Looking Back, Looking Forward

A big otsukaresama deshita to everyone who worked hard right up until the end of the year. There, relax with a book and cuppa...

Soon, we will all take some much needed rest and set off on our winter break.

Before that, let’s take a moment to reflect on your classes this year - what was good, and how could they be better?

Getting too comfortable? Got some worksheets that need a makeover? How about an activity that needs tweaking to keep the students engaged and motivated? Sick of using the same old ICT for classes?

Your mission is to never plateau, and every good teacher can always get out of their comfort zone to become a better teacher.

Did you and the students have a smile in the class more often than not? Did you make sure one of the top priorities was to deliver an engaging way for them to learn and review English? Did your students extend their own English learning outside of your classes?

Hopefully you can answer yes to those questions. If you feel you were too strict or serious, remind yourself that from 2023 you're going to try adding some 'fun' elements to your classes! 

Reflect upon your lessons and see how much time you spent on explaining and lecturing. See how much time the students got to interact with you and one another - especially one another. If engagement time is an area that needs improving, it's never too late to make adjustments in your teaching style.

Finally, the last 2 or so years of school lock downs and working from home for some of us - and for many it was their first time - was definitely a time of learning for teachers and students alike.

What did you learn from it? Now that you have that experience and knowledge, how could you better your teaching skills and provide the students better classes should another lockdown occur in 2023?

Many people make new year’s resolutions and forget about them after a few weeks. Instead of making a new year’s teaching resolution, think about some of the points above, see how they relate to you, and decide what's reasonable and realistic to strive for.

We all want to become better teachers, and we can all find areas that need improvement in our careers. Self reflection is the key to improvement, and motivation is the key to making those hopes reality.

Best of luck in the coming year, and let’s make 2023 the best teaching year yet. Have a wonderful new year!