A Good Teacher

When I taught in language schools it was not uncommon to hear teachers say they dreaded teaching a certain group or particular level or grammatical point. But, strangely enough, there was always someone in the school who found that same group, structure or level to be the most enjoyable to teach. Ever since then whenever a class, a lesson or a grammatical explanation doesn’t work I never blame the students. I always blame myself. The most important things a teacher takes to a classroom are her enthusiasm and willingness to learn to teach. Some method books are more interesting or; let’s be honest, easier to teach than others, but that’s no excuse for skipping the sections - a common practice - that are boring or complicated to explain. It’s the teacher, not the student, who makes learning easy or difficult, fun or boring. Therein lies the challenge and the reward.
Gordon