How Should TEFL Teachers Handle Disappearing Students? – S05E10

What should you do when students cancel repeatedly, attend sporadically or disappear altogether?In this episode of How to English: Teach and Learn with Gav & Em, we discuss when to contact an absent learner, how to write a polite message and when a frequently empty space in your timetable may need to be offered to somebody else.Em reflects on breaking free from the tunnel vision she experienced as a new teacher. A lesson plan can provide direction, but what happens when students are bored or the material does not meet their needs? We explore how teachers can read the room, ask for honest feedback and confidently change direction.We also compare the information we record about learners. What belongs in a student dossier, and which short-term details can be discarded? The conversation leads to practical ideas for remembering students’ lives, recycling language and helping learners master difficult phrasal verbs through repetition and meaningful categories.Later, we share ways to make a challenging listening activity more accessible. These include slowing down the recording, pre-teaching potentially confusing language, discussing the subject beforehand and asking learners to predict answers.Finally, Quiz of the Week asks what people should consider before starting a TEFL career. Do English teachers need to be patient, approachable, creative, flexible and resourceful? How important is cultural awareness, and can you explain complicated ideas simply?Drawing on our own classroom experiences, we offer honest reflections, practical teaching ideas and a glimpse of the everyday decisions behind successful lessons.If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpodVisit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical English-teaching ideas and resources ready to use.Transcription with audio:https://share.descript.com/view/N0olMRd2DMuResourcesQuiz of the Week: 25 Questions to Answer Before You TEFLhttps://www.teachenglishabroad.co/faqs/25-questions-to-answer-before-you-teflSlowing down audio in Windows Media Player:Open Windows Media Player, maximise the window and right-click. Select Play speed, then choose Fast, Normal or Slow.Keyboard shortcuts:CTRL SHIFT F – FastCTRL SHIFT N – NormalCTRL SHIFT S – SlowChapters00:00 Welcome to How to English00:52 Support the podcast with a cuppa02:26 How to contact disappearing students04:55 Breaking free from your early teaching habits10:01 What to record in a student dossier13:21 Helping learners remember phrasal verbs18:30 Managing cancellations and keeping your timetable full23:27 Building positive, enjoyable lessons25:25 How to slow down audio for listening practice26:51 Preparing learners for a difficult listening task29:56 What should you consider before starting TEFL?40:32 Outro