September, 2004.
It was my first English lesson as a teacher.
The language school was in the center of Prague, near Wenceslas square.
I was nervous.
And as I walked into the classroom, I could see my students were more nervous.
It was a conversation class.
And for some reason, we started talking about insects.
You see, two months before arriving in Prague, I was living in warm and sunny Los Angeles.
So I asked them how they kept cockroaches out of their kitchens.
Twenty years later, I still have never seen one cockroach in Prague.
It was not a good conversation.
Lessons From Teaching
I’ve learned a lot in 20 years.
While most of my teacher friends from 2004 and 2005 soon went home or quit teaching, I stayed in Prague and I kept teaching.
As a result, I saw things they never saw.
For example….
Lesson #1: Quit School
Like your doctor may recommend you quit smoking…
I recommend you quit language schools.
I taught in the schools, using the schools’ methods, for many years.
And during that time, I never saw a student escape to the Land of Fluent.
They all stayed stuck, nervous and not fluent.
Some even started smoking.
TOMORROW: Lesson #2 From 20 Years as an English Teacher
Cockroaches made my day😁😁😁
I want to speak fluent English.
I’ve never smoked and I don’t want to start now…
By the way, cockroaches was quite an opening for a conversation.
Great, interesting and useful examples from your teaching carrier presenting as storytelling about how to think to become fluent in English and expend vocabulary.
Very enjoyable, thanks.
Like a vine… older better it is
Cockroaches, really? 😀 I have experiance with this insect too. Maybe we will have the opportunity to speak about. Have a great time.
Maybe it was been better to discuss about bees and honey…not the same thing!
The first day at a job is not perfect for all of us.
It must have been an interesting conversation. I saw that kind of cockroach once in the Budapest Zoo.
Interesting! So, that’s life! You didn’t get lifelong mental trauma from that first lesson, did you? 20 years later, the topic of insects has become relevant again. You can definitely try again😏. This topic has also been in Speaking School lessons, I liked it😊.
That’s great joke that someone started smoking. Someone maybe started drinking😁🤔😉.
Sense of humor is also key for good teaching! And success…
I dont like insects but I adore big animals.
Good night.