Click to view this months Lesson Plan, titled 'Shopping for Food'.
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Keep a (large) notebook. Write your lesson plan on the left hand page; and when the lesson has finished, write your reflections on the right hand page. It can be very productive indeed to consider what aspects of your lesson worked well and why - and also to reflect on what didn't go so well, and think about how you would resolve this for next time.
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Don't think about going anywhere without a good quality grammar book - my personal favourite is 'The Good Grammar Book' by Swan and Walter.
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It's very common for new teachers to talk too much - remember, the less you speak, the more opportunities your learners will have to communicate.
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Think about your instruction giving - keep your instructions as short and as clear as possible.
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Students love practising pronunciation, and considering that without clear pronunciation communication can be impossible, I'd say it's essential - hence, you should always model and drill new words and phrases! Trust me, they love it - and it's a good way of keeping up the tempo of the lesson.
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Apart from the usual tips - make sure your insurance policy is appropriate for you, take photocopies of your passport, check the visa regulations of your destination/s, be a good ambassador for your country and so on .... here are few which resonated with me when I was teaching in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Mexico.
Always use your money belt. When I was travelling with a friend in Central America, she refused to use hers because it was 'too hot and uncomfortable' ... can you guess what happened to her wallet during an overnight bus trip in Guatemala?
Be careful about what you wear; take your cue from the locals.
Teaching privately can be a great way of earning extra money, but remember to always meet a potential student in a public place. Teaching privately doesn't often prove to be a reliable source of income. |
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I think the great thing about teaching TEFL over 'travelling' is the fact that you have the chance to really experience another culture. To enhance this experience, try to find activities that will help you to meet local people in your free time - like finding organisations that need volunteers, joining a sports team ... If you find yourself spending most of your time with fellow English speakers you might ask yourself why you bothered coming! When I was in Prague, I volunteered at Amnesty International, I proof-read correspondence for their office manager - Marketa. She became a friend for life, and a few years later we went travelling together in Central America - actually, she's the friend mentioned above!
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