Being Confident Teaching ESL | Show Vulnerability

Sometimes our lessons don't go to plan, and sometimes they do, but what we had planned isn't good. What do you do in these cases? How do you handle a lesson that just doesn't go well?

This can be a stressful situation, especially for a new teacher who is unsure about what they are doing. The main thing to remember is that this happens to everybody everywhere, and there's always a next lesson. But in this blog, I want to share some specific tips that will help you in your classes.

How to teach: Teach With Confidence

​Bad Lessons Happens to Everybody

We all have had lessons that fall flat or aren't engaging or they may be good, but a class doesn't get into the activity. This happens. Accept it and move onto the next thing.

Know When To Abandon an Idea

When you sense that a lesson isn't working or the students aren't engaged, there are a couple things you can do. First, if it's unsalvageable, as Kenny Rogers says, "You've got to know when to fold 'em." The key is how you handle it, and if you handle this situation with control, your students will feel that control, and you can work with them, and this situation can turn into a positive.

Brainstorm with your students.

One thing you could do to turn a bad lesson into a good lesson is to brainstorm with your class. You could teach ways to give suggestions and elicit suggestions from your students that could have turned your "bad idea" into a "good idea". You might be surprised what students will come into, and on top of that, they are learning and using real natural language.

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