Tops Mistakes

Top Mistakes English Teachers Make (And How to Avoid Them) – Part 1

   

As English teachers, we may feel sometimes that there are things that are just not working, but we’re not sure why. Well, in this series, we are going to explore the top mistakes we make as English teachers and how to avoid them.

 


 

Mistake #1: Failing to plan effective lessons

Why is it important? 

Of course, we all know lesson planning is an important part of the teaching process. You can even find different ways to simplify your lesson planning process in our previous post. Lesson plans help us stay on track and stay organized during class. They also make sure that your students get a well-rounded and interesting lesson. The most common mistake is not taking the time to plan our lessons.

Common Mistakes 

This can lead to a lack of structure and organization, as well as a lack of focus on the learning objectives for the class. Another common mistake is not considering the needs and abilities of the students, which can result in lessons that are either too difficult or too easy for the students.

Some tips to avoid common mistakes

  • Take the time to plan your lessons thoroughly and consider the needs and abilities of your students.
  • Focus on the learning objectives for the class and make sure that your lessons are well-rounded and comprehensive. Try using long-term planning, find out more here
  • Use a variety of teaching methods, including hands-on activities, group work, and discussion, to keep students engaged and involved.
  • Incorporate real-life examples and authentic materials into your lessons to make them more relevant and interesting to students.
  • Continuously evaluate and adjust your lesson plans to ensure that they are effective and meeting the needs of your students.

Continuously evaluate and adjust your lesson plans to ensure that they are effective and meeting the needs of your students.

Mistake #2: Over-reliance on textbooks

Why is it important? 

As an English language teacher, textbooks can be quite important, especially depending on your school’s curriculum. It’s easy to fall into the trap of relying solely on the textbook for lesson material. But if you only use a textbook, your lessons might not be as creative or interesting, and your students might feel bored and uninterested in the material. Textbooks are a valuable resource, but they should not be the only source of information or activity in the classroom.

Common Mistakes 

One common mistake is to only get information from the textbook instead of adding real-life examples and activities. Another mistake is to simply go through the textbook in a linear fashion, rather than using it as a starting point for more interactive and engaging lessons.

Some tips to avoid common mistakes

  • Use real-life examples and authentic materials, such as news articles or videos, to bring the material to life for students.
  • Encourage students to use English in real-life situations by incorporating role-plays and simulations into your lessons.
  • Use the textbook as a starting point, rather than the sole source of information, and incorporate other materials and activities into your lessons.
  • Encourage students to use the textbook as a reference, rather than the sole source of information, by encouraging them to do additional research and explore topics in more depth.
  • By supplementing textbook materials with real-life examples and activities, you can make your lessons more engaging, interactive, and relevant to your students. This will help to foster their interest in the language and support their development as English language learners.

By supplementing textbook materials with real-life examples and activities, you can make your lessons more engaging, interactive, and relevant to your students.

Mistake #3: Underestimating the Importance of Pronunciation

Why is it important? 

It’s important to realize how important pronunciation is to language skills as a whole. Good pronunciation is important for good communication because it makes it easier for students to be understood and for others to understand them. Students’ confidence and fluency in speaking a language can be greatly improved by putting a lot of focus on how to say words.

Common Mistakes 

One common mistake is not paying enough attention to pronunciation in lessons, especially if the teacher is a non-native speaker themselves. Another mistake is not taking the time to correct pronunciation mistakes in real time, allowing them to become ingrained habits.

Some tips to avoid common mistakes

  • Emphasize the importance of pronunciation from the very beginning and make it a regular part of your lessons.
  • Use visual aids, such as pictures or videos, to help students understand the sounds of the language.
  • Correct pronunciation mistakes in real time and provide individualized feedback to students.
  • Encourage students to practice pronunciation in small groups or individually with a focus on proper intonation and rhythm.
  • Provide opportunities for students to practice their pronunciation in real-life situations, such as role-plays or presentations.
  • By placing a strong emphasis on pronunciation and promoting good speech habits, you can help your students to improve their overall language skills and become confident, fluent speakers of English.

By placing a strong emphasis on pronunciation and promoting good speech habits, you can help your students to improve their overall language skills and become confident, fluent speakers of English.

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Tatiana

Gómez Ramírez
How to Spend Less Time Preparing Lessons Image

How to Spend Less Time Preparing Lessons

   

Lesson planning has always been a time-consuming and complex process for teachers. I’m almost sure if you ask most teachers, novice or experienced, this will be a pain point. I remember when I first started teaching, and I would take at least twice as long as the lesson lasted. I would research the grammar to increase my awareness, find different ways to model or explain it to my students, and explore teaching practices that would support my students based on their needs. Through the years, this process became easier and more streamlined, which is why I wanted to tap into my over twenty-year experience and share some tips to help you plan smarter.

 

Analyze current lesson plans

  1. Assess your lesson planning routine

The process may seem complex and time-consuming, so the first thing you need to do is find out why. Analyze your lesson planning routine and determine which part of it is taking the longest or is the most difficult for you. Then, come back to this post and make a list of possible solutions to make the process easier and more efficient. This process of reflection should be done often so that we can evaluate both how we plan our lessons and the lessons themselves to see how well they worked for our students. Once you have identified the weaknesses in your lesson planning routine, it’s time to get to work! Here are some of my ideas.

 

Plan effectively

  1. Map out learning goals: Before planning each lesson, take the time to map out the learning goals for the entire course. This will help you see the big picture and ensure that each lesson builds towards these goals. I would start your course map with four columns: lesson, goal, and expected outcome. Then plan detailed lessons when the time comes.
  1. Use reverse planning: Instead of starting from scratch, try reverse planning. Start with the end goal in mind, which you can take from your course map, and work backwards to determine what students need to know in order to achieve it. This makes it easier to plan and makes sure that every lesson is important and relevant. At this point, you’ll need to add a column to the course map with the heading “Student Needs,” where you’ll enter two to three things your students absolutely need to be successful during this lesson. Think of it like a rough outline or brainstorm of your lesson’s needs.
  1. Simplification of lesson plan formats

Based on the findings of some researchers, a one-page lesson plan could indeed solve many of the issues teachers have when planning lessons. This short and to-the-point version of a lesson plan could have the most important information and keep the expected results realistic. We would go as far as to propose that you continue your lesson plan on the same Course Map. You can add one more column with lesson details, such as Introduction, Action, and Assessment.

 

Consider setting up a lesson planning group with other teachers and sharing ideas, materials, and resources.  

Reusing materials

  1. Use technology to your advantage: There are a variety of tech tools available to help streamline the lesson planning process. For example, you can use an app or website that allows you to create and save lesson plans, access resources, and track progress. You can also download our free Course Map and Lesson Plan Format to get you started and keep track on Google Drive.

 

  1. Collaborate with colleagues: Sharing lesson planning ideas and resources with colleagues can be a great way to save time and stay motivated. Consider setting up a lesson planning group with other teachers and sharing ideas, materials, and resources. Some researchers even created Wikis to help in this group planning endeavor. This not only saves you time but also keeps the lessons tailored to your teaching context.

 

7. Prioritize the essential content: When planning a full course, it can be tempting to try to include everything from the text book or curriculum. However, this often leads to lesson overload and can be overwhelming for both you and your students. Instead, prioritize the essential content and focus on delivering that information effectively.

 

Go with the flow

8. Embrace flexibility: Lesson planning is a fluid process, and it’s important to be flexible and adapt to the needs of your students. Don’t be afraid to change your lesson plans when you need to, and use any teaching opportunities that come up in class. Take notes of those unexpected moments in your Course Map and Lesson Plan Format or keep them in a teaching journal.

 

All in all, planning effective lessons doesn’t have to be overwhelming; you can find the best routine that works for you by trial and error. So, if the routine you currently have is not wokring for you, roll up those sleeves and get started. This is how I’ve managed to simplify my lesson planning over the years, while always focusing on the essentials. Here’s a brief summary, of how you could do it, too.

 

Preplanning > Planning > Implementing > Reflecting/Evaluating

Step 1: Analyze current Lesson planning routine. 

Step 2: Preplan with a course map. 

Step 3: Plan your lessons by expanding the information on your course map. 

Step 4: Implement your lesson. 

Step 5: Reflect on the effectiveness on your lesson plan and your students’ learning outcomes. 

 

Download our free Course Map and Lesson Plan Format to get you started.

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Tatiana

Gómez Ramírez