Creating Systems for Teaching Prep.
I rarely want to write. But I feel like the way I digest my problems is interesting and might be helpful for people who are undergoing the same path.
As a first-year teacher in junior high school & an online English platform who just moved to a different city, it is very hard to have a work-life balance. (Plus, I also want to find a soul mate/friend here.) Therefore, it’s more vital for people like us to create a system that works to handle different ‘crisis’ in life so that we don’t freak out when all the monsters come at the same time, and that we can have a decent life after work.
So, let’s get to today’s topic: creating systems for teaching prep.
An easy and simple template for creating a good lesson requires:
1. preparing the teaching materials
2. breaking down the talking points
3. presenting it.
1. Preparing the teaching materials
Preparing what to teach sounds easy but it’s the hardest part for the first-year teacher. Given the fact that we do not have the access to many teaching materials as those seniors do, it is very important for us not to fall into the myth of “we have to create our teaching materials” kind of BS. I used to think students will respect teachers designing their PowerPoint/ worksheets, but after giving it a shot a couple of times, I figure out that it is not the teacher’s design of ppt that matters, it is the content. Instead of going through the ‘thesis writing’ mode of brainstorming content for your teaching, I would highly suggest you go to a bookstore/ library near your house and browse through different books that talk about the things you wanna talk about. Standing on their shoulders, you will find it much easier and more organized to prep. your class.
2. Breaking down the talking points
After having the teaching materials, you have to present them in your own way, not theirs. So, it would be crucial to put your voice in it. How do we do that? By simply teaching through it yourself, adding a few emphases on things that you think are important, you will find the teaching materials are not just theirs, it’s yours now. Even though it sounds super easy, it’s the most time-consuming process in this system. You have to make sure you do this so that when you teach, it won’t feel like you are also reading through it for the first time. That will decrease your credibility as a teacher. So make sure you fully immerse yourself in the materials, take notes, and practice teaching it. Then, boom, you are an amazing teacher!
3. Presenting it
This is the actual presentation of what you have prepared. You may encounter different scenarios here: students pay attention or not. You will always need to revise the way you teach when facing different types of students. People are different, so your approach should be, too! It’s not the end of the world if the strategies don’t go well this time, you still have so much time in the future that you can do trials and errors. If you are a reflective person, take notes of what went wrong and what went well, revised the bad, and add more of the good. Your teaching will just be better and better each time!
If you find it helpful, please give me a clap so that more people can see it!
— Love, Kevin :)