[jellybeanenglisch]

Biggest mistakes: not to follow through (either with rewards or discipline) and not being prepared. Always always have a lesson plan and prepare for eventualities (such as time left). I also made the mistake of addressing the children with their English names which they find cool BUT when push comes to shove you want to address them with their real names to make sure they listen...

[pink_lady]

hey everyone!
well, i'v been teaching since october 2008, so only a month so far and till now my biggest mistakes have been using Arabic in class... i'm teaching 1st n 2nd years at university, -in Tunisia, my home country -, they'r english majors, and they'r kind of not happy with this thing... but i'm using Arabic only when i feel they didn't get the explanation i gave them in english...
another mistake's rather done out of forgetfulness, i sometimes forget 2 ask the questions i'm supposed 2 ask my students within a lesson, though i prepare my course notes beforehand... but anyway, i'm always trying 2 learn from my mistakes and not 2 do the same thing twice, though 2 err's human

[Denis DNT]

I paid too much attention to my dressing. I thought I had to change every day. The students soon started to throw funny names at me.

[klwolf]

Quote Denis DNT

I paid too much attention to my dressing. I thought I had to change every day. The students soon started to throw funny names at me.

Hmm, I've noticed that people don't change everyday... still haven't started doing it myself, though. I just recently started teaching in Dalian. Just curious, what kinds of funny names should I look out for?

[iman123]

Pink Lady,

If I to pick one piece of advice for a new teacher, plan your lesson from what you are exactly going to write on the board, handout, and even say, and plan at least 2-3 exercises...always...every class. I've had some lessons that I spent hours on, and my students ran through them in mere minute. Then you're left with nothing. If you over plan, you will always use it in the future. It will not be a waste! AND HAVE FUN!! I don't understand all this 'you have be to so strict and stern'. My students are learning quickly and we are having a blast. By far, we are the loudest class in the building!

[Balio]

Quote iman123

Pink Lady,

I don't understand all this 'you have be to so strict and stern'. My students are learning quickly and we are having a blast. By far, we are the loudest class in the building!

I think being a "hard a$$" is a bit strong wording, but the idea of maintaining control, I've found is really important.

I just started teaching a month ago (no experience, no training) and the biggest mistake I made was with my one class of 5 year olds during my first week. We were doing nursery rhymes, and I was saving some colouring sheets for the last 10 minutes of class. With around 20 minutes left, they wanted to colour and started chanting "colour, colour". I basically gave up and let them colour. I realized my mistake after I'd handed out the sheets. They were good for the rest of the class, but since then, every single day, they have continually yelled for colours. Now, about 3 weeks later (I have made a point not to let them colour since then) it is barely starting to subside.

To clarify, it is important to be the one in control, not to be mean. I still did fun stuff with my students since then, and I am still very popular with the students in all my classes, but because of that one incident, it is still one of the most difficult classes for me to control.

[swerve]

I'm a new teacher myself, so I'm noticing and trying to correct mistakes as I go. I think the biggest one so far is me talking too much or not giving the students enough time to answer my questions. Which I must say is unusual given that I'm a quiet person by nature. When I let them do the talking it makes my job so much easier. Live and learn!

[arielhud]

I think my biggest mistake was feeling like I couldn't rely on my boss to help me. I was fresh out of college and suddenly in the position of head teacher at my school, and for the first three months, I felt like I was on probation and constant surveillance (as my boss goes in and talks to my adult students after every class). It was really nerve-wracking.

I really should have asked more questions then, since I was being charged with creating an entire curriculum from scratch, new flashcards, and was taking over 70% of the school's classes- there were no notes from the previous head teacher, and my boss could have helped me so much in understanding what the children, adults and babies were used to so that I didn't alienate them entirely.

Regardless, now I know to mention things often with him, whether they are small or big, good or bad, and with that repertoire, I'm able to balance the needs of being a good and fun teacher while understanding what my boss needs from me as a manager.

[sms04n]

My biggest mistake so far, since I haven't been teaching long, would be speaking too fast! Especially being American, we tend to speak too fast!

[B52H]

Yup, speaking in the students L1 is a big sin. But sometimes this can't be helped, especially at lower age groups. One of the mistakes that a new teacher can make is talking too much. Language classes are distinct from regular classes.

[Denis DNT]

Talking too much, yeah. That reminds me of those years in training. I had a teacher who used to stress on that fact, requiring us to do not more than 40% of the talking in a spoken English lesson. It wasn't easy.

[Beatrix]

I guess it is not so difficult if you keep in mind that your primary job is to make the students talk. You ask the same/similar questions to lots of students, and that consumes plenty of time.