The China Teaching Web

Your first days as an ESL teacher in China are important for a few reasons. First, they give you a chance to introduce yourself to the teachers and students. You may not remember even 1% of the names that you hear but you can be sure that your students and colleagues will remember your name. Second, your first days will provide for you an important first impression of how the school is run. You will have the chance to observe the school operation and see how classes are organized.  The end of your first week will be a good time for you to ask questions about any aspect of your job that you do not understand. Third, your first days will afford you the opportunity to find your way around the school grounds and figure out how to get from class to class and level to level. You may find yourself ‘lost’ a few times in the first week especially if you are teaching in a big school.

Unfortunately, your first few days as an ESL teacher cannot provide you with an accurate picture of which classes will be well behaved and which classes will give you trouble during the semester. Since you are a new teacher, most of your students will probably be on their best behavior and will seem to ‘hang’ on your every word. Do not be fooled. As soon as the novelty of your arrival wears off, you will probably think that the first few days were just a dream. While it is important to be friendly and positive during your initial days as an ESL teacher, it is equally important to set the right tone and make sure that your students understand the ground rules. Here are some tips to help you set the right tone during your first few classes with your students:

 – Introduce yourself to your students using Mr., Mrs., or Ms. before your last name. Do not make the mistake of allowing your students to address you by your first name. This will help them realize that you are in charge when you teaching their class.

– Explain to your students that you want to be their friend but first you are their teacher. Inform them that you will expect them to respect you in the same way that they respect their Chinese teachers.

– You should have some rules/guidelines to go over with your students during your first class. You may want to check with the Chinese staff to find out what rules they have instituted. Your rules should include their rules. For example: No talking while I am talking, raise your hand, no chewing gum, no touching other students, etc. If your school has the capability, you may want to print a copy of the rules and distribute them to your students.

–Explain to your students that you will expect them to follow the rules and that there will be consequences for not complying. These consequences might include having to stand up for a portion of the class, missing recess, writing sentences, and in extreme cases having a conference with parents. It is also important to explain to your students, however, that there will be rewards for good behavior. You can tell them that you will be looking for the best behaved and hardest working students throughout the semester and that their efforts will not go unnoticed.

– Allow your students to ask you questions on the first day so that they can get to know you better. This is a good way to ‘break the ice’ and establish lines of communication with your students.

You need to communicate these items to your students in a non-abrasive manner. Do not prejudge them; just tell them how it’s going to be. They will respect you a lot more if you start off the semester on a firm foot as opposed to trying to establish your rules a month later when the class has turned into a circus.

Do not wait to start enforcing your rules. In some schools, the novelty of having a new teacher may not even last a week and you may soon find yourself having to deal with discipline problems. Deal with them appropriately but make sure that are consistent and that you treat your students fairly. This will help you to gain even more respect as an ESL teacher in China.