Course finishing...

So as the course is drawing to a close and I am trying to get the last bits and pieces together for my portfolio it seems like the right time to reflect on how I feel that the course has affected my teaching.

I feel that I have become more confident at identifying foci for my teaching. Instead of just from material I can now identify students' needs and draw content from material. In teaching EFL I had a more grammar focused approach. After completing the CELTA and starting to teach ESOL I started to use a more communicative approach. I feel that I lost too much of the emphasis on language in doing this and that I am now finding a more useful balance. I feel much more confident in my teaching and I have become more professional.

I have increased my theoretical knowledge greatly. I have a much better idea of what is effective teaching and how the skills and language can be taught. This has in turn helped me create teaching materials which I have been able to share with colleagues. However I definitely feel that the course has also been very good at highlighting areas where I need to read further to improve my knowledge.

I feel that working with a full time contract as opposed to through an agency has allowed me to develop as a teacher. The first obvious point is that the college required me to take this course and funded me to do so. Secondly I have had more time in one place during which I have been able to develop materials. I am part of a very tight team who support each other and contribute their expertise.

I have also been able to use the technical resources which the college has and been able to develop interactive content for my classes. These have mainly been materials for the college's interactive whiteboards (SMARTboards) - see http://www.talent.ac.uk/dsearch_details.asp?DocumentID=2006

I've also produced exercises which students can use individually in class and outside through the college's VLE - see http://www.talent.ac.uk/dsearch_details.asp?DocumentID=2045

One area where I still need to improve is in making sure of the reasons behind the stages in my lessons. This is where further study will be very useful - I need to build up a reserve of techniques, supported by theory for different skills and elements of language.