Teach English in Kebu'er Zhen - Wulanchabu Shi — Ulanqab

I started teaching twenty years ago.I was a classroom teacher for about seven years.For those long years, I taught computer subject from preschool to high school students. It was extremely challenging at first, especially handling preschoolers, most of them were toddlers. I just graduated from university at that time and was in my early twenties. No teaching experience at all, with the courage and dream as my motivation I delve into a new phase as a young professional and was quite excited and nervous at the same time. As a newbie, the adjustment was done in a fragmentary way. I had no idea at all, how was it to be an educator and how was it done. All I got was an adequate training about computer and numerous programs but a bit about teaching. Honestly, the latter was not sufficient at all. But my willingness to learn and the hunger for knowledge made me survive and in a way successful in this field. Disciplining was an also rigorous job to do. I always believe that, an effective teacher should understand the significance of discipline in teaching. It was my mantra. Gradually, teaching became my daily dose of life. It became my bread and butter. It became my first profession. Indeed, the toughest would be teaching preschoolers. Toddlers who were still in their diapers, drinking milk from bottles and of course the tantrums. It took time for me to become acclimated to the situation. But those smiles, cheeky grins gave the purest emotions that one can ever see.Handling preschoolers were totally different from the older ones. For higher level, the subject matter, concept and theories were easier to teach since exposure to modern technology was unrestrained. Disciplining and the behavioral aspect were tougher than I thought. Dealing with it was seriously tough.An ordeal perhaps? But not. The situation brought out the best in me as a teacher. It was one of the toughest? Yes. I discovered I can be more. I became their second parent. And then I saw them learned little by little. The best reward a teacher could ever get. From being a classroom teacher for years, I became an ESL teacher. That was twelve years ago and still I am. Honestly, I never thought that I will be in this field for the longest time. It's my thirteenth year now as an ESL teacher. At that time, teaching wasn't a new thing for me. My experiences as a classroom teacher taught a lot of things about teaching, techniques, discipline and above all, handling different types of learners. ESL doesn't ring a bell. Meaning I had no idea what it was. I knew how to converse in English. But there were still doubts that my language skills and abilities were not enough considering I was a computer teacher. Since I wanted to try new things, without a second thought, I gave it a try. We were trained to teach English language to Korean students on the phone. During the training, I considered myself as a mediocre and that was totally fine. At that point, the adjustments were abrupt, from the classroom to online. Surprisingly, I was able to adapt facilely. My passion for teaching lead to embrace the whole new world of teaching. There are numerous reasons why I embrace and eventually, develop love for it. First, I was able to prove to myself that I can be more. In addition, I was able to spend more time with my kids since the job isn't requiring me to extend my work at home. Above all, I found the work-life balance in this field. As an online teacher for years now, I handle almost all kinds of learners. From beginners to professionals. Handling beginners are the most challenging one. Tons of patience is needed. Making the instructions simple is a must. For years, I handled multitudinous beginners and honestly speaking, it was tough. But as years go by, I was able to understand the effective way to handle them. It wasn't perfect but I can say that, my ways are good enough. Specifically when they can actually apply the language in our conversation and eventually, feel comfortable with each other. Those made me the happiest teacher. As for the professional learners, being knowledgeable on certain topics is important. I don't limit myself on the course book contents. I do research and in the process, I became a wide reader. Every bit of information is as precious as gold.These bits of ideas and information serve as an avenue for them to learn more. These sum up my personal teaching experiences.It wasn't an easy beginning. But along the way, I learned the significance of love for teaching. My students made me realize my worth as a person and as an educator.