Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Luoyang Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Lianyungang Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
Volunteer Teaching In the realm of teaching English as a second language there is a significant amount of volunteer teaching positions that are available not only within our own local communities but in many countries around the globe as well. Volunteer teaching when done correctly, can be a rewarding service that can be provided to the community. Overseas volunteer opportunities exist in areas that are often remote, where schools may be overcrowded, with limited teachers and stretched out resources. Volunteer teaching in these types of settings has the potential to give others an opportunity to improve their life learning opportunities, without their families facing significant financial hardship in the process. Giving others the ability to receive an education that they might otherwise not be able to afford is an amazing service to others. Just like any TESL position there are considerations we need to make for volunteer teaching as well. Some of these are discussed below. Cultural Understanding Having a good understanding of your student’s home country and culture is important in being able to build rapport and ensuring that as a teacher you are respecting your students cultural beliefs and values. This includes adhering to the schools rules and dress codes according to their culture and customs. Having Patience It is important to understand that it takes time to build rapport and may take a while to see positive results, especially when the subject matter is new. Class management It is important to make lessons interesting to keep the students engaged and lessons meaningful. Curriculum content taught also needs to be relevant for the students immediate environment. Content that is relevant and useful will help keep the students engaged and excited about what they are learning. Work to your classes actual ability level and use visual examples where possible. Preparing and delivering lessons to your students - have clear objectives and a plan for each lesson - Speak slowly and clearly - Use clear and concise instructions - Make sure that the whole class can hear you - Use a variety of different methods and activities to engage the classes interests and maximise their learning - Deal with off task behaviour individually and not as a group - Celebrate student successes Handover Your role as a volunteer may only be for a certain period of time therefore it is important to provide quality hand over notes to provide solid foundations for your classes future teachers. This ensures maximum benefit to the students, with minimal learning disruption. As some guidance for hand over notes they should highlight specific lesson plans covered and content that can be re-visited for the students benefit as well as any other advice or hints that will allow future lessons to flow from previous ones. These are just some simple guidelines to help make your volunteer teaching experience positive for both yourself and your students. Volunteer teaching English can have a positive impact on not only your own life but on your students as well. The benefits to your life volunteer teaching can include gaining experience, being part of a community, meeting new people and perhaps changing others lives in the process.
