What It Takes to Become an ESL Teacher
There are many people who hear about how wonderful it is to teach ESL (English as a second language) to immigrants and spontaneously decide to enter the field. They believe that all they have to do is take a few classes, then find a teaching job with a great school. Unfortunately, the process of becoming an ESL teacher is not quite that easy, and those who want to enter the field should make their decision carefully.
If you are considering becoming an ESL teacher, the first thing you have to consider is whether or not you should get into the field at all. I say this because in order for you to become a truly effective teacher, it 's important that you get into the field for the right reasons.
Many …show more content…
It 's not to travel the world and see exotic places. (Although I have traveled myself, and I think it 's an incredible experience!) It 's not to meet new people. And it 's certainly not to make a lot of money. Although some of these things are the fringe benefits of teaching English to non-native speakers, they are not the primary reason you should become a teacher.
The main reason you should get into the ESL field is to help those who need to learn English significantly improve the quality of their lives. You must understand that for many people around the world mastering English can mean the difference between living a life of struggle and living a life of joy and freedom. If you want to be a truly great teacher, then you must start from the point that the benefit to you is being able to serve others. Everything else is just icing on the …show more content…
Testing: Tests and quizzes provide the teacher with valuable feedback about student progress. They 're not perfect, but they do give you a good sense of whether or not your students are moving forward. Not only do you have to know how to properly administer them, but you must also know how to present the results in such a way that the students with the lowest scores don 't lose confidence in themselves.
7. Tracking: Beyond test scores, there are a number of things a teacher is required to track. You will also have to record such things as the grades for various assignments, attendance, and student goals. If your school receives funding from a government agency, then the amount of information you 'll have to track may be daunting. It takes someone with very strong organizational skills to do this while doing all the other things necessary to maintain an effective class.
8. Reporting: Teachers must provide regular reports to coordinators and directors concerning all the things they 're tracking about their students. Those in management are usually running on tight deadlines, so it 's very important that you as the teacher provide them with the information they need in a timely manner. It 's also important that you speak up about any problems you 're having in order to get them corrected as quickly as
There are many people who hear about how wonderful it is to teach ESL (English as a second language) to immigrants and spontaneously decide to enter the field. They believe that all they have to do is take a few classes, then find a teaching job with a great school. Unfortunately, the process of becoming an ESL teacher is not quite that easy, and those who want to enter the field should make their decision carefully.
If you are considering becoming an ESL teacher, the first thing you have to consider is whether or not you should get into the field at all. I say this because in order for you to become a truly effective teacher, it 's important that you get into the field for the right reasons.
Many …show more content…
It 's not to travel the world and see exotic places. (Although I have traveled myself, and I think it 's an incredible experience!) It 's not to meet new people. And it 's certainly not to make a lot of money. Although some of these things are the fringe benefits of teaching English to non-native speakers, they are not the primary reason you should become a teacher.
The main reason you should get into the ESL field is to help those who need to learn English significantly improve the quality of their lives. You must understand that for many people around the world mastering English can mean the difference between living a life of struggle and living a life of joy and freedom. If you want to be a truly great teacher, then you must start from the point that the benefit to you is being able to serve others. Everything else is just icing on the …show more content…
Testing: Tests and quizzes provide the teacher with valuable feedback about student progress. They 're not perfect, but they do give you a good sense of whether or not your students are moving forward. Not only do you have to know how to properly administer them, but you must also know how to present the results in such a way that the students with the lowest scores don 't lose confidence in themselves.
7. Tracking: Beyond test scores, there are a number of things a teacher is required to track. You will also have to record such things as the grades for various assignments, attendance, and student goals. If your school receives funding from a government agency, then the amount of information you 'll have to track may be daunting. It takes someone with very strong organizational skills to do this while doing all the other things necessary to maintain an effective class.
8. Reporting: Teachers must provide regular reports to coordinators and directors concerning all the things they 're tracking about their students. Those in management are usually running on tight deadlines, so it 's very important that you as the teacher provide them with the information they need in a timely manner. It 's also important that you speak up about any problems you 're having in order to get them corrected as quickly as