My beliefs as a teacher

 

My teaching philosophy consists of many beliefs about teaching and learning. Here are 5 of my key beliefs, each followed by an article providing some more food for thought and practical ideas we can use to vary our approach to teaching:

1. Motivation is one of the keys to successful language learning

As a language learner and teacher, I believe that maintaining a high level of motivation in a language classroom is one of the best ways to make the whole process more efficient. While students have their own reasons to learn a language, teachers play an important role in helping the learners sustain and build on their motivation. How can we keep the students motivated?

Cristina Cabal shares some of her top tips in the article below:

https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-keep-your-students-motivated

2. Creative teaching strategies can help build students´confidence

Creative teaching involves showing the students how the lesson topic/content relates to their own lives and the real world. This can help them develop a greater sense of purpose. I believe that getting to truly know your students and learning about their backgrounds can help us find the most relevant lesson ideas. How can teachers develop their creativity in the classroom?

Marisa Constantinides shares her tips in the article below:

https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/eight-steps-becoming-more-creative-teacher

3. Tasks should be challenging yet achievable for students

If a task is not challenging enough for students they feel that they are not progressing in their language acquisition. Consequently, they could become bored and lose interest in the lesson. On the other hand, when tasks are too challenging, students may become frustrated.

Here´s a great idea for a challenging task made easy by Larissa Albano:

http://larissaslanguages.blogspot.pt/2014/10/teaching-for-exams-have-fun-gift-bags.html

4. Positive environment gives students more opportunities to learn

If students feel anxious about contributing to class discussions, their acquisition of a new language will be reduced. I believe it is extremely important to build a supportive and relaxed atmosphere in the classroom. I try to achieve this by encouraging learners and providing them with a lot of positive feedback. I also try to personalise every lesson idea and design pair and group activities rather than whole class discussions.

In the following article, Mike Astbury gives some more suggestions on how to create a positive atmosphere in the classroom:

https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/why-classroom-games-can-be-much-more-lesson-fillers

5. Constant reflection and evaluation can help maintain high teaching standards

Every now and then, we should be able to reflect on and evaluate our own teaching practices. After having worked for many years, teachers can feel ‘trapped’ in their routines and less motivated to teach. In order to stay on the right track and learn about some of the recent trends in education, I try to attend different training sessions organized by Publishing Houses, Language Schools or Teacher´s Assosiacions. I also follow several amazing blogs that provide a variety of inspiring lesson ideas.

You may also have the opportunity to observe other teachers in your school. Here´s an article on how peer observations can help you improve your teaching:

https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-observing-other-teachers-can-improve-your-teaching

Do you take time to reflect on your beliefs about learning and teaching? What are your values as a teacher? 

I would love to hear from you!

 Happy creating!