6 things I learned from teaching English

If you're searching for a rewarding career, teaching English to overseas students could be the perfect choice for you. Education is one of the most exciting career paths that anyone can follow. Every day is completely different, and when working with learners, regardless of their age or background, you can rest assured that nothing will be predictable! Nevertheless, one thing you can be sure of is that teaching isn't all you'll be doing. You may be surprised that you'll learn plenty of new things along the way.

Imparting And Gaining Knowledge

Of course, your role is to impart your knowledge to others, but you'll also discover some unexpected rewards that come with working as an English teacher, too. Whether you become TEFL certified to teach interactive English lessons for children or tutor adults who are learning business English, you'll find that not only will you impart your knowledge, but you'll gain some, too. Whether you physically head overseas to immerse yourself in another culture or 2deliver classes online to learners all over the globe from any location of your choice, you'll find it's an experience, unlike any other job.

Lesson 1 – How To Be Patient

The first and perhaps most important lesson you'll learn as an English teacher is patience. Some of your students will no doubt pick up everything you teach them quickly and ace every class. Some, however, are sure to struggle and take far longer to grasp the basic concepts of the language. You may find it frustrating at first, but eventually, you'll realise that when those struggling learners finally understand what you're trying to explain, the joy you'll experience will be unlike anything else!

Lesson 2 – How To Overcome Challenges

If you're going abroad to teach English, you'll certainly find yourself facing unexpected situations. Whether that's a stomach bug from unfamiliar food, finding the heat difficult to manage, or the culture shock of living in a completely different community, working as a TEFL professional overseas will definitely present challenges for you to overcome. While it may feel difficult at the time, you'll develop ingenious ways to get around any obstacles and feel incredibly proud of your accomplishments afterwards!

If you're delivering lessons online rather than heading overseas, you may think that challenges will be few and far between. So, it'll probably come as a surprise to discover that it won't all be plain sailing. While the obstacles you'll face will differ from those that impact overseas English teachers, they can be just as difficult to cope with. What do you do when your technology fails to work? How do you deal with unexpected interruptions or delays? Can you adapt your lesson on the spot when it becomes clear that your learning objective was pitched too high or too low for your students' abilities? Learning how to deal with difficulties without falling to pieces will help you become more adaptable and teach you how to remain calm, even in a crisis.

Lesson 3 - How To Take Responsibility

If you've worked in other roles, you'll no doubt have had to take responsibility for the tasks you needed to accomplish, but teaching English requires you to take responsibility to a whole new level. You'll be playing an incredibly important role in your students' lives. For many of your learners, developing English language skills is key to enabling them to create a better life for themselves and their families, so you may literally hold their future in your hands. You'll learn how to take your responsibility seriously and pull out all the stops to enable your students to achieve as much as possible.

Lesson 4 – How To Be Open Minded

No matter who you're teaching English to, and where they're located around the world, you can be sure that your students will be very different from you. They're sure to have a different worldview, and their traditions and cultures will likely be unlike yours. Whether you're teaching online or in-person in an overseas classroom, those differences can present difficulties, but they can also present amazing opportunities for growth and learning. Learning more about your learners' ways of living will enrich your life and how you look at the world around you. You'll develop the skill of being open-minded to fresh experiences and a whole new way of seeing life.

Lesson 5 – The Importance Of Effective Communication

As a native English speaker, you probably think that you have all the knowledge you need to deliver effective classes to your learners, but that isn't necessarily the case. Simply being able to speak a language doesn't always make you capable of teaching it to others. It can be a lot trickier than you anticipate explaining complicated grammatical concepts to those with a completely different first language, and the key to success lies in your communication skills.

The good news is that effective communication is something you'll learn during your TEFL course, which is one of the reasons why it's so vital to obtain the Teaching English as a Foreign Language qualification. Not only will you gain the knowledge you need to deliver English lessons, but you'll also develop the skill of how to communicate that knowledge to others in a range of ways.

Lesson 6 – How To Have Fun

Although working as an English teacher can be challenging, it's a lot of fun too. You'll experience incredible joy when your students grasp a particularly difficult concept. When you see that your learners are enjoying the lesson you've planned, you'll discover just how rewarding your job can be. No matter what, it's certainly a lot more entertaining than the average day in the office!

Whether you're teaching overseas or online, teaching English gives you plenty of opportunities to make the most of your time. Thanks to the flexibility of the role, you can fit your teaching commitments around your schedule, and that means you can enjoy a wide breadth of experiences, whether at home or abroad. You'll learn how to use your spare time to its best advantage, perhaps by learning an instrument, developing your artistic skills, or visiting the top attractions in your area, whether that be a bustling, exotic resort or something closer to home in the villages and towns of North Devon.

These are just six things that you can learn from teaching English to overseas students. But perhaps the most important thing you’re sure to discover in your new role is just how rewarding this job can be.