Fri, 21 Dec 2018

The Best Thing I Have Learned From My 60-hour TEFL/TESOL Course

Where do I begin? I have learned so much from my 60-hour TEFL course with ITTT.

I have learned about everything from what it takes to become a great teacher and of course what not to do in the classroom. I also learned a lot about what makes a student a great learner. I believe this is very important as well since good learners progress more rapidly in the class. That rapid learning makes good learners and most of all more successful students. In turn that builds confidence in the teacher on behalf of the students. Of course, the teacher ends up with more confidence in their teaching abilities too.

This post was written by our ITTT graduate Michael A.

The goal is for the student is to learn English and I believe a good teacher is the most important part of the equation. Throughout this TEFL certification course, I learned about the different roles a teacher plays when instructing the classes. Some of those roles are as a prompter, facilitator, manager, model, and assessor.

Let's talk a little more about some of these roles. First the prompter, here the teacher can encourage the students to give more information by asking them a follow-up question. This is key by encouraging the students to keep going. Second the facilitator, Here the teacher can set up an activity that allows the students to practice their language use. Third, we have the manager an example of this would be when the teacher takes control of the class or maybe an activity that the class is working on. The fourth role that a teacher takes on is as the model, where the teacher can provide the correct example of the English language pronunciation.

Last but not least, the teacher can also take on the role of assessor, an example of this would be when the teacher gives correction and feedback in addition to the evaluation. I can see myself taking on all these roles in some fashion throughout my time in the classroom in the near future. I believe a teacher needs to have good knowledge of the subject and of course be patient and kind. A good teacher needs to establish rapport with the students. Using the students' names is a great way to build rapport, that was a good suggestion that was made here in this course. Of course, finding positive ways to motivate the students is key here as well.

Some things the TEFL certification course touched on that make good learners were also very helpful to me. I learned that the students need to have the desire to learn. It's also very important for students to be willing to ask questions and or advice. Another big factor is class participation the students that participate in class discussions and other activities are more likely to become good learners. It is important for the teacher to be aware of these traits. In the end, good learners and good teachers go hand in hand to producing a positive outcome for all.

In closing, it was exciting to learn so much about the different roles that teachers take on in the classroom. It was equally important to discover a lot of the good traits students need to have to become good learners. Together great learners and great teachers make an awesome team.