Tips From an Expat Teacher

Are you interested in teaching abroad? Are you a first-time teacher? 

This is my first time teaching and first time in Shanghai, China. From my experience of my past eight months of teaching, I have compiled a few tips for future teachers…tips I wish I had before coming to China.

Full Text:

Hello,  that’s me right there teaching my second graders in Shanghai, China. I am a recent college grad from America with a love of travel, an English degree, and student loans, so of course I end up teaching English in China. According to The Guardian, in the past five years, the number of expats working in China has risen by 18%.

In fact, “The number of foreign citizens living in Shanghai exceeded 173,000 by the end of last year, a 6.7 percent increase compared to 2011,” says China.org.

Working in China can open a lot of doors back home, what with exposure to a new culture, a chance to learn a new language, and the opportunity to gain international work experience .

Even with the new visa regulations, there are still companies who will hire expat teachers with no previous teaching experience. It can be an intimidating position for someone new to the country, who might not know Chinese, and who is expected to teach Chinese students, who might not be able to communicate. 

Here are a few tips for once you have your work visa, find your school, and are in front of the classroom with anywhere from five to forty pairs of eyes on you.

Tip #1:

Reward younger students with stickers and older students with fun activities! 

Depending on the grade level, students will either be excited or hesitant to answer questions. Usually students in grade school are more enthusiastic, whereas middle and high school students…not so much. It helps to have an incentive.

Tip #2:

Create Exciting Powerpoints and Lessons with as many interactions and stimulating media as possible. This means videos, games such as guessing games, and group interactions. No one likes a boring lesson.

Tip #3:

Don’t Get Frustrated! All classes are going to be different. You will naturally like some classes more than others.

Tip #4:

Divide the class into timed segments so you don’t go over or don’t have enough material for the timed class. This is also called a “lesson plan.”

Tip #5:

Bring more material than you think you will need. It’s better to have too much, than too little.

Tip #6:

Be happy! Smile a lot! Students will be happy if the teacher is happy!

Knowing how to speak English is becoming a necessity in China, and teachers help Chinese students achieve this goal.