5 tips for when you start teaching

Teaching can be a daunting task especially when you are new to the job, once you have been trained you will still need to use your skill set to motivate a room full of students to learn.

Here are a few things to think about as you start your new career in teaching –

Find the enjoyment in learning

Albert Einstein once said: “That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes.” To get the best out of students think about how you can make the learning experience as engaging and fun as possible to your students, this is a great way to keep your class motivated to learn.

Confidence is key

Making sure that you deliver your information loud and clear is paramount in teaching, you should also maintain a presence in the classroom by making eye contact and meaningful hand gestures, your students will respond well if you are conveying information with confidence.

Always have an objective in your lessons 

Plan your lessons with an end goal in mind and be clear to yourself what the students will be learning. This way you will ensure more is accomplished.

Set clear and measurable objectives and demonstrate that by the end of the lesson that students have met them. Use SMART objectives: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based is recommended.

During your lessons remember to stop and check that students understand

Make it clear on how students behave in your classroom

As a new teacher, one of the most important things is to create a positive environment to learn and this includes the expected behaviour in class. The best way to deal with classroom behaviour is to have set procedures such as how you want your students to enter and exit the classroom, how to indicate they need help, how to ask to go to the toilet, where to sit and so on.

Giving students expectations and clear procedures for classroom behaviour sets the tone on how you will they will learn. 

If you would like further information about teaching in China: sign up here