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Learning Teaching SkillsTeaching is more than just training students to speak english. It actually encompasses social and emotional situations. It is important to note that the teacher?s attitude, personality and approach are essential components of the teaching process. Practical teaching techniques are also important and my research has made me recognised that planning and preparation is of extreme importance and it helps immensely if you can get the students involved in the planning of future lessons, allowing them to be creative and use the language. As the chinese proverb goes ?tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand? (author unknown). Good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason, it is about bridging the gap between theory and practice, listening and remembering every student is an individual with a unique personality and learning ability. Flexibility is another skill required in teaching as classes don?t always run to plan which is not necessarily a bad thing, impromptu conversation is very good in a language class. The need to be interesting and entertaining is essential together with the ability to be caring and nurturing especially with young learners. Students should be given continuous feedback and assessment; they should be rewarded and praised when it is deserved. Discipline should be approached very carefully and sensitively, each incident should be considered individually and treated in accordance with institutional policy. A student should never be embarrassed in front of his/her peers. Disciplinary matters should be dealt with privately after the lesson if possible. The content should move from simple to complex as the student?s knowledge and confidence grows and it should be remembered when a student asks a question it shows the he/she is ready to learn ?take the opportunity. Language teaching can be broken down into four basic skills; receptive ? reading and listening, and productive ? speaking and writing, all of the above mentioned skills are useful at some point when communicating. During my research I found the TESOL Articles on learning teaching skills invaluable and will endeavour to incorporate them in my future teaching role, I summarize as follow:- 1. instruction and keep to your natural speaking rate. This will be the first motivation for students. 2. Correcting Inaccurate responses ? Encourage students to correct their own mistakes and NEVER embarrass them in front of others. 3. Assisting Hesitant Responses ?Give appropriate time to poorer students, don?t focus only on the bright ones. 4. Reinforcing Accurate Responses ??Praising Is the key that opens student participation in the class? (author unknown) 5. Reducing Teacher Talk - Once instruction has been given, allow students to talk ? when they are talking they are learning. 6. Giving Explanations ? Be prepared and give examples, ask students for examples. 7. Modeling ? The most important skill for a teacher, give loud, clear Distributing Participation ? Ensure all students are encouraged to participate, preferably at random 8. Using Question Type ? Use varied types of questioning i.e. ?yes or no answers? or ?a choice? etc. Be prepared to rephrase the question if it is not understood. 9. Using the Board Effectively ? Clear, concise handwriting ? remove information no longer required as soon as possible. Another very interesting publication I enjoyed was The Four Learning Styles by Suzanne Miller which contained an insight into the following learning styles:- The Visual/Verbal Learning The Visual/Non Verbal Learning The Tactile/Kinesthic Learning Style The Auditory/Verbal Learning Style All the information obtained during my research should prove very beneficial to me in future, however, I feel the course units themselves will be the most useful and will be my bible when starting my teaching career. The Four Learning Styles Suzanne Miller (2000) Enhancing Your Teaching Effectiveness (source unknown, www.honolulu.Hawaii education) TESOL Articles Anna Liisa Aguilera Kontio
