Thursday, 30 June 2016

A Special Gift

Teaching is not just transmiting accurate knowledge! Many people study a teaching career  because they are short-duration and in order to get a job quickly. I think that it is the worst mistake you can make. Not only is wrong because you have to do what your heart tells you but also because it is not like any other job, you are in charge of people's learning processes/education. Moreover, if you do not really love what you do every day you wil not do it well at all. As teachers educate human beings not things, they should maintain their passion for doing it. There are simple ways of doing this:
*Being constantly informed, especialised or curious;
*Being flexible and open-minded;
*having fun in your classes, why not a bit of humour?
*learning from your students;
*being open to changes and innovation;
*considering each student unique;
*being a connected educator;
*and the most important, believing that you are making a difference in your students'lives.
Finally, it is worth to say that to educate is necessary to cause emotion, creating a positive atmosphere which motivates your students to feel comfortable in your classes; surprising in order to create curiosity taking into account that the learning process depends on people's emotional state.

Tuesday, 21 June 2016

My first experience as a teacher

My first teaching experience was amazing. Some months ago I was asked to work in an English workshop with 10 and 12 years old students. At the beginning it cost me a lot to take the decision because during my career I was asking myself If it was teaching the right election. All the same, I took the risk and through myself into the swimmng pool. 
Although it was informal education, when I entered the little classroom I was very nervous and anxious. But my lovely students changed my mind within a minute, making me feel very relaxed and complacent. I had seven students in charged. It was incredible. They loved me and the feeling was mutual. The hour, which I had expected it would be an eternity, passed very quickly. What is more and to my surprise, they asked me to be with them half an hour more making excercises and learning. Incredibly, they wanted to know more all the time and they participate entuthiastically each time I asked them to do it.
Unfortunately, I had some  obstacles. The classroom was small: there was a big table in the center and some chairs. So, we adapted as we can, eventhough it was very uncomfortable. Furthermore, it had no whiteboard. Consequently, I looked for one in the contigouos room and when I was writing on it, it fell and scared us. 
Regardless the latter, everyday I am more and more convinced of what I have chosen. This is what I really want to do my whole life and I will try to do my best every class.

Great Expectations!


As soon as the year started, not only opportunities began to arrive but also big challenges that I did not expect ever. I was very anxious at that moment but now that time flies I feel a bit afraid of what is coming. On one hand,  I know it will be amazing and a big experience to my career, even to my life. On the other hand, I feel a bit lost and unprepared about school observation and practices. That is what scares me more than anything, the fact that if it is not what I have expected for years it is a bit late to change everything and start again.

What I am sure of is that I love teaching, not only English Language but also other subjects. I love studying to teach things, summarize, make charts, prepare excercises, develop a topic, write on the board, create, be in charged of students, etc. However, I have not much experience.Everything begun some years ago, when I explained some stuff to a friend. After that, she told another friend about me and I started to do it seriously. Nowadays I prepare students all the time for exams, homework or just school tutoring, eventhough what scares me is that I have never been in front of a classroom. 
So I expect that by the end of the year I will have finished a great period and have found what I really like. As someone once said:
"Experience is the best teacher."