After successful completion of your TEFL/TESOL course, as you start your teaching career you may encounter an array of challenging circumstances in the classroom. You’ll be taught about those issues and their remedial measures while undergoing the teaching course.
Here we have listed 5 of those common problems and their solutions for your success.
Class size: difficulty in maintenance?
When you undergo a TEFL/TESOL course of teacher training, you’ll be taught about maintaining a class, but while entering into one, you’ll find that there are too many students which you’ve to tackle all alone. Sounds difficult?
However, the solution lies within the techniques of your teaching procedures. Remember to make the lessons interesting and try engaging your learners in every possible way.
There is not only a large class of students that can create difficulty in your way but also you might face difficulty in a smaller class of students too. But the situation deteriorates further if those number of students possess differences in their understanding level. Hence, you need to judge everyone and later on engage them in some activities through your lesson planning. Thus, it will establish a balance in your class.
Motivation: deficiency among the students?
Sometimes it is seen that a class of students lose their concentration due to a lack of motivation or encouragement. Due to this, you need to communicate with them openly and make more innovative plans which will make your students more engaging and attentive in both class activities and lessons.
While setting up the classroom rules, you should identify the recent learning requirements and identify the mannerism of understanding among the learners. As a result, it will create enthusiasm among them to listen to your teaching alongside participating in every class activity.
Use of language in class: mother tongue or first language?
This is specifically getting problematic when you are teaching in a class having young students. It is because at that period they are not so fluent in speaking the first language. Also, you even can’t identify them entirely from their mother tongue.
In these circumstances, you just need to balance the situation of the classroom. Prepare a three-words-rule. Tell them that they have to speak in their first language besides let them use their native language too, but up to a limit.
You should not pressurise your students to use the first language alongside permitting or them to grow confidence in speaking by knowing that they can use supplementary words in case of having an alternative choice.
Class type: students hesitant or hyperactive?
Often, in a class, you may discover some students not interested in performing any class activity while some are more prepared to do everything without asking. Both are tricky.
Therefore, you should identify the reasons behind their hesitation. It can be possible that either they’ve been bullied or feel uncomfortable among students speaking in a language different from their mother tongue. After finding the cause behind their problems, you can advise them freely or even encourage them more for their participation.
Listening activities: are the learners listening actually?
The way of delivering your lessons is not the only factor that makes you convene a class successfully. In your online teacher training course, you’ll learn that how your teaching method involves your students or participate in it is another major factor. Sometimes, you may comprehend that some students are not participating in the class properly. But why does this happen?
There may be different reasons. For instance, it could be due to the poor functioning of the audio source, faulty seating arrangement, study material you choose maybe not exactly belong to the respective age group of the class etc.
Hence, in order to avoid such circumstances, you should be careful and identify the issue and resolve it right away. Keep in mind that listening is an essential section of optimal learning.
You can control a classroom efficiently when you are aware of its methods and strategies. But only by having a proper online TEFL certification, you can overcome any sort of difficult situation in your teaching life efficiently.