What Teaching Skills Are Required in the Classroom?
Teaching means imparting knowledge or skills to the learners, through various modes of communication; using a wholesome mix of audio, visuals, text, body language, pictures, mimes, and many more. Therefore, we can say that teaching is communication and it's always a two-way process. As a teacher, you must have great communication skills. As a language teacher, you need to make sure that your students understand and follow what you say. You should be able to speak with them effectively and firmly in a calm and clear tone, similarly, they should have this trust on you that they will be heard and understood too, that their views are equally important to you. Make sure that the classroom environment remains a two-way process and. Make sure to listen to and deal with the concerns of students, colleagues, and parents.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Puneet K.
A confident teacher is patient
Managing a young learner's classroom is not an easy task, and a class of teenagers will have its own kind of challenges too. There could be students who would test your patience but being patient with the troublesome students and rather dealing with the negative disturbing behavior will help you improve the class atmosphere. Students would enjoy learning with the teachers who have positive and friendly behavior. There are always students who aren't able to do as compared to other students. We as teachers learn that we should pair or group the students in a way that no one is left behind. A skillful teacher will go one step further, will encourage and build confidence in that student so that he/she recognizes their worth and reaches to the maximum potential.
Also Read: The Difference Between Teaching ESL and Teaching EFL
A professional teacher knows the subject
An ideal teacher should have the expertise within the subject area e.g., ESL, he/she must continuously update their knowledge. He/she should have pedagogical knowledge; he/she should also have instructional and curricular knowledge in order to be a successful teacher. Having thorough subject knowledge and skills will give you the confidence you need to deal with the class. Planning your lesson plans, appropriate materials suitable for the specific age groups well before time will help you keep control of the day in your hand.
Also Read: Why Non-Native English Teachers Can Be Great Teachers
Technologies in teaching
The world has become a small place. Technology has connected the extreme ends of the world and brought them together. And the profession of teaching is definitely not left behind. From audio-visual methods of teaching to 'Smart' classrooms, teaching has been changing every day. For example, young learners enjoy dancing on poems or songs and every teacher has a stock of these resources, but what about teenagers or adults if want them to engage in music-related activities. Using karaoke in ESL classes gives an opportunity to engage older students in music activities. Nowadays classes have "their" blogs or social pages where the teacher acts as moderator and students participate and interact with each other. The young generation being a 'tablet' and 'social networking' generation, we as teachers need to explore how we can incorporate technology in our classroom effectively and positively.
A good teacher is flexible
Teachers need to have patience while dealing with difficult students or classroom situations. There may be times when your lesson plan doesn't go as you planned and that's where you need to be flexible. Keeping calm and improvising at the very moment is a skill what any ESL teacher will need to deal with everyday classroom situations. Learning from your everyday experiences makes you different from others.
Teachers have this ability to inspire students, co-workers, and even parents. A teacher can spark their students' imagination, ignite their minds and set them on the right path. The important thing is to connect with the students, by establishing the rapport with them. That inspiration will lead your students to fulfill their potential and achieve amazing success.
Also Read: How Globalization Has Fueled the TEFL Boom
A great teacher is an artist
The American author and Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck once said, "I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. It might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit."
Teaching is definitely an art when you pick your tools and materials and paint the classroom canvas by creating an enjoyable, motivating and ideal learning environment for the students. It is science too when you apply various teaching methodologies, work out the lesson plans, time management and details of seating arrangements in the classroom. Being an ESL teacher doesn't only mean preparing ESL lessons plans, managing classrooms, doing the evaluation and an exam, teaching requires many more skills to get positive results in the classrooms. Sometimes you become a theater artist, sometimes an instructor, sometimes you play with your students and sometimes you are a mentor for them.
Juggling within a variety of roles such as dealing with student behavior, being up-to-date with computer technology, individual counseling, and inculcating positive attitude in the students by being an example of positive role model, etc. is what makes a teacher successful in the classroom, and that's what it takes to see happy smiling faces of your students at the end of the class, who eagerly wait for your next class and of course a satisfaction in your mind that you have been successful in your mission to knock on the doors of their minds and hearts. Nobel Laureate, prominent Indian author, poet, and musician Rabindranath Tagore believed that “The main objective of teaching is not to give explanations, but to knock on the doors of the mind.”
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All of these teaching skills are great ideas that will help any teacher make the most of their time infront of students.
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