Am I a good teacher?

Lee Jung Hye(Amy)

Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.

-Helen Keller-

I am an English teacher. I have been working for 9 years. But I am not sure if I am a good teacher or not. Am I good at English? I can't say "Yes, I am." Do I try to improve my English skills hard? Absolutely, I can't answer that it is true. Am I nice to my students and do I try to understand my students well? All of these questions make me feel small. I decided to change my mind and skills as an English teacher. I started to takel Tesol class at Times Media. It is a new challenge for being a good teacher.

My first day was June 14th, 2014. My teacher was Ben from the U.S. It made me nervous that I had to study for 8 hours a day. Ben made all of the students make a big circle. We played a simple game. I am not a tactile-kinesthetic learner. In fact, I am a visual learner. So, I don't like these activities a lot. But it made me awake and relaxed.

Next he gave us a questionnaire for interview. We made a pair and interviewed each other. He is a good involver. We did many activities in a pair. Also, he got a lot of information about us in a short time and asked guiding questions of us and elicited replies from the students. When teachers teach adult learners , they should draw out students experiences and knowledge which is relevant to the topics and relate theories and concepts to students, and recognize the value of experience in learning. I felt that he considered the characteristics of adult learners.

I reviewed my classes while I attended Ben's class. I am an explainer. I teach my students man to man. I can't make a pair to discuss anything. Unfortunately, My lessons are focused on the lecture. The lecture is the worst way for learner retention. Ben's methods such as discussion group and experiential learning are more effective for learner retention.

At the end of the class, I got an assignmet for the next class. I am a member on the TPR team. I have to research TPR for weekdays and make a chart with my teammate during next class. He is a good enabler. He makes students research into a subject and explain that in front of other classmates.

After my first class, I felt tired a lot and I had lots of concern. What efforts do I have to do for my students as an English teacher? My teaching methods are totally different from Ben's. I realize I must change all of mine. First, I'll try to be an involver and an enabler rather than an explainer. I'll make them discuss on the topic more and give handout like writing a diary. I think it helps my students think a lot and organize their writing. Of course my students are not adults but I'll keep in mind that I must respect them and help them have a goal of studying English. I expect I can be changed by Tesol course.