How Can New English Teachers Build Confidence and Survive Their First Lessons? With Isa – S04E17

Are you a newly qualified English teacher wondering how to survive your first lessons, find students and become more confident in the classroom?Gav and Em revisit the challenges, doubts and discoveries they experienced as newbie teachers. They are joined by Isa, a recently qualified teacher who explains what her intensive CELTA course involved, from teaching B2 and A2 learners to completing daily training sessions.Isa discusses the realities of beginning an English-teaching career, including lengthy lesson planning, anticipating learners’ difficulties and making lessons more student-centred. She also shares how she uses Google Classroom, Google Meet, PowerPoint, Wordwall and Quizlet, as well as her experiences of applying to language schools and finding private students online.Drawing on their years in classrooms, Gav and Em remember some of their earliest teaching challenges. Em explains why her carefully structured plan failed during a one-to-one lesson and how she learned to respond to the learner’s actual needs. Gav recalls managing a lively group of children and adapting later lessons to include games, movement and breaks.They also explore how teachers can:• adapt lesson plans when learners want something different• manage stressful or unpredictable classes• exploit coursebook materials more effectively• plan with a particular learner in mind• support students with different levels and learning needs• reduce teacher talking time and increase learner production• check that teaching has genuinely resulted in learning• remain honest when they do not know an answer• keep learners’ needs and long-term goals in focusFinally, Gav and Em share eight practical gems for new teachers before exploring the word “steeple” and useful vocabulary for different parts of a church.Isa’s Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/isa_english_lessons/References:Parts of a church:https://www.britannica.com/topic/SantAmbrogio-BasilicaThe church rhyme and actions:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smtucwvzuCcIf you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpodVisit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use.Chapters00:00 Remembering life as a newbie teacher02:44 Isa’s journey from English learner to qualified teacher04:06 What happens during an intensive CELTA course?06:31 Finding teaching jobs and private students08:20 Online teaching tools and lesson-planning challenges10:40 Gav and Em reflect on their CELTA experiences13:05 Why new teachers often feel overwhelmed15:58 Em’s first challenging one-to-one lesson20:05 Adapting a lesson to the learner’s real needs24:35 Gav’s first group lesson with young learners28:45 Exploiting materials and improving lesson plans32:20 Planning lessons with a particular student in mind36:18 Supporting learners with different needs and abilities39:42 Memorable teacher-training sessions43:55 Eight practical gems for new English teachers50:12 Learn-A-Word: steeple and parts of a church