Offered teaching job

[Cogs Of My Cranium]

Today I've been offered a TEFL English teaching job in my town, starting Thursday and finishing at the end of July. Now I've accepted it I feel absolutely awful. I haven't worked in years and my teaching course was 5 years ago. I've never actually taught a class outside of that course. When I was on the course I taught 6 hours, also under scrutiny from fellow teacher-students, course leaders. It felt like absolute death doing that course and my memories of it are terrible. I managed to push through it and got the qualification.

Since then I've tried working in 2 summer school and quit the first day as it was just so overwhelming. These jobs were 4 years ago. It's that sharp fear of failure amongst a tidal wave of other things that has froze me with anxiety just as I sit here typing this.

Has anyone here taught? How did you survive the first few days? How did you deal with, well, everything?

 

[DogwoodTree]

I've worked as an adjunct instructor, and was recently hired again in a similar adjunct position. I'm supposed to start at my new school in the fall.

When I started at my last position, I tried to keep reminding myself that my students were even more scared than I was, for the most part. I'm in an authority position in the classroom, and though that can be very scary if I can't maintain order, I know that my students are facing even greater fears in showing up at all. Most of them were returning students, coming back to school after many years of being in the workforce and struggling to make ends meet. They're afraid they won't be able to keep learning, and many of them had bad experiences in school when they were younger. They appreciate encouragement and confidence coming from me, showing that I believe fully that they can learn what they need to learn.

My sensory issues are a much bigger problem now, though, than they were back then, so yes, I'm concerned about this go around. What works for me in other work situations is to use a "work" mask...I take on a professional persona designed from characteristics I've seen in other people that seemed to work well for them and that I liked.

It's exhausting but also exhilarating at times. When I do it well, it's kinda like an actor coming off stage after a dazzling performance. Actors play the roles of the characters they're portraying, but they also put their own personal touch on the performance. A performance doesn't have to be robotic or sanitized--as I get better, I'm able to put unique twists to the persona characteristics.

As tiring as it is, I keep doing it because I see ways that I'm helping people, and even more, I see ways that the work challenges me to become a more mature and developed person, too.

 

[Progster]

I have worked in TEFL for many years. The first time I tried, it was a disaster and like you I quit after the first day. I tried again, this time with more guidance and better facilities. I managed better, but I always had difficulty teaching groups, especially large groups. I was teaching kids and I found class management very hard - maintaining discipline, keeping the kids engaged, timing, difficulties with background noise, organisation and sudden timetable changes - I found it exhausting. I once worked in a school, and it was a disaster, too many kids in one class, too noisy, not able to keep kids engaged, discipline problems, not coping with short notice timetable changes, problems getting on with other staff. I didn't last long there. I tried working in a kindergarten, and left there after I was told that I can't connect to the kids. The bigger the group, the harder it is. I now only teach one to one, and find that I can manage this.

I think that people with ASD who want to teach have many challenges to overcome due to the nature of the work and the environment they work in, but if once they overcome these challenges, they can become very good teachers. They are often very passionate and knowledgeable about the subject they teach, very thorough and attentive to detail. These are good qualities for teaching.

I found that the key thing to overcome anxiety is to be well-prepared. If you prepare well, then you have more confidence and that transfers itself into your teaching. Come to the classroom early and get everything set up, keep a lesson plan in front of you on your desk you can keep referring to, that helps you to stay on schedule and with timing. Don't try to plan too many activities into one session, keep a simple structure. Have a couple of fun activities you can do at the end of the lesson such as vocabulary games (hangman, or something like this), so that if you have time left at the end, you will have something to do.

Like DogwoodTree I wear a mask when teaching, I adopt a different personality, like an actor on stage.

 

[Cogs Of My Cranium]

Thanks for replies I met my director of studies and fellow teachers today. Start tomorrow. I've been told tomorrow and Friday morning will be testing and inductions of students but I will have to teach 2 lessons on Friday afternoon. Being in this room thinking about it all is probably the worse thing about it all right now.

 

[Mr Allen]

Good luck, I know I couldn't do a teaching job, well I probably could but I'm too pedantic, if I was an English teacher in a school I'd be pulling people on their grammar and spelling all the time.

 

[Cogs Of My Cranium]

I've just resigned I just couldn't handle the class and worrying about planning and lots of other things. Too stressful and overwhelming. I am very sad and disappointed with myself

 

[paloftoon]

Sorry to hear that Cogs . I just noticed this thread. I used to teach. Classroom management is more than a challenge. I was hoping it was a college setting where you'd have more control and more support generally speaking.

With classroom management, keep everything in the classroom if it's not physical if your school doesn't have the supports available. You have to do everything you can to keep it in the classroom and only call parents sparingly. Just keep repeating yourself if you have to and make sure you know that you are the teacher.

Maybe instead of applying for full time positions, consider short term subbing or teaching assistant. That might be a good way to get slowly adjusted to the ropes. Here's hoping for the best!

 

[wanderer03]

I've just resigned I just couldn't handle the class and worrying about planning and lots of other things. Too stressful and overwhelming. I am very sad and disappointed with myself

Cogs, it's gonna be okay. Don't beat yourself up. You will find something that suits you.