You’ve got some classes coming up soon and you need to get some new ideas. Thinking about what happens next month or even next year isn’t really that important to you at the moment.
But what if you didn’t have that class right now? What if you weren’t a teacher? What would you be doing?
See, when you’re an ESL teacher you’re not often thinking about what’ll happen when you’re finished with ESL.
Sure, you occasionally fantasize about being home, not teaching, perhaps doing a different job altogether.
But what kinds of plans have you put in place to make that happen? What have you done to prepare for your life after ESL?
I’m willing to bet my hard-earned dollar that you’ve done nothing.
I taught in China for 5 years and after awhile going back home seemed a little scary. And not teaching ESL? Jeez, I’d been doing that so long I didn’t think I could do anything else, and who’d want to hire me to find out?
That’s why I started writing a book that would focus on making the transition to and from ESL teaching.
It’s called Teaching Abroad: Making the Move To and From ESL Teaching. It’s currently on sale from Amazon and Smashwords and will be available on other retailers in a week or two.
Here’s what the Table of Contents looks like:
The first part focuses on those thinking of becoming ESL teachers.
The second part discusses strategies for when you are an ESL teacher.
And finally the last part deals with your life after teaching ESL.
It’s that last part that I enjoyed writing the most, perhaps because I’m living it right now.
I haven’t taught ESL in about 8 months and I very rarely miss it. Sure, I wouldn’t mind picking up a class here and there, but everyday and several classes a day? No thanks.
I’ve transitioned into writing full-time and have yet to get a ‘real job.’ What I focus on in that final part is how you can make finding a job easier.
You’re going to need to beef up that CV and figure out what skills you now have because of your ESL teaching experience. I tell you how to do that in this book.
I tell you a lot more as well, and the book totals 23,000 words and 85 pages. It’s my 4th ESL teaching book and I’ll have a much shorter, 5,000 word ESL book out next month that focuses on fast classroom games in a pinch. It’ll be free.
Until then I urge you to check out this book at your favorite eBook retailer. And remember, on Smashwords you can buy a simple PDF that you can read on your computer.
Whether you’re thinking of being an ESL teacher, are already living abroad, or have recently made the move back home, this book is for you.
Make your life easier and your transition hassle-free. Buy Teaching Abroad today!
Excerpt from Teaching Abroad
I used to work with an ESL teacher that was from the Philippines. She was a very good teacher but also very strict. Some might consider her to be tough, or maybe even a bit of a dick. But I don’t think anyone would deny she was fair. If a child got in trouble they had it coming.
That’s kind of the attitude you need to have when you’re an ESL teacher – being strict but fair. Here are some things you can do so that your classes are fun, but under control:
Consequences
“Don’t speak Chinese!” I would yell in my ESL classes. Students spoke Chinese.
“If you speak Chinese you’re writing 10 lines!” I would try sometimes. Students spoke less Chinese.
If you have firm consequences in place, make them clear to students, and actively mete them out when transgressions arrive, then you’ll have a headache-free ESL class.
Probably the biggest problem I see is teachers telling their students not do something then doing nothing when students do just that. It’s like giving your ESL students a free ticket to walk all over you.
Have clear consequences and follow through.
Rewards/Punishments
So what about all those good kids? For every 5 minutes of attention you give them you’re giving 10 minutes to the bad kids. Why? Because students that are misbehaving take more time to deal with. You have to stop things, talk to them directly, put them back in their seat, open their books for them, threaten them, give them a pencil, give them tissue paper…shall I go on?
So that’s quite the reward for those good kids, huh? For their great behavior they get less attention than the bad kids, and it’s that attention their parents are paying for.
Just as you’re punishing the bad kids with consequences, make sure you give some rewards to good students. Stickers work great for young kids and are cheap. Less or no homework is wonderful for older students. How about letting them out of class early? They love it but your bosses usually don’t. The point is, give them something so they’ll stay good and not become apathetic.
Rule Sheet
Stating your rules before class is a simple and effective way to keep your students on the right track behavior-wise. And when time comes to punish them you can point to the rule sheet and say “Ha! Don’t give me that jerky, kiddo, you screwed up!”
I’ve never seen a guilty ESL student succeed at looking innocent after you call them out. They just can’t do it. Either they crack up, their friends give them guff and they lash out, or they hold their head low and accept the punishment.
Rule sheets keep a little order in your ESL classroom and I hope you give them a try.
What are you waiting for? Buy this groovy ESL book today!