In my first proper teaching job I was thrown into a classroom with the students book (minus the teachers book)and told to get on with it. I struggled and struggled with this book. None of the natives would help me. I had no training or orientation.
The second teaching job I was demoralised for 8 months by a head teacher and his friend who wanted me to leave so his friend (another native teacher) could get all my hours. Those two men set out and campaigned to blackball me to the bosses every chance they got. I eventually got stripped of all my students and ended up with no hours for 5 weeks so I left and went to another school now I've lost a lot of confidence and I'm thinking teaching is not for me.
My students like me I have a good rapport with them but I feel so demoralised after this.
How do I climb back up? How do I now know if I'm a good native teacher or not? I'm the only native teacher at my new place but I'm wondering how long it will be before I'm booted up the backside here.
Lindamary
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I can identify with you purely because I am going through the same phase. It is ironical that character assassination down here happens more in the teaching line than at any other place. My suggestion to you would be to hold on and not buckle down under pressure. I go through this everyday, but let me tell you that you cannot put down a honest person for long. Coming to your teaching, you just ensure that you give your best and be very open and transparent with your students. They will ultimately respect you for what you are. I am saying this from my own experience over the last 8 months. No one can take away your dedication, knowledge and your methodology which is unique to you.
Resigning from one place and joining another is not the solution. You need to ask yourself as to how long will you keep on doing this. Take a firm decision and stick on with it. Do not react to any kind of back biting.
Ultimately the backbone of any academic institution is the quality of teachers. This is just a temporary phase. On a parting note, it does not matter whether you are a fresher or an experienced teacher. Each batch is a challenge for the trainer.
Hi Lindamary,
I see that you were not lucky with 'your teachers'. I mean we must be happy if during our careeer way we have advice and example from other really great proffecionals. Look around, be attentive.
Another thing, you have to study yourself! Don't be afraid to try new approaches, practise this and that. If you fail with some activity, change it. It's never too late to study. A person, who does nothing, does no mistakes. So if you make mistakes, you change, you progress, you have future!
You can tell your management, 'Ok, I'm not perfect but I want to learn, help me, please, share your experience with me, let's do something together!' People like to feel clever and respected, they can help you.
One more advice: Be Confident! You have nothing to lose! If you fail being a teacher, you can start a new life in a new proffecion. Sometimes our losses become our new possibilities. Smile!
Best Regards,
Svitlana
Do not worry of what happenen to you. You would get a lot of job satisfaction, only when your students are satisfied with the way you teach, and interact in the class. I think when your students feel proud of you at the end of the day, then you can assure yourself that you are the best in the job. Do not worry of the head boss or colleagues, the students are the best judges. Have a lot of warmth and generous feelings for your students. You will certainly prove yourself as the best teacher soon. My wishes for that.
Professional Ethical Code is vital for the best practices to prevail in schools and other places of learning. A law of respect and regard and penalties for misconduct needs to be applied. This is the need for all Teachers Staff and exhibits professionalism.The absence of such codes is the cause of misreporting insults disrestful talk and backbiting leading to unpleasant activities .
Teachers should be noble and respectful in attitude and seniors should help and guide rather than spoil the careers of others in the field and colleagues.
Being a teacher is just a matter of caring for other people. Once that you care for your ss, that would make you prepare yourself to be able to teach correctly. But, I think that the problem in here is not you, but the people you work with. There are many people that are afraid of losing their jobs just because a better teacher came over, so they try to get him/her to leave. See who you are against. If your staying is going to be a continuous battle, I would suggest that you look for another job. I`m not saying that giving up is the best way but teaching is hard and stressing and you don`t need the extra stress. There are many other places that would appreciate you for who you are and for what you can contribute to the institute.
Remember that the time you are teaching is time of your life and you don`t want to waste any time being unhappy. We only have one life. Make it a happy one.
Good luck.
I fully empathize with you mate. My first job in Asia, after a wonderful spell in Greece, went like this. I flew from Greece to the UK, then to Milan, then to Shanghai, I was met at an airport, drove for about 20 hours in a van (nice enough guys with me but no English and obviously my Mandarin was lacking somewhat for 20 hour conversations). I was dropped at a MASSIVE school in the middle of nowhere. Taken for food, given 2 beers at 8 am!!!! Then I went to a huge hall where hundreds of parents and teachers were. I hadn't slept in a bed for 2 and a half days, not shaved or changed clothes and I think I hadn't showered, basically I looked homeless and drug addicted. A guy spoke in rapid Mandarin about something (me as it turned out). Then several hundred parent pulled out wads of cash and gave it him. All the kids vanished and parents kept saying 'qq,qq' as a question. It turns out QQ is a popular msn-type-chat thing in China. I just dished out my msn address which they just looked at suspiciously. Eventually an absolutely huge fat guy took me to a room which had so many kids in it they were spilling out in to the corridor. He looked me square in the eye, pointed into the room and said “teacha”
No book, no bed sleep, no nothing…………….. Anyone want to play hang man for an hour????……… Amazingly EVERYONE loved hangman……Thank god.
Basically you have to man-up and pull thorough this. It will make a man out of you and this type of experience, while horrible, is worth its weight in gold. Don’t let it beat you. Get a partner and some mates, even if you have to travel to get to them over the weekend. They will save your sanity, don’t drink too much, but DO have a beer after a hard day.
The lesson to learn is this. Research your job.
Here are my essentials that, after nearly 7 years of this career, I will walk from any job that can’t confirm they have them or tries to blag me and then when I am there they don’t provide them or are waiting for them.
Air con room, with photos, contact emails of other teachers Skype anyone can blag a lie email but the camera never lies and if they are good they never have a problem providing this, contract, full visa support, accommodation is free or the salary is good enough to get good accommodation. A REAL curriculum, I am too old for think up 25 new lessons a week with no idea about new student’s needs and levels, well equipped rooms and a nearby city, no more living in the sticks for me. The list goes on, but these are the essentials.
Now man-up and get your act together, you can do this and you will be 10 times the person, it’s so easy to quit, suck it up and fight it out, next job, follow my leads.
Good luck.
Richy