Before he started studying for his Bachelor’s degree in Government at The College of William and Mary, Will Heikkinen worked as an English language teacher, first working with ESL Students at the Frost School of Lawrence while he was in high school, before working with Spanish schoolchildren through Canterbury English during his time in Spain. There are a number of ways that you can tell that you are really getting through to your students and that you have what it takes to make a career out of teaching, including all of the following.
You Enjoy The Work
If you bring passion and enthusiasm into your work, that is going to be reflected in the quality of the lessons that you provide to your students. Furthermore, enjoying your work tends to indicate that you have formed good relationships with your students and that your lessons tend to go well, all of which are indicators that you are doing the job correctly. If you find that your students frustrate you to the point of unhappiness, you may need to consider what you can work on to improve.
Students Imitate You
The more your students engage with your lessons and begin to admire you as a teacher, the more you should start to see some of your positive qualities be reflected in them. Higher work ethics, positivity and demonstrations of effective teamwork are all signs that your students respect you and enjoy your lessons. This is extremely beneficial, as many of these skills will also prove vital when they start their careers later on in life.
You Study Your Own Subject
While your formal education will have provided you with the essentials of what you need in order to teach lessons, it is the work that you put into learning more about your chosen subject that will separate you from the pack and ensure that you are capable of providing strong lessons to your students. You should always work towards learning more, as this can then be applied to your lesson plans so that your students get more out of their studies. Many will also be able to see your commitment to the subject, which encourages them to work harder at it.
Students Want Feedback
Will Heikkinen notes that providing good feedback to your students is essential if they are to improve on their existing skillsets, but it is a sign of a really good teacher if your students come to you to find out more about what they can do to improve. This demonstrates that your students trust your opinions and truly believe that you can give them the help that they need to achieve their goals in their studies. Make it a point to be fair when giving feedback, highlighting areas of improvement while also praising your students for doing well.
