7 Tips for Teaching English

Because of the long-lasting impact a TEFL teacher can have on students, teaching English is both a challenging and rewarding job. And, to reap the rewards that come with teaching, many teachers must go through tough times in learning the ins and outs of the job. 

Rest assured, with these 7 Tips for Teaching English you will save yourself these hardships and position yourself to become an excellent and well-respected English teacher, reaping the rewards that a TEFL career offers.

1. Be prepared 

Being well prepared is one of the essential tips any experienced and successful teacher will give. Don’t think that because you are a native English speaker you can just go into a classroom and freestyle. No, your students will sense it, and you will lose credibility.  

In addition, good lesson-planning will help you better manage your classes. You will have less downtime between group activities such as group discussion and grammar lessons, so maximizing class engagement and minimizing distractions.

Here are great resources for ESL lesson plans and topic-based lesson plans to get you started.  

2. Start with the end in mind

Along with proper preparation, starting with the end in mind will make you more effective in helping your students reach their learning goals. 

Before preparing any new topic, start first by designing the related test, quiz, essay, and final assignment to know what you need to cover and focus on in class and what your students need to learn.

Most English teachers do the opposite; they first prepare their lessons and then create tests, quizzes, and exams. These teachers are often surprised by their students’ low performance and comprehension levels. 

3. Have clear and consistent classroom management rules

Classroom management is essential to successfully teach English because your lesson preparation will not matter without it. If you are a new teacher, remember that the first day and week of school will set the tone for the whole year. You can start strict and ease up gradually. But you can never start soft and get stricter.

Here are some tips on classroom management that have worked for me: 

• Make sure you are consistent, firm (and yet flexible), and fair.
• Be strict but not mean. And remember, yelling doesn’t give you as much control as you may think.
• Be friendly with all your students but not their friends. 
• Maintain your professional boundaries. 
• Never make empty threats or promises.
• Don’t play favorites, and don’t even have the appearance of favoritism.
• Communicate your expectations to your students clearly and frequently.
• Start each day fresh and never carry grudges, and don’t take things personally.

4. Respect your students and be empathetic to their struggles

If you show empathy and respect towards your students, they will respect you, and classroom management will be a million times easier.

For many students, you will discover that school is the only place where they experience safety and consistency. And, your students will thrive if you show them love, patience, and compassion. 

Depending on the level you teach, you can develop a reward system to give out stars to encourage your students to participate and practice speaking English in class.

5. Build and maintain a genuine relationship with your students

Building a solid relationship with your students means getting them to participate in their own journey towards learning. Try to do everything in collaboration with your students and make them take responsibility for their education. 

For example, in one of my classes, I let my students watch movies and ask them to write two new words they discover. And then, I will have each student spell, define, and use the words in sentences presented to the whole class. I found that this method helped my students improve their vocabulary and their English proficiency. 

By developing a good relationship with your students, you are also encouraging them to participate in learning and practicing dialogue with you.

6. Be real with your students and believe in their potential

Being real with your students is very important, especially when you are teaching at a high school. Be genuine in learning about your students, their first language, culture, and what they think, and you will have a better chance of capturing their attention.

According to 2017 research, authentic teachers are better at engaging with their students.   

Authenticity is essential, especially for teaching English when you might deal with cultural differences and language barriers. 

By teaching authentically, you may create more meaningful experiences and deeper learning for all students, according to this study. 

And believe in your students’ potential to succeed and find ways to motivate them to try again and work harder. This is critical, especially in practicing speaking in English because most students don’t believe in their ability to speak English.

7. Keep improving yourself and your lesson plans

Progress leads to happiness and stagnation to unhappiness. Don’t be afraid to try something different as a TEFL teacher, and experiment with a new teaching method. Every year I make a point to do one thing at least differently than I did last year.

No matter what age group you’re teaching, you don’t want to be remembered as a lazy teacher that everyone despises. 

We all have one teacher that believed and impacted us the most, and my goal is to be that teacher for all students.