Teach English in Zhonghexi Zhen - E'erduosi Shi — Ordos

What personal qualities are important for English teachers? Through my two years’ experience teaching EFL, I have encountered many English teachers with varying qualities and personalities. Through these interactions and my own experiences I feel I have developed an understanding of what personal qualities are important for English teachers’, in particular, English teachers working in Japan. In Japan the way that English is taught from Elementary school, Junior High School and High school can vary greatly. For Elementary school where I have worked, class is more focused on speaking, gaining confidence and creating an enthusiasm in the students for learning English. Junior high on the other hand has more tests and the students being older and more focused are less inclined to need to be persuaded to study. This means that English teachers need different qualities depending on the school they teach in. I believe however that there are five key qualities to be a good and effective English teacher regardless of where you work. These are patience, sense of humour, an approachable demeanor, empathy, and creativity. When interacting with vulnerable people such as students, patience is vital. From my experience I have seen teachers interact with students in different ways but I have never seen them get angry or frustrated at students for anything other than disobeying the rules. When the whole class is not focusing or quieting down it is very hard to stay calm but if you have developed a high level of patience it is possible. Instead of yelling at the students, I and most teachers I have worked with, use tactics such as raising our arm or clapping to indicate we need the class to focus. If the teacher always yells, the students might start to ignore them, fear them or come to hate the subject they are studying with that teacher. As an English teacher it is vital to keep the atmosphere of the classroom lighthearted and enjoyable especially in Elementary school. This is so that students gain an interest and confidence in studying English. This is why we need limitless patience to facilitate students’ growth and the confidence to answer questions in class (usually fifth and sixth graders). We need patience also to help us, the teachers, stay calm in tough situations like when the unruly students are constantly interrupting or the class is not focusing on the next task and being too loud (usually first to third graders). If we did not have this patience then I do not think we could cope with the stress of teaching. To create a fun atmosphere in Elementary school English classes, teachers should not be so serious and have a good sense of humour. The best classes I have taught and had the pleasure of watching, the teachers kept the mood light by using the students sense of humour to their advantage. For younger students acting in a silly manner, such as using a high pitched voice or reacting in a dramatic way, is often amusing to them. The older grades on the other hand have a different sense of humour but still enjoy when their teachers play the clown. I have noticed first hand that when students are having fun and laughing greatly not only do they enjoy class more but they actually remember more of the class content as well. For example, if we play one of their favourite games called fruits basket where they use the target language and have fun, they usually remember the new words more quickly than if we just did drill practice. It is great if a teacher has a sense of humour but what if their aura is very intimidating? In Elementary school the more students want to talk and approach you the more you can build a rapport and use English outside of the classroom to help boost their interaction with English. If a teacher has an intimidating demeanor though the students will not want to interact outside of class or even get involved during class. I am quite tall but compared to the students I am practically a giant. This can be very scary for students who are not used to people of my height which is why English teachers need to have an approachable demeanor to bridge the gap and help the students be more comfortable around you. For a lot of my students I am the first foreigner they have ever been able to interact with so I am not only being an ambassador for my country and language but also for foreigners in general. If the students’ first impression is of a grumpy, cold teacher this might cloud their opinion or stop them from being curious or asking for help during class. When students have the confidence to say hello every day and try to talk to you it not only enriches their lives but the lives of the teachers. For English teachers to help understand their students and what they enjoy doing or find stressful they need to be able to imagine what it is like to be them. During class, disputes can happen between the students where the main cause might not be anything to do with class. Acting with empathy can help you better understand and address this behaviour and even help the students feel valued enough to share. It is easy just to react to students outward behaviours but there is always more than meets the eye. Empathy is a powerful quality that can help teachers to better understand what is causing students’ behaviour and help find ways to support them. It has helped me many times to connect to my students on a deeper level than just through teaching English. If you cannot empathise then the students might believe you just do not care about them and might start to act out because of this. Finally, the last quality I believe is important for an English teacher, creativity. As mentioned earlier Elementary school classes usually run more smoothly if they are fun and what better way than through creative games and visual aids. A lot of the students I teach in Japan are still learning their native language so it is very hard for them to grasp English without the help of materials, such as pictures. A teacher can individualise these visual aids to suit the students’ interests and bring another fun element to the class. Sometimes a class has been sprung upon me last minute and I have to scramble to create a class. I rely quite heavily on my ability to draw and think of games that students generally enjoy. However, I do know of English teachers who are not artistic but still manage to create enjoyable content for students by relying on art from online. To conclude, I believe there are five key qualities to be a good and effective English teacher regardless of where you work. These are patience, sense of humour, an approachable demeanor, empathy, and creativity. My experiences are purely based on teaching English in Elementary school in Japan so I am not sure if these qualities correlate to other countries but I believe they certainly help to create enjoyable English classes and build rapport between the English teacher and their students.