Hilal Hastaoglu » first day of TP

Remember my first teaching practice? Aaah*&^%$%^&?
http://www.eslbase.com/diaries/hilalhastaoglu-2007-01-my-first-teaching-practice

Well, yesterday I had my last TP! It didn’t go as Aaah^&%$! Instead, I felt very comfortable! I can’t believe how much I developed my teaching skills. Monitoring, concept questions, drilling etc. My first TP was for 20 min. and this one was 60 min.! Oh, I think I never told any of you about the teaching practices during the CELTA, have I? Well, it goes like this;

You teach 9 times to students + you get 2 microteaching (each 10 min.) to your peers.

1st lesson: 20 min. to elementary students
2nd till 5th: 40 min. elementary

6th till 8th lesson: 40 min. intermediate

9th lesson: last lesson, 60 min. intermediate

Anyway, where was I? Yes, comparing my first TP to my last one. BIG DIFFERENCE. I learned so many teaching tactics, approaches, strategies, methods, styles… whatever you want to call them.

¨ I feel confident when I’m teaching.
¨ I don’t worry about questions coming from students anymore.
¨ I enjoy teaching grammar.
¨ I can categorize students into their learning styles (and I thought you need to be a psychologist to be able to do that). In addition to that, I learned that I am a kinaesthetic, visual, auditory and a interpersonal learner.
¨ When I’m teaching, I don’t see blank faces anymore.
¨ I learned to listen (yes, I know that is unbelievable).
¨ I know what “synonym” means!
¨ I can handle criticism!
¨ I don’t need pink stuff to help me overcome stress! (I wonder if any of my tutors and colleagues realised that I don’t bring my pink folder, pink pen, pink pencil, pink eraser to class anymore)

My first day of Teaching was like AAaaaaaAaaAaAaaaaah!!$^3% *&^%9$£5%^;7;* (*&2^%$£$%*(*&^%$£$%^&*&^%

I think that explains it all.

If you got anything to say, go ahead!