Jack – teaching practicum in Shanghai

Why did you sign up to train as a TEFL teacher?

To get me to where I am now, I have had a lot of amazing teachers – I’ve always wanted to give back in that sense. I thought that this was a great opportunity that would let me teach a subject I was really passionate about.

What have you enjoyed during your time on your teaching practicum?

I’ve been really impressed by the enthusiasm of the kids – you ask a question, lots of hands go up in the class. We’ve had lots of discussion about different ideas, everyone’s bringing different points. 

I’ve really, really enjoyed getting to know my class and being able to introduce them to new content that they’ve enjoyed as much as I did when I was their age.

What have you learnt by completing a teaching practicum?

I’ve learnt a lot about what works, in terms of teaching. The first couple of days, there were a lot of ideas that I had which maybe didn’t work out quite as planned. 

I think that I’ve learnt a lot more about myself as a teacher and about teaching in general – about what works and what doesn’t.

What was your favourite class moment?

In my class, we had a World Trade simulation, where I split my class into different groups and they were trading amongst each other. It was really interesting and funny to see the kids negotiating with one another and trying to maximise the wealth of their country.

Would you recommend to a friend and why?

Absolutely, I would recommend to a friend!

Not only do you get to go to another country on the other side of the world, but you also get an incredible experience that’s sure to help you in whatever you end up going into in the future.

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