ESL Teaching Tips – Finding Eden

How You Change After Living Abroad

From my times working and studying abroad, I’ve noticed that I’ve changed quite a bit. Of course I’ve changed in the expected ways- more independent, more adventurous, and more sure of myself, but I’ve also changed in some unexpected ways.

I’ve started to speak completely differently. I might even go as far as to say that I lost fluency in my OWN language. You interact with so many people who speak such different levels of English that you tend to simplify as much as possible so you can make sure you’re understood. I’m actually quite proud of the fact that I can have a full conversation with a Russian five-year-old who barely speaks English, but I do miss using long words and having complex conversations. It might just be me, but I can’t do both.

I’ve also become a little bit more closed off. The problem with traveling to countries where they don’t speak your native language, is that you slowly start getting quieter and quieter. My real problem is that I haven’t felt ~comfortable for over a year now because I haven’t been able to grasp enough of the language to be able to talk anyone. Every time I leave the house I worry about having to talk to someone. You really take it for granted in your own country that you can just talk to people; you can ask someone in the store to help you find something, you can respond to someone talking to you on the street, you can be polite to waiters… I miss it.

I have a harder time making close friends. When you jump from place to place you make more friends, but you don’t make close friends. It’s sad to get close to people and then leave. It’s sad to know that it’s likely you’ll never see your friends again after you leave the country. Its also hard to hold on to old friendships. People have lives and no matter how much effort you put into your friendships, it’s different when you’re not there. You have to be there, physically hang out, and see them regularly to keep your friends close.

Everything is give and take, and it’s hard for me to know for sure that I made the right decision with where I am. Every decision you make will change the path your life takes and I wonder if I’m making the right choices. Or even if there are such things as right choices. Who would I be if I had never left home? Would that person be better or worse than who I am now?

How to Make Your Kindergartners Your Friends

My personal philosophy with kids is to try to be their friend. Whether they’re your kids, or your students, your friend’s kids, or some neighbor kid that you have to interact with on any sort of regular basis- it’ll make your life so much easier if they like you.

Becoming friends- Kids just want to be treated fairly- they don’t want to be treated like babies. Like any friendship, you should make jokes, be goofy, tell them stories, get excited to show them things- it’ll make them more invested in the things you have to say, and it’ll make it easier to get them interested when you need them to sit down and listen to the lesson. If they’re up for it, you can even tease them, or make up stupid nicknames for them. Something that shows you’re invested in them.

As an English teacher for kindergartners your job is to speak as much English as you can; to them, at them, around them… Just talk and talk and talk. Talking to them about stuff you care about not only fulfills a job requirement, but it makes them see you as a person and an equal not just an adult who has to watch them. Have a unit on animals? Ask them about their favorites, and tell them how much you love baby hippos, show them pictures, and be excited. I bet next time you ask them about animals they’ll tell you they love baby hippos too because your excitement rubbed off on them! They want to be just like you.

Play- REALLY play with them. Don’t just watch them play. Show them you like the same things as them. You’re around kids. There’s no room for embarrassment. Roll around on the floor, pick them up, toss them around, run around, make silly faces. The extra energy is worth it when they start begging you to play with them.

Rules- If you have administration that is okay with it, try setting your own rules too. You should have the same rules as the school sets, but if something is reasonable, or not that big of a deal, then let it go. Make sure your kid knows they did something wrong, but that you understand the circumstances and that you are going to let it go because you respect them as a person more than you respect the idea of blindly enforcing arbitrary rules. They’ll come to you when something goes wrong and they won’t be afraid of you. (This clearly only works with kids that are already pretty good though. If you have a group of crazy kids, you can’t come in and just be a no rules kind of teacher.)

Crying- If one of your kids is upset, talk it through. Your schedule is less important than their emotional health. Little kids have little problems and it will make them feel like they can rely on you if you take their problems seriously instead of just trying to get them to stop crying as fast as you can.

Honestly just get to know your kids. Different ages, different cultures, different people, you’ll get to know what each individual needs and wants from you. You’ll always have some that don’t like you, but I think it’s worth the effort to try to be their friends. It’s a lot of work at first, but it pays you back tenfold.