I was so nervous about the first class and worried about making a good impression on the pupils that I prepared the first class three times with different partners. Gradually however, my teaching became more and more proficient and my communication with pupils got better and better.
In class, I tried to give students simple, clear instructions and inspire them to think by asking questions. Students corrected each other’s pronunciation which helped keep class participation relatively high, and their attention focused. I also found other ways to catch students' attention, such as grasping the rhythm of the class, using different ways to practice expressions, and speaking with an exaggerated tone!
As the course progressed, I felt more and more comfortable teaching and liked my students more and more. Every week I was so happy to see my students appear on the screen and say "hello". Just before Christmas some students wore Christmas hats in class. The whole class was full of happiness.
I am very grateful to the teachers in charge of the class in Scotland. They were very conscientious and responsible. They helped us manage the class, maintain the order of the class, helped us point out students to answer questions, and learn Chinese with them. I felt very lucky to be teaching with them.
- Hannah Zhao