Eilidh Simpson
Certified English teacher profile

Eilidh Simpson TEFL certificate Eilidh TEFL certificate

PROFILE


Australian born and raised. Lived in NYC while completing my university degree. Currently livin in Barcelona teaching English.


PROJECTS


Basketball, travel

My teaching approach

My aim in teaching is to create a situation where students become enthusiastic about understanding the subject matter. To attempt to achieve this I will use a variety of methods and materials.
It is known that students have different learning styles that works best for each individual. I believe the best approach is to use a variety of learning styles so it will cater for the various needs within the class.
The language and areas I will give importance to is the four skills of language; listening, reading, writing and speaking. With extra focus on speaking and listening. I believe these two have a slight more importance than writing and reading as they are used in everyday conversations. The vehicular language of the classroom will be English and English only. Allowing students to speak other languages can distract them from the task of learning the English language. To become fluent I believe that the best the most practical way is by being immersed in the language.
A very important factor for success in the classroom is motivation. Motivation is influenced by both internal and external factors. Myself as the teacher has to activate these motivational components. For example, group work or pair work can help motivate students to participate. The students can help each other and it can become a team effort. Creating a fun and relaxed environment I also believe this plays a role in the student's attitude toward the classes.
Another extremely important factor is error correction. Error correction can be a sensitive area In class. If not done with consideration it can disinterest a student. If I stopped the students at every single error and treated the class with no room for errors for take place this will lead to students being afraid of making mistakes and will be reluctant to participate. I need to be aware of when to be correcting errors and to do it in a way that it doesn't humiliate the students. It's also very important to correct errors so the students learn and sometimes not correcting the error will result in a misunderstanding of the idea or rule being expressed. There are several techniques that I will use; self correction, peer correction and teacher correction. Self correction will be my favorable technique to use. It is very useful for when the students self correct and realize when they are making mistakes and even better if they can fix the errors themselves. 
Teaching to different age groups can be difficult. Not only different age groups but various levels. Using different techniques and diverse exercises will motivate learners across all ages and levels. An example is using art and images in class. All ages can enjoy art and can participate together in group discussions about art. It is a great tool and can be the basis for class discussions, writing assignments and vocabulary building. An example of another method I could use is fairy tales. Fairy tales are known by all ages and actually probably enjoyed more by the older ages. Follow up activities can include role playing, writing exercises, vocabulary exercises and group discussions. 
Materials and techniques that I will use in my classes will be the following: fairy tales, art and images, group discussions, debates, videos, songs, role plays, games, worksheets, texts and acting. I will try and use as many different materials in class so it never becomes repetitive and boring for my students. It will be similar in my methodology approach; I will be using the direct method, grammar translation method, Callan method and the total physical response method. Each method has a different focus and priority. Some examples of total physical response would be playing ‘Simon Says’. This would teach the students the parts of the body and any simple demands. Another game I would play is charades using sports. Charades can be easily advanced for higher level students. Both of these games encourages participation and this style is great for kinesthetic learners who need more action and a hands on approach. The Direct Method is a good approach as it teaches the language and doesn't teach about the language and can control using only the target language. I will use a variety of materials such as question answer exercises, conversation practice and fill in the blanks. Grammar Translation method I find to be dull and a dry method but I believe it has to be used sometimes to learn the rules of grammar and grammar forms. I will try and use this method as minimal as possible. I do believe that from time and again it needs to be used. I will use worksheets for this. The last approach I will teach will be the Callan method. It is very beneficial for learning the correct structure of sentences and answers. I will use mock interviews, role plays and phone calls for this method.
The teacher and student both have roles to reach a successful class and learning environment. 
Teacher
Improve reading, writing, listening and speaking skills of all students in the class regardless of their levels.
Improve the students English grammar, premium imagine and conversational skills.
Create fun, meaningful lessons that will benefit the class.
Motivate and inspire the students to improve.
Vary all classes to engage and encourage all individuals 
Punctuality
Preparedness
Approachable
Student
Motivation to improve
Work ethic
Participate in class
Respectful to peers
Striving to improve
Attendance/punctuality 

Example of how I would structure a class
I would begin the class using the Callan method by asking questions, getting the class thinking in English 
Grammar (expressing opinions, I think that, I prefer)  use a controversial topic and have the class separate into two sides and debate using their opinions and target language
Topic Language (fashion) have students watch a short YouTube video about fashion. Then I would play a game of blackboard race. Two teams and each team has three minutes to think as many words that are about fashion. Everyone loves a little competition. Next game would be unscramble. Would make a list of scrambles words for each team and it's a race to unscramble and write the definition. Then would go over the words and ask for sentences using the target language. 
Pronunciation, I would create a worksheet and would put similar words that sounds together in a group and you would have to circle the odd one out. Example, red, bed, fed, said, maid students will have to read the words and pronounce them in their heads to find the answer
To end the class I would play a game of hangman, using a word that we covered in the class
As it shows, I have chosen to play many games in my class. I think this is a fun interactive way for students to learn. In the middle of the class I will always have a more dry/boring task for the students to complete.

An example syllabus that I would create for the class
For grammar the first month would be introducing to be, pronouns and present continuous tense. I would them move onto adjectives, preposition of location and possessive nouns, singular, plural. Following that I would introduce prepositions, there is, there are, this, that, these, those. Next would be future, have to, want to and then regular past tense, to be past tense. Vocabulary I would start with everyday basics and things you use in everyday life. Next would be around the house and around the streets. Next would be describing people and things. Then I would teach how to describe emotions,feelings and opinions. With my class syllabus every unit will always develop students listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. They will have the opportunity every class to partake in improving these four skills.

To assess the students learning progress I would use a lot of informal assessments. Randomly so the student doesn't know when they will be occurring. I would use activities such as role play. Myself asking the questions and the student responding. Another way would be asking them to tell a story about a particular event. Worksheets are a good indication of how well they are grasping and understanding grammar concepts. The assessment is a reflection of myself and how successful I am as a teacher and how the student is learning the new material. I would administer these assessments every 6-8 weeks so I can see the progress and how they are best learning.