5 Mistakes I have made as an Education PCV

5 Mistakes I have made as an Education PCV

Teaching is not what I went to school for. This is just not my first time teaching but it is my first time doing it in another country. The first three months in Peace Corps is training in a particular sector. After that for the most part it is trial by fire. Most of what I have learned is by hands on experience in the village that I live in. It has been 10 months in active teaching in my village now and there has been so much growth in this time. Even with that, learning means making mistakes. Proudly I can say I have learned quite a bit. These are the #7 Mistakes I make as an Education PCV.

1. Pronunciation/Talking too fast

Coming from another country and culture my dialect and understanding of certain sounds are different from my host country. Also sense English is my first and only fluent language, naturally I speak fast and have a more complex vocabulary from my students. I have been told by many people that my accent is difficult to understand. This creates a language barrier. There are ways to counteract these obstacles. Enunciate slowly and emphasizing each syllable as best as you can. Make sure your voice is raised to fill the classroom. Check for clarification through having students repeat what was said, asking them a question based off of what was said or just asking if they do understand. Also repeating what is said and using different words that mean the same thing also helps with comprehension.

2. Forgetting how to spell a word while in front of the class

There are times were I am writing on the board then become frozen. A nervous feeling comes over me because I forgot how to spell a word. If I ever forget how to spell a word I just try to think of another word, try to rewrite the sentence or ask the students if they think the word is right, they might know. It’s fine to forget sometimes and as well learn from students.

3. Not being able to answer a question

Sometimes a student will ask question that catches me off guard. For example, “Is apple a common noun or proper noun?”. I just admit to them that I am not sure but I will come back to them sometime with the answer. I remember that there are a lot of things in English I am teaching myself again.

4. Mispronouncing or calling a student the wrong name

In one of my classes there are sixty students. It is great to try to remember as many students’ names as possible. Interacting with them more during break and in after school clubs will improve remembering names. I have played name remembering games and ask the students to create a list with each students’ name on it. I have even seen one volunteer make name tags for each students’ desk. Some students might have names in their language and they might be difficult to read and pronounce. As time goes on I have learned how to pronounce names better and read new names through listening to how people pronounce words.

5. Random honorable mentions

• Forgetting an eraser

• Turning my back to the entire class while answering one students question at their desk

• Going over my time in class

• Bringing flipchart paper to class but it has the wrong lesson on it

Teaching comes with its challenges but through it all is rewarding. I have learned new skills from my mistakes and continue to improve. It takes time and patients but it is worth it. I can say that a good teacher is a good student.