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Ask for help > ..ever been praised by your students???
..ever been praised by your students???
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exiliser
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..ever been praised by your students???
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Hi again dear teachers..
A few days ago I started a topic asking everyone what they do for a living? Those who have seen that thread knows what I am doing, but just to remind, I am a novice teacher at a private language school and I work with small groups of students or sometimes I teach only 1 student.
I have been teaching at this instituion for about 2 and half a week and I am not really satisfied with what I am doing. It is not about how much I am paid (because I havent been paid yet!), it just doesnt meet my expectations. I was thinking of quitting till 2 of my students praised what I am doing for them, and I decided to go on! And now Im looking forward to have lessons with them again.
Have you teachers ever had such experiences during your teaching career?
I would appreciate if you share your experiences and ideas with me. thanks. |
3 Sep 2009
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Lana.
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I �m sorry... I �m lost... Did you say you �ve worked for 2.5 years without pay? |
3 Sep 2009
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exiliser
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No no I said I have been working just for 2 and half a week.. |
3 Sep 2009
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Zora
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Goodness, who HASN �T had that happen to them, please raise their hands!? 
Teaching is like that. Sometimes you just feel like throwing in the towel, that you aren �t getting through to them and one day one of them turns up and tells you that you are a great teacher and you decide to keep going.
I have had that happen many times. I have always taught in the private sector and many a times, I �ve gotten students that couldn �t be helped anywhere else. And many of those times, I have felt like I am not getting through to them - the blank stares and quietness may have been a contributing fact to this lol - but anyways, those are often the times when you find out that you are making a difference, when you have parents (or students) telling you that their child is now passing, or at least there has been improvement or that they are now understanding what they are learning! This a big boost and makes you feel that it �s all worth it...
One of these moments was when I had a young adult, who had failed dismally with a 3 out of 10 on his English test (he needed to pass English to become part of the Police Force) so he come to me for a summer. He wasn �t very constant but he tried to come as often as he could and I was really just not too sure that he would pass at all. In fact, I thought he had failed again because we never heard anything afterwards if he had passed or failed.
Then one day, his mother went driving past the center, she saw me and honked, yelling "He passed with an 87% score!". She was so happy and I almost fell over in disbelief. This young man is now able to pick any destination within Spain because he got such a high mark on his exam. He was in the top three in the region.
Another time, I had a dyslexic boy. He was not progressing at all anywhere else, so as a last resort his mom brought him to me. And there were times I felt like telling her that I couldn �t help him until slowly but surely he was starting to bring his homework back completed and 65% of it was usually done correctly! This gave me hope and I persevered with him. His mother was happy and he seemed to be happy with my classes...
It �s funny but quite often it �s the small things too that make our day. I once received a small bouquet of daisies from a young girl who I thought hated my classes... but as it turned out, she was just very shy and thought I was a good teacher...
Teaching is a hard profession and our victories are small compared to others but they are the greatest things too at times. Seeing that little light bulb come on when they understand or grasp a new concept is reward in itself at times.
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3 Sep 2009
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Lana.
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SORRY, exiliser, stupid of me not to read properly. 
Very briefly - 2,5 weeks is not enough to see well whether a place is good or not.
And since you �re new to teaching, give yourself and others time and opportunity to appreciate things. It won �t all be smooth sailing, it never is, every teacher will tell you, but I believe with time you will find out that more than two students enjoy your class.
Unfortunately, you didn �t elaborate on what exactly didn �t meet your expectations, could you give more info? Is it the methodology? Is it the lack of financial support and equipment? Is it the disinterested management and parents?
In my place I had to be very patient indeed before we reached the place where we are now, with a small team of dedicated teachers, well-equipped classrooms, good students etc. We began in winter with a buiding and a class of two people, one of whom made my life hard. There was a lot of work to be done - admin and repairs and thelike. I embraced the challenge however. Things are now easier and more enjoyable. We have good feedback. |
3 Sep 2009
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Lana.
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And of course, I have been praised, in fact I collect little gifts from my students and hang them (what �s not edible) on the poster board in the classroom to remind me of joyful moments. So far I have a keyring that says "Top Teacher" (my amulet), a bag of tea (a lady brough me a pack of tea from Mauritius), a souvenir from Mauritius with soil in a thin glass tube, a keyring that says Brazil, and a big eraser that says "For BIG mistakes" (from London). There were cakes and cards, too. |
3 Sep 2009
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olaola
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I � ve been teaching for 10 years now and I really like what I do... but I remember the first period was not easy at all. I entered a classroom and I faced my students and I did not know what to do... I was very good in my teacher training course and I got the best marks but I realized that studing on books and facing reality were two different things!!!!!! Things got better but it took time! I started enjoing teaching when I saw my students � progresses and their affection and consideration for me! So, my dear, do not give up so early, give yourself time and don �t get disheartened if you don �t achieve immediately the goals you planned for your students!!!!!! |
3 Sep 2009
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JudyHalevi
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I have a file at home of letters that I have received from my students. The thank yous, the praise and the warmth.
Keeps me from slapping them around sometimes.
 from Israel
Judy |
3 Sep 2009
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mr.dgdln
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I have a group of students who are fan of me and want me to have a lesson with them. I �m teaching in a private language school as well.
one of my students waited for 4 months to be in my class and some of my students can �t think of any other teacher for their lessons apart from me.
that �s not only related to how much and how well you teach. it �s mostly related to how much you respect them as an indivual and show them you �re one of them on condition that they shouldn �t cross the slight line between you and them. |
3 Sep 2009
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