Teaching experiences

[StuckOnBandaid]

Hi! I'm hoping you guys can help me out here. I've considered teaching english for several years. I haven't been able to simply due to obligations. I'm just curious about some of the experiences that other teachers have had good or bad. Thanks so much!

[congo]

There will always be good and bad experiences as a teacher. But this is so with any job.

Don't forget you can be teaching adults of children. So depending on whom you are teaching, will depend on the type of experiences you have.

The more typical good experiences when teaching adults are friendship outside the class and possibly even romance. Wooo... be careful though not to tread on anyones toes.

The more typical good experiences when teaching children is the love children show you and their little presents to show affection to the teacher. Playing with children is great before giving them back to their mothers.

Now for the bad.

Adults: more critical of class quality, higher tensions if you don't perform, cannot slacken off in the class.

Children: crying, grime on them, can't understand them at times, energy consuming.

[rajat.pay]

Originally Posted by StuckOnBandaid

Hi! I'm hoping you guys can help me out here. I've considered teaching english for several years. I haven't been able to simply due to obligations. I'm just curious about some of the experiences that other teachers have had good or bad. Thanks so much!

Well I'm sure you sound quite determined and strong on your thought about teaching English as you mention you're considering this for the last 7 years.

Obligations have always been a apart of any job one may actually think of, but a strong will can overcome all of this. As long as you are able to rule the class with your knowledge, you are all set to go.

Brush up your English vocabulary and grammar, sound self confident and even if you're too face a bad experience your attitude will for sure change it into a good experience.

And most important put your self into the shoes of your students and all good experiences are on your way.

[Tutor]

Hi,

Teaching English is fun - "really". The best part is when as a teacher you hear native terms used with English sentences. Its really very funny. On a number of occasions you will find people (adult or children) mixing the native language words between English sentences and the new sentence becomes really hilarious. I feel teaching English gives you lots of things to learn and enjoy

[rwall7943]

I don't think I would count romances outside of class as a good thing when teaching adults. It is always better to stay on a professional level when you are teaching adults.

[Tutor]

Emotions are very prominent in teaching. With small children or with adults, I believe in this profession one tends to get more involved with the students and hence its tough to keep emotions out.

I do agree that professional life has to be seperate but within teaching its really really hard not to get emotions involved.

[Geo_star]

I teach kids and I really enjoy it. There is nothing like seeing that you are helping the children to learn and grow - not just with language, but with everyday aspects of life. For example, sharing, turn taking, using manners etc.

For me, one of the biggest negatives has been often getting sick. During class sneezing, coughing, blowing and or picking of noses are frequent.

I have also had to do 'toilet runs' with very young kids and help them to wash their hands. Sometimes when their noses are running I have to help them wipe with a tissue.

In order to reduce the spreading of germs, I take a pump bottle of hand sanitizer to class. It is very useful for both me and the students.

[exported_kiwi]

Teaching abroad can be a very rewarding activity but how rewarding it is depends on a few things.
What would be your motivation, why do you want to teach abroad? We all have different reasons for doing so, some are for the right reasons, some are not, but they are reasons none the less. I came here to travel for free, but after being on the job for a while, I discovered that I loved the job, and the people, so I stayed, much like others in this forum.

If your motivation is romance, think again, real damn quick! It's not a good idea to have a romance with anybody connected with work in our countries so why would anybody think it'd be a cool idea here? Having a romance with a student is far worse, even if the student is an adult. The fact remains that there still has to be a gap between teachers and students for respect purposes more than anything else. Teaching is emotive enough without letting actual personal emotions stemming from relationships come into it...it clouds and confuses things and generally makes life a lot more difficult than it should be.

Yeah, you could be teaching little kids, or adults, but no matter what age group you teach, a level of professionalism must be maintained, both for discipline as well as for the service we provide to the students and the school! Failure to do so will ensure your quick departure from your location and maybe even from China, depending on the degree of your "sin".

Teaching is rewarding, it's a great way to learn, not only about other country's, but also about yourself. The rewards, and experiences you get out of it directly depend on what you put into it....teaching abroad's kinda like that!

Good luck if you do decide to teach abroad, hope it's as rewarding for you as it is for me.