Top 12 Bad Habits of TEFL teachers are hard to break...

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Atlas
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Top 12 Bad Habits of TEFL teachers are hard to break...

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After 10 years as a TEFL teacher in Asia here are the most common 12 bad habits I see every day, and once teachers get into their comfort zone, they really become hard to break. So I suggest newbies make a real effort right from the beginning to make a conscience effort to avoid these habits or you will lose value to your school within a year or two...

1. Copying teaching methods of other teachers to eliminate the need for your creativity. I call this Lazy Brain Syndrome.

2. Relying waaaay too much on videos to be your classroom babysitter while you tune out.

3. Teaching only your A students because it is an easier field to plow than your B students.

4. Using written or reading exercises to eat up the clock, giving you time to play video games

5. Avoiding parents who are going to eat up your free time with too many inconvenient questions about their kids

6. Lying to parents about the progress of their kids just to keep everyone happy, including your principal

7. Not fighting for your over-time pay even after it accumulates past 20 hours - you are sending the wrong signal

8. Start dressing too casual which forfeits the respect and admiration parents once gave you

9. Letting the TAs carry your professional load and paperwork responsibilities - when they make a mistake YOU will pay the price

10. Not knowing your employee rights, contract and local labor laws will cheat yourself out of $10,000 a year

11. Eating or drinking in the classroom or smoking on school premises

12. Losing control of classroom discipline and protocol - once lost almost impossible to regain.


If you want some classroom management advice get brochures from the local teachers unions or attend their seminars. In China where I have been teaching for my last 5 years I use these groups a lot since everything they provide is free.

https://reddit.com/r/ChinaTeacherAlliance

https://reddit.com/r/CFTU

https://reddit.com/r/ExpatTeachersAssociat

In most countries they have similar organizations but some in Korea and Japan require a paid membership or monthly dues. But IMO if you make and follow your lesson plan that is at least 50% interactive and fun for the students you can avoid the above mistakes.
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