Albert Rawlings

I’ve acquired a few tips and tricks for people when they first start teaching. These methods were covered during my TEFL course and fine-tuned when I started the job.

It’s good start a class with a warm up exercise also known as an ice breaker. This will grab the student’s attention and can be used to revisit content from a previous lesson. For example, you could use a provocative question to start a debate and get them talking. For younger children you could throw a ball to students and ask them questions if they can catch it – I found this got the class focused and ready to learn. 

One method I utilized in every class was an incentive system. It was a great tool for keeping control of the class. It rewards good behavior and discourages bad behavior. An example of this is having a competitive points-based system. Split the class into two teams and when the student answers a question correctly give their team a point. In comparison, when a student exhibits bad behavior you remove points. At the end of the class the team with the most points wins and receives a reward such as a stamp in their book that can later be exchanged for prizes. I found this the most effective way to have discipline while making the classes fun and competitive.

Be prepared to adjust to a new environment, food, language and other aspects life. It’s a big part of the TEFL experience that’s often overlooked. The great thing about TEFL is you usually already have a built-in network of people at your new place of work. I found it really useful to make connections with Chinese colleagues as well as more experienced TEFL teachers. Making these connections was useful as I had an instant support network and people to show me how to live in a new country. I found it didn’t take long to adjust and gain the skills required to live abroad. 

Although I didn’t plan to stay longer than a year or two, I ended up choosing to stay in China for 5 years!

Most schools offer generous holidays and this gave me the opportunity to travel. Being located in Asia meant my dream locations were so close! I ended up visiting Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Maldives! As well as the travelling the experience has given me financial security and a start to a career back in the UK! It sounds like it’s too good to be true but this was my honest experience and I couldn’t recommend it enough, especially to young people wanting to broaden their horizons!