Teach English in Gulong Zhen - Chongqing

Increasing Teacher ConfidenceIn any setting speaking in front of an audience can be a very stressful and uncomfortable, however a teacher is forced to come face-to-face with this challenge everyday they stand in front of their class. students feed off of the confidence of their teacher, and if they are confronted with a lackluster teacher or even a great teacher who lacks the confidence to shine, the whole of the class will lose motivation and it can lead to disciplinary problems due to a lack of interest. Whether a teacher has confidence can change the tone of a class, and even teachers who have some confidence can find things to work on. Getting over the fear of speaking in front of your students, being prepared, and being willing to self-analyse and adapt based on the unique needs of your students are all ways in which a teacher can start to increase their confidence in the classroom along with the confidence of their students. The fear of speaking in front of an audience is one that a majority of people share, and one that some rank higher than their fear of death or disease, however the anxiety that comes along with speaking in front of a group can be reduced. Getting to know the students will help ease the tension, building a personal and respectful relationship with them will help create a more comfortable atmosphere and diminish the fear that they will reject the material being presented. Having a sense of humor and accepting the fact that mistakes are inevitable will create a classroom where the teacher and the students are more willing to experiment with the language and try new ideas and activities, thus helping build confidence to continue to try new material. Remaining positive and flexible to the needs of the class will help the teacher see that the students are at times as nervous, if not more so, about the material than the teacher is about presenting. More than anything else, the key to building confidence in the classroom is to always be prepared. Being sure to have participated in a TEFL/TESL course or have previously shadowed a teacher will equip an instructor to know how to better approach the class and give them a better idea of what is expected of them and the best ways of going about it. Having lessons well-prepared ahead of time and coming to class knowing what needs to be covered will help fuel the confidence of the teacher as they will know what they are working towards, and how they would like to work towards it. Having back-up activities, and being overprepared will take some weight off of the fear of finishing too early and the awkward silences that can result. Although a more difficult aspect of teaching, a teacher should be prepared to not only analyse their students, but themself and their own performance in the classroom. Stepping back and getting some perspective on how a lesson went, or even conducting surveys to get an idea of how the students think the teaching and the class are going will help a teacher improve their performance, and thus help them build confidence in the long run. In order to increase confidence in the classroom a teacher must be willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Being prepared and keeping a positive attitude are simple keys to improving confidence. Teaching is a give and take job, and the teacher must also take on the role of a learner in order to improve their performance and thus that of their students. 1 Peterson, Jim A. "Fear of Public Speaking Statistics." Speech Topics Help, Advice & Ideas. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. . Kelly, Melissa. "Top Six Keys to Being a Successful Teacher." Secondary School Education - Education and Teaching. About.com, 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. .