Kevin's Blog - 6th June 2009

The Drama of Being a Teacher

The show isn't over 'till the class bell rings

Many years ago, some guy named Shakespeare, who was pretty good at writing the odd play, wrote:

“All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts...”

Pretty perceptive when you think about it.

At some point or other, I'd bet everyone has wondered what it's like to act on stage. Some already know having experienced the sheer terror of acting in the school or college play, or a spot of amateur dramatics, or even as 'extra number 5,001' in a battle scene for a Hollywood movie. You must have heard these people, “Yeah, I was this close to Mel Gibson. He even smiled at me”.

Well as someone about to go into training for a TESOL teacher training course in Thailand, chances are you're coming from a different path and have indeed, in your time 'played many parts'. Teaching is very much like going on stage. Here's why:

1. Nerves. Oh, yes. Those feelings of terror will lurk within the pit of your stomach as you wait in the wings to greet your first-ever class of Thai students. Self-doubt plays a big part in readying yourself and you'll ask yourself, “Am I really up to the task?”
2. Rehearsals. If you've completed a TESOL program you will have rehearsed and practised being a teacher. Your tutors will have made comments and rated your performance, and you may have had to deal with constructive criticism. Come the big day, your first day at school and the chances are you won't have slept much the night before. You will have checked your bag of props one thousand times and rehearsed your opening lines, “Gud moaning, gooood moooorning, g'morning....halo childrun, childreen, children....uh-hum....” Not much of a script to go on, is it?
3. Putting on the make-up. It's not me! In some cases it can pay to leave the real you behind, and assume the role of a teacher/clown/entertainer. Sometimes this is born out of necessity. You've woken up and you have a raging cold, a headache and you're running a temperature. It's an important lesson and there's only you who can do it. So you go to school where the last thing you want to do is walk into a classroom full of expectant 12-year olds. This is when you put on the mask and the make-up and assume the role of 'teacher' (enters stage left). After all, the show must go on.
4. The Performance. The students have all filed in, the door is closed and it's Showtime. The lights come on, the whiteboard marker is twitching between your fingertips and you're on. Suddenly, as if by magic, a transformation takes place. Your words seem to flow, the students are engaged even laughing at what you consider to be a terrible joke, and whoa! just when you're enjoying yourself on stage, the distant chime of the lesson bell heralds the end of today's performance. Wow! It seemed only a moment ago you were delivering your opening lines. And so the audience rise and leave. All of a sudden you're on a high; a post-performance adrenalin rush. The feeling's good. You want some more and so it is; you move on to your next class. And bingo – it happens again!

Of course, as with real actors, not every performance 'feels' good. There are things you could/should have done differently, better, perhaps. But this is you learning as a teacher on the job. We learn from the good and the bad performances hopefully moulding ourselves into better, more competent performers.

I'm in my 4th year of teaching English as a foreign language in Thailand and I'm still trying to perfect my role; tweaking it as I go, tailoring it to a new audience virtually everyday. Do I still get nervous? Oh boy, yes. And I think this is a good thing. I'm aware of my limitations and need, no, want to be a better teacher. After all, I have an audience to satisfy.

4th March 2009

Using drama to teach English.

27th November 2008

Getting involved and staying sane

31st October 2008

Get our your scissors and glue - it's time to get creative

13th September 2008

What to do when I've got a few hours respite from teacher training