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Teachers - Don't Stop Learning!

2/6/2017

5 Comments

 
In today’s post I am going to try to inspire and motivate all of the teachers (language teachers and otherwise) out there to really invest in learning. Yes, that's right. Not teaching - but learning. Learning to be a better presenter, learning to be a better communicator, learning to be a better listener, and learning to be more professional. Actually, learning anything at all that you think will help you become a better educator and help your students achieve their goals.

Sure, you can get away with stagnating and failing to grow as an educator, but wouldn’t it be better to invest a bit of time each week trying to learn things that will make your job easier and improve the quality of education you provide your students?

Of course it would be.
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The ways we can improve our own teaching is almost limitless. Here are a few ideas for you:
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  • Take a class: Just by being a student you can get a clearer perspective of what it’s like to learn something new. You can see what the teacher does (the good, the bad, and the interesting) and draw from that.
  • Team teach: Ask a co-teacher to teach a class with you. This affords you an opportunity to learn from each other.
  • Record your class: Make a video recording of your class and then get some popcorn, sit back, and watch. You don’t need to show anyone else. You don’t need to broadcast it on YouTube (unless it is really awesome, really bad, or really funny – then please do share it). All you need to do is reflect and think about how you can improve, think about what you did well, and think about the ‘value add’ you provide your students.
  • YouTube is your friend: Need ideas? Go to YouTube. Simple! (e.g. JoshEsl on YouTube)
  • Professional organizations are also your friend: When was the last time you checked out http://www.tesol.org/ or http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/? These organizations run great websites to help you in your chosen career. Take the time to see what they have to offer.
  • Get outside the box: Professional organizations and websites etc. related to teaching your chosen subject matter are great resources, but don’t forget the benefits of looking elsewhere for new ideas, information, and inspiration. My favorites include http://www.criticalthinking.org/ and https://www.coursera.org/​

I know these ideas are not overly novel, nor are they overly original, but they are necessary – especially if you wish to be an effective, dynamic, and innovative educator.

Thank you for reading.
 
Josh

Keep English Real!
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5 Comments
Summer
2/7/2017 07:41:31 pm

잘 읽었습니다... 저는 사설 기관에서 아이들을 가르치고 있는데, 매 수업 녹화를 의무적으로 해야 하는 시스템으로 되어 있습니다. 그런데 이 시스템이 저에게 도움이 많이 되더라구요.. 쉬는 시간에 제가 수업한 영상들을 리뷰하면서 더 나은 수업을 위해 고민할 수 있고, 또 저는 모르는 사소한 습관들을 교정하는 데도 도움이 됩니다. 테솔 등의 교육 관련 사이트까지 들어가보지는 않았는데 작은 좋은 습관들을 하나씩 만들어 가는 것도 방법이겠네요 ㅎㅎ 좋은 글 감사드립니다.

Reply
Jon
2/7/2017 08:00:35 pm

Absolutely agree with a teacher putting themselves in the shoes of a student every now and then. When I took Korean classes a few years ago it helped me a lot in my own classroom as a teacher as well.

Enjoyed the blog post. Keep up the great work!

Reply
Molly
2/8/2017 01:25:37 am

Yeah, time to get off my lazy butt and start doing something productive. thanks, josh.

Reply
MJ
2/8/2017 01:51:19 pm

진짜 좋은글인거같아요 선생님이 되려고 할 분이나 이미 선생님인분들에겐 굉장히 도움이 될 듯 ㅠㅠ

Reply
MJ
2/8/2017 01:52:25 pm

앞으로 선생님이 될 분이나 이미 선생님이 된 분들에게 많은 도움이 될 듯.. 진짜 좋은 글이네요

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