9 steps to being a competent ESL teacher

For this post, I spent hours searching the Internet for ESL teacher forums and resources that shared any tips and advice on how to be an effective ESL teacher. The tips I read from different discussion threads and blogs are all from experienced teachers. I want to share with you what I learned and I think it would be nice if we could all take time and read this in order to find out more ways of transforming ourselves into becoming better teachers. There's always room for improvement is what they always say :)

• Always come to class prepared. Any good teacher knows that reading in advance is essential. This also means that you should have your cue cards or lesson plans ready as you start the class
• Create a comfortable atmosphere to help your students feel at ease. Smile and be warm and welcoming.
• Speak clearly and slowly, especially if your student is on a beginner level
• During discussions, be watchful of your pacing. Always keep in mind your student's level of understanding. Before jumping to a next topic, check first if your students understood what you just said. Do they need more explanation? Do they need more practice?
• When discussing a lesson, give varied examples to help them see it clearly. This is especially helpful in vocabulary lessons. Always provide many sentence examples for each word, or better yet, include visual aids during class.
• In each lesson, always give your students a chance to speak, read, listen, write and ask questions
• Repetition, repetition, repetition. Need I explain more? :)
• Correct your students' mistakes but in a right manner. How you choose to make corrections is entirely up to you. I usually make them finish the sentence and then point out the mistakes they made and how to correct them.
• Think positive reinforcement. Make students feel that you care about their progress. When a student shows improvement in learning, point this out by praising and encouraging them.