【講師コラム】イジー講師No.6～Connecting with Students and Nurturing Growth～

Hi there! Teacher Izzy here. Today, I’d like to share my journey as an English teacher. All I can say is it’s not easy, but it’s a lot of fun and discoveries.

Personally, one of the challenges I’ve had is connecting with students. Kids are especially not easy to make a connection with. Since they are still young, they are still learning to interact with others besides their family and friends. And they are shy. I totally understand that. Thus, my goals are to make them feel comfortable throughout my class and encourage them to express their thoughts and feelings. At the start of my classes, I would ask my students how they are feeling or how their day is. It’s really thrilling to listen to kids share about a good thing that happened to them. Some students still stick to answers like ‘I’m fine,’ which is alright with me. But I’m still hoping that someday they will feel comfortable to open their heart to me. So, to my dear students don’t be shy to share with me the good things that happened to you. And please don’t be afraid to complain to me about the bad things that happened to you. I’m all ears.

At times, students may find it challenging to articulate their ideas about a particular topic or question due to confusion or lack of clarity. Therefore, I find it helpful to share my thoughts first, as this enables them to comprehend and gain an understanding of how they can express their own opinions effectively.

While there are materials available to use in class, some students prefer to engage in free conversation or play a game. To ensure they understand me, I use simple words and phrases. However, I also try to introduce them to fancy words which can help them broaden their vocabulary. Furthermore, I like to send the new learnings we had on the chatbox so that they can review it whenever needed.

I know that I may not be the best teacher out there and that there are areas I need to improve. However, I am committed to helping my students enhance their skills and to be a source of inspiration for them. I am excited to continue on this rewarding journey of teaching.