Hi, everybody! Long time no see. I’m sorry I haven’t written any blogs about my teaching practice as I had about 7–10 classes every day, but now I’m ready to spill the beans because I have something to tell you. Well, I was sure my teaching practice would be easy (ha-ha). Right from the start I was told I would have about 10 classes every day. Is it insane? It sure is. I had classes with preschoolers (5–6), young learners (7–10), teens (11–15), young adults (20–25), adults (27–35) and even middle-aged people (40–26). I had online, offline classes, both in groups and individually. It was such an exhausting experience. Nevertheless, it was really useful, as it helped me realize what I enjoy and what is not my cup of tea. My insights: 1) You shouldn’t think your students will always enjoy all the activities you prepare for them (even if you think it’s exciting) 2) Everybody likes games. Never neglect them even with adults. 3) Everybody likes to talk about themselves. If you feel your students are not really talkative, ask something about THEMSELVES. 3) TTT !!! (Teacher talking time) You should stop thinking your students want to know your opinion about something you ask them (of course if they don’t ask you). Let them talk. You’re a teacher, not a student. 4) Don’t be afraid if somebody is watching you (your boss/parents/other teachers). Just pretend they are not here. 5) Smile, smile, smile! Even if your class is at 9 p. m. , or 8 a.m. 6) You’ve made a mistake? Well, forget about it. Your students have already forgotten.
This is what I’ve learned and realized so far (of course there is a huge list, but that’s enough for now).
Another highlight (or a nightmare) was a Spanish class with the juniors at the university for the teaching contest. OMG, I can’t believe I did it. It was one of the biggest challenges in my life, really. Fortunately, they were sweet and nice, and everything turned out to be better, than I had expected.
