I want to be a teacher because I want to make a difference in people's lives. I may not be saving lives like doctors do, but I believe that teaching is, nonetheless, an honorable profession. I've grown up having the saying, "A teacher's job is to save souls," ingrained in my heart. I have been taught by teachers who “saved” me when I tried, hopelessly, to figure out how English tenses work. I had also been encouraged and changed by the efforts my professors had put forth in my behalf. It was those educators who have inspired me to become a teacher and a mentor who can, hopefully, help make a difference in others' lives.
To me, caring sincerely and being interested genuinely in my students is the first step to become a good teacher. This is because students need someone who has their best interest in mind to teach them. All students have a voice and they want to be heard. I love to give them exercises which they will be required to voice their opinions and tell their stories. From my experience, many students enjoy doing this kind of assignments.
A lot of ESL students feel very self-conscious when they are struggling to speak English. Many of them feel really shy and are often afraid to make mistakes. Many are also frustrated with their slow improvement. From my first hand experience, I know that non-native English speakers are very sensitive to criticisms and afraid to be laughed at. Therefore, I prefer pointing out their strengths before giving them critiques. This way, students can be encouraged and motivated by both their strengths and weaknesses. Indeed, having a positive attitude towards the students' learning outcome is one of the qualities of a good teacher.
To have respects for the students is one of the most important qualities a teacher can have to build trust and good rapport with the students. My students shouldn't fear me and feel distant from me. If I am unfriendly and unapproachable, my students will not want to approach me with their questions. This will create an atmosphere of distrust in my classroom. This way, they won't be able to excel in their performances, and I will not be able to help them achieve their full potentials. Therefore, building a good rapport with my students is one of the first things I need to do in my classes.
By showing the students that learning English is fun, students will start to become more interested in the subject. By using cartoons, movies, and songs to teach new vocabularies and fluency, students will begin to understand that learning English doesn't have to done through boring grammar homework that they dislike. I think the by being creative and being willing to try new and unconventional methods, students' motivation for learning can be boosted.
As a language teacher, I believe that being funny and animated is essential because, let's face it, there are many aspects of the English language that are boring. If I can liven the class and teach English with humor and appropriate jokes and share interesting personal experiences, I believe that my students will find themselves having a good time learning English. This is especially true in teaching English reading. Also, I learn best through stories and I love telling stories. I believe that is the best way to capture students' attention and help them to appreciate something they might not be interested in.
The saying “It is better to teach a man how to fish than to fish for him” is basically what guides my teaching beliefs. Sometimes when spoon-feeding seems more convenient and easier, it is when I remind myself of the saying and be determined to let my students figure out the problems and find solutions to those problems themselves. It is very important for me to help my students to be independent in their learning because they will be on their own one day and they will need to be able to continue learning without having someone constantly holding their hands. For example, in a writing class, instead of throwing my own ideas at my students, I should let them use their own logical thinking and imagination to write their essays and stories.
I believe to teach effectively, I will need to evaluate myself often, to see what my strengths and weaknesses are, be ale to be more flexible to my teaching style so I can better engage my students in the lessons. In order for me to teach well, I need to know my teaching subject and materials well. I also have to do enough preparation for each of my classes so that lessons can be taught more effectively.
I want have confidence in the students' ability. Just because they are my students doesn't mean that I am superior and can dismiss their ideas and learning strategies they bring to class. I need to recognize that each of them is special in their own ways and learn and progress at different speed. I shouldn't favor one student over the other just because some do well and some don't.
