Last night I started my first adult English class. Back in December I was approached by the husband of our cleaning lady and asked about what I charge for English classes. I told him that it would be fun to have a group of people, and that I would charge less per person if a group was formed. Finally, after my Christmas vacation, and getting all the details sorted out, we started class last night.
I won't lie - starting a new teaching project makes me nervous. Although I have control over the classroom experience and the materials I teach, I have absolutely no control over peoples' attitudes and/or perspectives. I constantly worry that what I'm teaching will not be relevant, useful, or well taught. I think every teacher worries about these things, so I know I'm not alone.
But, last night actually went very well. The nice thing is that out of the 5 people who came, four are related by blood or marriage, and the other guy goes to church with them, so they are all familiar and comfortable with each other. Also, they are all in their twenties, which makes me feel a little more on their level and we are able to interact well together.
The first night is always the test - How will they respond? Will they seem bored? Will they want to participate? How long will my activities take? Luckily, I planned enough material for the class, and I was able to see how much I should plan for next time.
Because after all my planning for my first class I realized that, oh yeah - I have two classes to prepare every week now. Better get busy.
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