Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Texas? Are you interested in teaching English in Aquilla, Texas? Check out our opportunities in Aquilla, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT!
The videos for this unit really illustrated the importance of the teacher’s attitude and behavior. In the first video, the teacher appeared to not care for the class at all. He was not prepared for his own lesson, showing up late and doing things on the fly. As a result of his lack of preparation his lesson was difficult to understand and the overall goal was unclear.
He was also discourteous to his students, only calling on those whose names he knew or were clearly visible to him. The manner in which he corrected students was lacking sensitivity, sometimes referring to certain students as losers, and chiding those in the class who were unable to understand his shoddy explanations and directions. He gave no importance or relevance to the game that was played at the end of the class either, giving no motivation for the students to participate. Then he just left them at the end of the class without a proper farewell or closure of the class.
His utter lack of interest in everything he did made him come off as cold and unapproachable: someone who was not there to help students. I do not think the class would have been able to walk away with much. Furthermore they would not trust him or take the class seriously in the future, especially since they could not learn properly. The teacher completely removed all meaning from the course.
In the second video however, the teacher acted much more professionally. He was there before the class started and had prepared much. There were prompts written on the board that helped get the glass going with the Engage phase, and before that he introduced himself and wrote his name on the board. This proper introduction made the class feel more intimate and welcoming.
After the Engage phase he had many props and much realia prepared for the Study phase. His explanations were clear and concise, using the board more effectively and making a lot fewer errors (in the first video he often wrote in all caps). He included everyone in the lesson, making them feel comfortable to try to answer questions. He elicited what he wanted from the students with clear directions, miming and realia. It was visible that students were able to follow the lesson, see a goal, and take good notes. Also, when he went over the answers to his handout, he clearly wrote them on the board, as opposed to in the first video where he wrote nothing of value to the students.
Finally when it came to the game, or the Activate phase, he checked for comprehension of the rules first and gave a thorough explanation of how the game should be played. This lead to no confusion whatsoever regarding gameplay or objectives. The students were able to use English and have fun. Furthermore he clearly kept score on the board, making the activity seem much more worthwhile. Then he even went further and asked for the students’ findings, making sure that everyone spoke. To top it off he ended class in a much more proper way and waited for the students to leave first.
Overall the two videos showed the importance of lesson planning, being prepared, enthusiasm, and courtesy. Following the ESA structure made the lesson in the second video more manageable and gave it direction and clear objectives. The teacher also looked more reliable and professional with all the materials he prepared, which showed how much thought and care he put into the lesson. His friendly attitude made his students feel welcome and willing to participate.
