That was about two months ago when Nicoletta (DOS) asked me if I was keen on teaching free grammar lessons to Beginner and Elementary students. I didn’t need to think too much about it and told her that I would love to give it a try. I had never taught to a group before and didn’t really know what to expect and how I was going to handle it. Ian showed me the teachers’ hidden place for course books with which I could prepare my classes. I selected one book that I thought could suit the Beginner and Elementary levels and have been working on it for seven weeks now.
My first class was on the verb to be and I had prepared the lesson, games and exercises. Although I was theoretically prepared, I didn’t really know how it was going to go in practice. I stressed out a little just before entering the class, but felt better when I started, oddly.
There were two students for my first class, which was good because it wasn’t too much intimidating and everything that I had planned worked out. The next couple of weeks, 6 or 7 students joined the class, which was a bigger challenge for me. A month later, I was going to give a class on the Present Perfect and 20 students turned up to the class! I didn’t expect this at all and actually ran out of copies.
The students had probably got the information by word of mouth. Besides, because I had personally advertised the class by telling what the content of the lesson was going to be, more students became interested. And needless to say that practically everybody has an issue whatsoever with this good old Present Perfect… 😉
During this 45-minute class, the students are focus and involved in the activities and games. I try to do my best to pass on my grammar notions and I think the students are doing pretty well. Many of them give me optional homework back, which is a real pleasure for me to correct. Thanks to this privileged opportunity, I think I have quite figured out what I am going to do for a living in the coming future.
~Sheetal Makhan / AYC