Classroom Presentation for new TEFL Teachers

Classroom Presentation for new TEFL Teachers

Feeling nervous?

Even the most confident and experienced public speaker still feels "butterflies" before addressing an audience. In many North American surveys, a fear of public speaking has been ranked as people's greatest fear. In some cases it has outranked "falling off a cliff, financial difficulties, snakes and even death". So it is perfectly natural for you to feel nervous when you get up in front of your class for the first time during your TEFL course, whether you are a seasoned teacher or a novice.

Here are some tips for helping you to cope with this fright:

Ask yourself why you are nervous. Is it a fear of failure? Humiliation? Exposure? Judgement? Decide why you have that fear and address those issues, creating worst-case scenarios and preventative solutions. In order to be an effective TEFL teacher, you will need to learn how to manage and cope with your stage fright. Keep in mind that this will be a different process for each individual.

Nervousness is usually not visible to your TEFL students; most of them will not notice small changes to your voice, your palms sweating or the occasional small mistake. They WILL notice "nervous tics", both physical and verbal (e.g. pushing your glasses up, playing with your hair, saying okay or ummm excessively). Identify your tics and make a concerted effort to avoid them.

Be yourself! Students want to feel they are being taught by a real person and that they can identify with you. ESL students will be putting themselves out there and taking risks. In order for them to trust you, they need to know you are doing the same. This will also help you feel more relaxed if you do not feel you have to "play a part". You will develop a teaching "persona" to an extent, but it should be a genuine reflection of your personality.

Be familiar with the space that you will be working in. If you have an opportunity, go into the classroom and have a colleague listen to you speak and give you feedback on classroom acoustics and your voice. Also familiarise yourself with any equipment you might be using during your class to avoid embarrassing mid-class mishaps.

MOST IMPORTANT: be prepared and practice!!!

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