Chaque professeur, avec sa personnalité unique, sa passion pour l’enseignement et son engagement envers l’excellence, contribue à créer un environnement éducatif vibrant et dynamique

What tools do you use to teach students?

I use books, online material, videos, games, and activities.

Why did you decide to become a language teacher?

I have loved languages and traveling since I was a child. I always found the connection between languages and cultures fascinating. I then realized that not only learning is fun but teaching too. I decided to become a language teacher after I saw that I could also share a bit of my experience as a language learner and adapt it to my student’s needs to help them achieve their language goals as well.

How to maintain student motivation and avoid frustration?

On the first day, I always tell students to never apologize for making a mistake, because making mistakes is how we learn. I also tell them that there is no hurry, there is only how much effort you put into it. If you study only once a week for one hour, you will advance at that pace, if you study one hour with a teacher and then read articles in English or try to speak to people in English, listen to music in English, and immerse yourself in the language, then you will advance much faster. I also try to do many reviews before we continue to learn new material, to make sure they have consolidated their knowledge and acquired the new skills in the language so they can see true progress.

What qualities and skills do you think are necessary to practice this profession?

First, you must be patient, and you also need to be knowledgeable in your field; students like to ask difficult questions and you need to be able to answer them. Organization is also a must, especially if you have several students in one classroom. Being flexible and adaptable means knowing at what pace the student is advancing and adapting accordingly, flexibility with what the students need to learn and what they want to learn, and lastly being enthusiastic about what you are teaching and about your students learning goal, showing them that you believe they will get there, and they will believe it too.

Can you describe a typical day for me?

I wake up at 7 o’clock, exercise for an hour, then start my day usually at 8 or 9 a.m., most of my lessons are online, so I make sure my internet, sound, and material are ready for my class before I start. I always talk to my students about their day or whatever is going on that they have shared with me before I start my lessons, just to build some rapport with them. I have a short break for lunch, and then back at it behind my desk for the afternoon classes until 5 o’clock or sometimes 5:30 pm. After that doing all the chores in the house, cooking, cleaning, and organizing. Then I have dinner with my husband when he comes home from work; we usually watch TV together, either on Netflix or a sports game, and then go to bed at 10 o’clock, read for half an hour, and go to sleep at 11 p.m.

How do you prepare for your lessons? (activities, subjects chosen, supports used, etc.)

It depends on the student’s needs, whether it is for work purposes, career advancement, general knowledge, presentation, fluency, etc. After I know this, I also need to know their level and what skills they need to develop more, listening, writing, speaking, etc. Then I want to know what interests them, what they dislike, and what they struggle with; based on these factors I can then look for material that is tailored to what they need. I have students who are very good at writing but speak poorly, so I use a lesson where we learn vocabulary and do a lot of speaking activities. I have other students who they find it hard to listen to native English teachers in different accents, so I look for a lesson about traveling with videos or listening activities. I like to have a variety in my lessons; there will always be vocabulary, either a reading, listening, or video activity, and a speaking activity is a must; from time to time I focus on grammar when I see that the student is having trouble communicating in the different tenses and of course if the level of the student is too low. I like to also play online board games for vocabulary or activities to have a bit more of a relaxing time with my students while also making sure they are learning and remembering what we have done in class.

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