Dear All,
I am a very new teacher and just got my first job.
Its part-time but I actually feel like I am working full time! The problem is is that even though my school has given me some direction as to what to teach, lesson planning is something that I am finding EXTREMELY stressful. It is a constant worry, so much so that I am losing sleep and am wondering if teaching is actually for me. I am spending WAY too much time on my lesson plans... 3 hours at least for a 1 hour - 2 hour lesson. For the amount I am getting paid, its really not worth it, although I am not doing it for this reason. I want to give my students the best of my teaching ability. I just don't have time to be spending 3 hours on a lesson plan as I am also going to University.
I have researched lesson plans and ideas on the internet, I have looked at books, I have done everything that has been suggested but it doesn't help and my brain has turned to mush. I have also asked to sit in on another teacher's lesson.
Can someone please let me know if this is normal and if all teachers go through this? Will it get easier with experience? Its really upsetting me.
Any advice would be really appreciated.
Thank you very much for your help.
Kind regards
Scampy
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Hi, Scampy.
For what it's worth, I know exactly what you're going through as I'm a "green" teacher too.
I truly believe this kind of uncomfortable feeling we share when preparing lessons and giving classes will get reduced in the course of time. Maybe it has to do with our sense of responsibility. So, try to relax anb be patient. Sure you are doing well!
Kind regards,
Gloria
Hello Scampy
Yes, I can only agree and back what Gloria says too. Just to let you know that as far as I'm concerned we are definitely in the same boat. I hope that this might give you at least some comfort. I would be delighted to hear too please with any very practical steps from any more experienced teachers. You sound extremely conscientious. Abraham Lincoln had a few obstacles to cross if memory serves....
Best
Wannabe
PS New to this so I'm unsure the protocols re how these replies are used
Dear Scampy,
Firstly STOP WORRYING. What you are experiencing is quite common especially when you are new to things. Indeed this still happens to me occasionally when faced with a new teaching situation or particularly difficult class to prepare for. I have been teaching quite a few years. In a way it is a good sign as it shows that you care!
Anyway here are a few practical suggestions to help:
1) Try to organise the material you have found from the net and books under headings, eg 'present perfect', or 'speaking activities', 'visual prompts' etc. Then put it all away in a binder (or in files on pc) so that you know where it is when you need it.
2) Prioritise the lessons you need to prepare, according to which ones are more urgent/time-consuming to prepare. Don't try to do everything at one go.
3) Write down a kind of schedule for yourself for the week including uni time, leisure time, teaching time, free time etc. so you can have a clearer idea of how much time you have. Decide how much time you can realistically dedicate to lesson preparation and stick to that. Remember to allocate time to having fun/resting etc. Teaching can be exhausting mentally and physically so give yourself plenty of breaks!
4) Build in some time to your schedule for exercise. Even a walk in the fresh air helps to get a new perspective on things! You must look after yourself! Remember to eat well.
5) Prepare some 'emergency' or 'filling' activities to do in class and keep these with you in your teaching bag. They could be quick games, crossword type activities, interesting pictures or fun speaking activities that require few materials. Then if your lesson goes pear-shaped or something unexpected happens you will know that you can just magically pull out one of these activities.
6) If you have any specific worries, such as difficult students, or a situation that is bothering you, talk it over with an experienced (and trusted) colleague.
7) DO NOT expect to be a perfect teacher, just do the best you can! Maybe write down a few notes for yourself after lessons (or at the end of the week) with some ideas about what went well and what didn't. Then put it out of your mind!
8) Remember teaching is not easy but it can be great fun so relax and enjoy it!
Hope this helps!
Hello Scampy
Things do get easier with experience and if you have already looked at lesson planning, then try to get some support from your colleagues. Meaning a person and not an article or book. Talk to people.
Don't just sit in on their lesson. If they seem like a "good" teacher to you, ask them how they do what they do.
What do they use for resources, where do they find them etc.
Wish you luck.
Paul
Hi there
I know the feeling only too well from my first teaching days a few years ago now. My experience was that the effort I put in at the beginning (and like you hours and hours of preparation in excess of the number of hours taught) has more than been repaid in the long run as it really does come more easily the more you teach and the more familiar you are with the areas you teach. Hang on in there, these are foundations that will not let you down.
Good luck!
Do you mean to tell me, Scampy, that this school expects you to originate every lesson from your own resources?
Leave immediately.
As a new teacher you need the support of a work book for the students and a teacher's book to go with it. You need the classroom experience first without having to design a course!
If you persist, then test your students to discover their level[s] and then buy an appropriate work book and teacher's book [perhaps the CD too] and a photocopier. The books and CD will come out about £90 for one level.
Use these while searching for extra lessons from the British Council site and perhaps spend thirty odd quid to subscribe to the Onestopenglish site.
Leave university too as you will find it difficult to do both unless your "part-time" is just one or two half-days a week.
Best of luck,
John "Bombastic " Bolt
It does get easier. You will get to know your students and very soon be able plan much quicker. When you have a successful lesson remember the format, the games used etc for future reference.
I would keep copies of everything you use so that you have of bank of materials. This is especially important with games, flashcards, quizzes etc.
You don´t say where you are or what ages you´re teaching or if your school has any policies regarding games, videos, music etc.
Good luck and don´t get downhearted, give it time!!
Bern
Hi!
I would like to echo the other comments - in my experience most new teachers go through this. One cause, I think, is the CELTA and other teacher training courses, where you are encouraged to produce creative lessons that have been planned in-depth. This is, of course, a good thing, and gives you experience and knowledge of skills and techniques which you can use in you future teaching career. However, it is difficult to produce lessons planned to this depth when you have a number of lessons to teach. You haven't said how part time you are, but even for an 18 hour week, spending three times as much time on planning is impossible.
My advice is to use the teacher's books which accompany course books as much as possible. As long as your classes have a set course book, and that course book is supported by a good teacher's book, a lot of your planning can be simply followed by following the plans in the teacher's books. You should familiarise yourself with the plans in the teacher's books, and make sure you know what to do for the extra activities suggested, for example realia for warmers and classroom management for activities. Remember that these books have been written by experts and trialled extensively, and often contain good ideas. You shouldn't be afraid to adapt the ideas to your own teaching situation.
I hope this helps
We all started like that. I remember planning until 2am, getting up at 6am to go through it again etc.
As you teach more lessons, you will become more confident, don't worry. You will get to know more grammar. You will get to know the textbooks that you use. You will learn more 5 minute warmers etc
Overall though, I would say that when planning lessons, stop thinking about what YOU will say and do and think of ways to make the students talk between themselves.
You can NOT teach the language. The students have to learn through practise and some correction, guidance and help from you. Just remember that you can already speak the language perfectly, the students need the practise. Let them practise. Give them the opportunity to speak. Take the focus away from you. You will find that students have big smiles on their faces when they get to do mingle activities/pair work/ group work etc. Get them to choose the next class member for a question...ie speak as little as possible, let them do the talking.
Good luck. It gets easier!
Perfectly normal - you're doing something new and you will need to put in the hours to learn how to do it. Are you using a course book or how do you know what to teach? Do you have access to course books?
Either way, add in to your lessons useful little phrases (such as 'a bit' - do you speak English? Yes, a bit.) which occur to you during the lesson. They may have nothing to do with the lesson theme but that doesn't matter. Your students will find it useful, interesting, and easy to use.
Often these 'snippets' aren't found in course books and you may be the only way the students will pick up these gems. You can if you are skilful build these in to your preparation, again as they occur to you. As a beginner your lessons may sometimes be not very inspired but such 'diversions' can add a bit of life to the proceedings and turn a dull lesson into an interesting one both for yourself and the class.
Have fun! Or as they say abroad: Enjoy! (And why not teach that?)