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ESL forum > Message board > Just something on my mind about teaching ESL    

Just something on my mind about teaching ESL



SaraMariam
United States

Just something on my mind about teaching ESL
 
Hello my dear fellow teachers

I hope you are all doing great. I wanted to share some thoughts with you and basically pour my heart out to you, because I think you are such a great community and always helping and supporting - and above all, you are ESL teachers like me, so I feel more comfortable sharing with you rather than with other people. 

I have been a part of ESLPrintables for a few years now and it really is one of the best places to be. I have been on and off, due to other things in my life (like moving, sickness, not being able to teach), but I �m always coming back here ;). I have decided to put ESL first in my life now and stay a teacher and create materials and put all the other jobs I had aside completely. 
And I would also love to participate more on the ESL board and help to answer questions. But here comes my thought:
I �m not a native speaker, have never studied (or better never finished to study). I have taught English to kids and teens for 15 years now and I lack a lot of self confidence!! Mostly because I always taught the kids only for short periods of times, so I always taught the same things over and over again instead of new things. So the experience part is not all that awesome as well. The kids love the classes though, just I sometimes feel, they love it because they are fun, not because they learn so much.

Anyways, as soon as I know there will be native speakers reading my things, or even other non-native teachers that have a better level than me, I get blocked and afraid to actually say anything as I think my comments are not as constructive or relevant or it may have a spelling mistake and then everybody will think "what? She is teaching English?".
Also I �m scared to share my "knowledge", because I feel like I don �t really have any, even though having taught for such a long time. I believe that everybody else has so much more to offer. I have never studied to become a teacher, I pretty much got thrown into it, loved it and stayed with it.

I was wondering if I �m the only one out there feeling this way, because I know that some ESL teachers don �t have university degrees or are not native speakers.

Have a nice Monday and enjoy your summer holidays (if you have any) :)
Sara 

20 Jul 2015      





Silenaki
Greece

This life is for loving, sharing, learning, smiling, caring, forgiving, laughing, hugging, helping, dancing, wondering, healing, and even more loving... Do whatever makes you happy, cause what matters the most is to feel good with yourself. I am a kindergarten teacher, I have a personal blog (in Greek) and I teach English as well. I don �t have an English Literature diploma but so what??? I �m not "comparing" myself to anyone else here, cause everyone one of us is a UNIQUE, CHARISMATIC individual with different skills and interests! You �ll be appreciated anyway...just go for it!!!!! ;)

20 Jul 2015     



aftab57
United Kingdom

You have already produced excellent materials and I agree with Silenaki just �BE � yourself, you have a great many things to offer to this community.
As Rumi said: �Do not look at my outward shape but take what is in my hand �

20 Jul 2015     



elderberrywine
Germany

Your English sounds perfect to me (but who am I to say, not being a native speaker either!)
 
Most of us here are not native speakers. If we all hesitated to post our material, ask our questions, make our comments this site would be very poor.
 
Don �t raise the standard too high - because if you do, you expect too much from yourself, but also from the rest of us !!! We�re a very tolerant, loving lot !
Keep posting!
elderberry

20 Jul 2015     



SaraMariam
United States

Thank you so much for your encouragement!! That gave me a real boost now to work on my things and share. You are really amazing people to support everybody so much <3

20 Jul 2015     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

SaraMariam, I know exactly how you feel. I used to be a teacher of French and Italian. I was then pushed into teaching Spanish, with just a smattering of the language. I used to have nightmares about making mistakes and it robbed me of my fluency. It is better to speak and risk the odd mistake - who cares? Your English is fine and your heart is magnificent. I �m chuckling to myself as I have an English teaching English colleague and her spelling is horrendous!!! Here are some examples. Magnificant. Tigar. Dissapointing. She really ought to read more, but anyway, the students LOVE her. 
Don �t worry!
Lynne  

20 Jul 2015     



medamine
Tunisia

not being satisfied with our jobs makes or helps  us do better or at least try to.
If the your kids are having fun this means they are learning. GO ON!

20 Jul 2015     



medamine
Tunisia

not being satisfied with our jobs makes or helps  us do better or at least try to.
If your kids are having fun this means they are learning. GO ON!

20 Jul 2015     



Gi2gi
Georgia

SaraMariam, just had a look at your WS and WOW, they are fantabulous! :) You would leave many teachers green with envy :)))))

20 Jul 2015     



morenopalomares
Spain

 
SaraMariam, when reading your note I have felt identified and I am in you shoes too. We try our best and the emotional intelligence does the rest.
 
All my love,
 María 

20 Jul 2015     



SaraMariam
United States

You are all so sweet! Thank you so much for your encouraging words <3 Lynne, you are polyglot then :o that �s pretty impressive!
Gi2gi, I learned how to do worksheets because of this site :) my first creations were pretty much a joke, but I learned from everyone here and the tutorials so it �s all thanks to these people here <3 and also thanks to Victor who made this magnificent website! I still have to learn how to do power point games though :p

21 Jul 2015     

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