Confessions of an English Teacher

Hello dear colleagues

My name is Christos Skouteris  and  I am currently teaching at the Gymnasio of Zacharo. Some of you might have met me in seminars. I entered the state sector in 1980. Prior to that I worked in frontistiria. I will soon retire (in June) after having taught English for 40 years. I am married to Vicky, a kindergarten teacher, and I have two sons, Vassilis, 27, an accountant, and Thanos, 26, a chef.

Throughout my career I had a special interest in projects and collaboration with colleagues from Greece and abroad. Through these projects I tried to motivate my students and promote the values of friendship, cooperation, respect and understanding. I have always been a fan of the open school, that’s why I tried to involve parents and the local community in my projects. Things were not always easy, but with the right attitude you can overcome the difficulties. Teaching for me was a passion. I believe it’s the driving force behind a dedicated and committed teacher. Now that I look back I can say that the experiences I gained were invaluable. I am also a fan of technology, and I used it in our blogs, wikis, films, cartoons etc. Both new and old teachers must adapt (and survive) as the future of education is closely linked to technology.

 

People who stood by me and gave me a helping hand and good advice were  the  Advisors Mr Chrysochoos, Mrs Tsiouri, Mrs Kotadaki and Mrs Bintaka. Another person who influenced me was Mrs Kostakou. I thank them very much.

Now that this wonderful teaching  journey comes to an end, I think,I can give you all some advice on

The   qualities  that  will help you become  good teachers

Empathy

 
This ability will help you to bond with your students, to understand and resonate with their feelings and emotions. To communicate on their level. To be compassionate with them when they are down and to celebrate with them when they are up.

Positive Mental Attitude

 
With this you will be able to think more on the positive and a little less on the negative. To keep a smile on your face when things get tough. To see the bright side of things. To seek to find the positives in every negative situation. To be philosophical. To have humour.

Be open to change

 
...as you  acknowledge that the only real constant in life is change. You know there is a place for tradition but there is also a place for new ways, new ideas, new systems, and new approaches. You don't put obstacles in your way by being blinkered and are always open and willing to listen to others' ideas.

Role Model

 
You are the window through which many young people will see their future. Be a fine role model.

Christos Skouteris, 16-3-2012

Confessions of an English Teacher' is a series of blog posts, where an English teacher each time shares a few things about the good and the bad moments of teaching with the rest. If you want to get involved and be the next person who is going to be featured, please contact Demi Philippopoulou.

Confessions of an English Teacher: Eirini Koutroubi

Hello everybody!

I’m Eirini (Rena) Koutroubi and I’m an English teacher from Amaliada. I currently teach in the 1^st primary school of Amaliada in the region of Ilias. What else? I am happily married and I have a baby boy, Harry who is 19 months old! I also have an energetic and playful Westie called Oscar who loves to bark!!! Constantly sometimes and without any real reason! lol Bless him…

Well…I have been teaching for some years now… I was quite young actually when I got my first teaching job as an EFL teacher at a college close to Finsbury Park during my MA course and hasn’t stopped since then. Working and completing my MA at the same time was quite challenging but I must admit that I learnt a lot. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else really… The funny thing is that when my parents told me that I would start English lessons at the age of eight I burst into tears for hours because according to me THEN I hated English! Go figure… lol…

I have worked in English secondary schools in the past and for the last four years I have been a supply English teacher in Greek primary schools here in Ilia. Each school, member staff and student has a lot to offer. We might not always see eye to eye but with teamwork we learn from each other and become better at what we do.

This is my second year in this particular school, where I work as a full time supply English teacher and I’m quite happy with the whole department. There is great cooperation, support and understanding. I have the privilege of working closely with the school’s main English teacher, Dimitra Kosmopoulou, who is a wonderful person and a great teacher. We really work well together and her support is treasured.

Many consider teaching as an easy job. They can’t be more wrong… It needs patience, creativity, love and also not being afraid to leave your guard down. Children can see through you in seconds. As a teacher I try to promote independent learning in my teaching. I encourage my Ss to think for themselves and share their ideas. It is my firm belief that children do enjoy their learning more when they feel more capable and self-confident. And who will give them this push, their teachers of course. Praise and acknowledgement of their efforts can do wonders! I will never forget the mixed reaction of my D class last year when they were asked to write a poem. The feelings were mixed, some of them where hesitated and afraid to even try and some others eager and excited to start.  I m glad I proved them wrong and most had a poem created for which they were proud of.

I have also taught A & B classes and I’m a great supporter of this idea. Experiencing and playing with the English language from a young age can only benefit them. English is not only grammar and vocabulary. It is not only ECCE and ECPE degrees. I really enjoy introducing and exploring the magic of English in a simpler and more fun way. My little explorers’  (that’s how I call them) excitement, energy and curiosity are a huge motive for any teacher. Of course there is the other side of the coin, as well. For example they can’t stop talking, don’t always follow the basic classroom rules, wander around, constantly want to go to the W/C, crying for losing their pencils, rubbers, crying because they are not wanted from friends and many more which you are all familiar with. Nevertheless teaching them has made me more patient, flexible and creative as a teacher.

My older students keep surprising me. Most of them are capable for much more and some others are quite lazy at times. They love doing projects and being challenged. I try to differentiate my lessons as often as possible. Mixed ability classes are a major problem, as there are student who are very poor even in Greek. I also try to set clear expectations, rules and consequences from the first lesson. Goals and learning objectives are often discussed. I don’t face real problems with classroom management, as I try to stick to my rules, which are known by the Ss. So they are quite aware of the consequences when they misbehave and cross the line, even after my frequent warnings. Of course I’m not perfect and sometimes I do yell in order to keep my sanity. I try avoiding it but most of the times it is effective. LOL Seriously now, other strategies are successful too!

There are incidents with some troublemakers, who of course behave badly because they’re attention seekers and also because unfortunately other disturbing incidents take place in their lives.  Patience and understanding is required to earn their respect and confidence. At the end of the day despite the numerous issues which influence my teaching and their learning, the satisfaction I get from my work makes me want to get up from my bed everyday and go back to my class and Ss. A final thought to keep in mind we are all sent in their lives to inspire them and build their characters, in order to become independent and confident learners, to become better and happier people.

I wish everyone exciting, productive, creative and above all fun lessons!

                                                     

Take care, 

                                                                    

Eirini

'Confessions of an English Teacher' is a series of blog posts, where an English teacher each time shares a few things about the good and the bad moments of teaching with the rest. If you want to get involved and be the next person who is going to be featured, please contact Demi Philippopoulou.

Confessions of an English Teacher: Konstantina Antoniou

Hello! I am Konstantina Antoniou, an English teacher from Igoumenitsa, Thesprotia and I have been called to teach English in the 4th Primary School of Amaliada, in Ileia, this school year.

It is the first time I teach in a school that is quite far away from my hometown. So, it was a challenge for me, as a personality and a character, to work in another city and face a different situation. To tell you the truth, in the beginning I had negative feelings and I assumed it would be rather difficult for me to work in a school where I wouldn't know anyone.

I was wrong! The headteacher is a really cooperative and friendly person. In addition to this, I met a great colleague there, the teacher of English. She is very warm and she was the first person who approached me and explained to me every issue I needed to know.

As far as the classes, lessons and timetables are concerned, I am quite satisfied. On calm days, classes occur without incidents. Those days are few and far between. There are days, too, when the students are volatile for any number of reasons ranging from homecoming activities to fights among them.

Summing up, I would like to say that I have been lucky and I feel happy for working in this school. Most of the teachers - colleagues are rather kind and sociable and there are times when we go out to have fun, chat or drink some coffee. I hope all teachers have a good time inside their school, and also outside of it, because I consider this fact quite important.

Happy rest of school year to everyone!
Best wishes,

Konstantina Antoniou


It seemed like a good idea to start a series of blog posts, where an English teacher would each time share a few things about the good and the bad moments of teaching with the rest. If you want to be the next person who is going to be featured, please contact Demi Philippopoulou.