. By that, I mean a classroom should be a learner centered not a teacher-centered one. It is crucial, you learn about the different learning styles of your students so that you can design materials that are both beneficial and interesting. This may sound silly, but it is really of great importance that you listen to your students; pay attention to what useful language they bring to the classroom and build on it, that can be a very good way to build rapport with your students moreover, it gives students feeling of learning ownership.

My fourth advice to you and to myself is, get into the habit of documenting the lesson plans and attach materials needed to it in my computer. This serves as a great resource to you as you may teach the same lesson again or as in my case to be used in standby lesson. What is more is that you can also keep a sample of the best production that you get from your students. This can be a very useful tool of motivation to other students when seeing that those other students had attempted the task before them. They may even challenge themselves into creating something more interesting!

"Sharing is caring" is a deep slogan that lends itself easily to the ELT world. By sharing your ideas with other colleagues, you do not only get their opinion but also help yourself develop a better understanding. Seek help of others when you feel unsure. Perhaps ask your colleagues for peer observation. Get into their classroom and learn new techniques. See for yourself the class dynamics and then try applying what you learned with your students. Likewise, having feedback from your colleagues helps you see your teaching with a fresh eye. 

   

Finally, stumbling around, indefinite and a tormenting fear of making fun of yourself can all be some negative emotions that a novice teacher can feel when stepping into their classroom. Yet these negative feelings can serve as a driving force to any teacher who is willing to push him/herself to learn how to develop. So do not be afraid, a wonderful journey that is waiting you ahead.