Teachers with passion make a difference
TEACHING is such a personal art and so unpredictable that it cannot be reduced to a method or set of skills. There is a saying that goes, “Love your job and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” This is especially true for educators.
What is it really like to be a teacher? Teachers play an important role in a community that strives to live truthfully. Their ability to ‘rightly explain the word of truth’ goes far beyond speaking and writing about the truth clearly, powerfully and correctly. They have no infallible method, but exhibit certain traits – righteousness, faith, love, peace and patience that draw others toward the journey of knowledge seeking.
Although teachers may present the same material year after year, their students are always changing, bringing with them new challenges and fresh ideas. Classrooms are dynamic work environments and no two days are ever the same. Teachers often need to inject their own brand of creativity or humour to ensure students, especially younger children are able to stay focused and pay attention to their learning process while in class.
If we look back on our own schooldays, we will remember the fun times and unique and often unexpected happenings that build wonderful lifetime memories- and the teachers who made it happen.
Teaching is a fascinating challenge because it really isn’t about teaching at all. It’s about learning – there’s another person involved in all of this.
If you ever watch Peter Pan, you get to see this issue highlighted when Peter tries to teach Wendy and her brothers to fly. Flying is so completely second nature to Peter that describing the process is impossible for him. Fortunately, there’s some pixie dust that fixes everything. In the process of teaching and learning, we’re always looking for this pixie dust. Teaching becomes the art in which we try to recreate Tinkerbell. It involves continual invention of a means toward understanding.
Effective teaching is the key that opens the door to learning, but learners will only venture through the door if they are motivated to do so. Motivating learners, especially children, is an art in itself.
At Cambridge English For Life (CEFL), teachers use the communicative approach to language learning and bring the joy of learning to their learners, both young and old. With 60 centres around Malaysia, CEFL is well positioned to help develop English language proficiency and at the same time, offer the opportunity for learners to sit for Cambridge English Language Assessment examinations and obtain a world-renowned qualification.
CEFL also conducts courses for teachers to prepare them for the Cambridge International Diploma for Teaching and Learning (CIDTL), a prestigious teaching qualification from Cambridge International Examinations.
For queries about CEFL English courses, call 03-7883 0912, e-mail info@cambridgefor life.org or visit www.cambridgeforlife.org.