Author: Deb Bullock | Published on 1 December 2023
Question: How can I develop as a teacher?
Answer: Try using a teacher diary.
If you want to develop as a teacher, you need to regularly ask yourself these questions:
- What am I doing?
- Why am I doing it?
- Is it working?
Writing your thoughts in a diary can help you to think more clearly about what you can improve.
Here are some more specific questions you could think about in your diary, and write responses to:
Lesson objectives
- Did the learners understand what we did in the lesson?
- Were the lesson objectives too easy or too difficult?
- What problems did the learners have (if any)?
Activities and materials
- Did the materials and activities keep the learners interested?
- Was there a balance of controlled and freer practice activities?
Learners
- Were all the students on task? If not, when – and why – were they not?
- Which parts of the lesson did the learners enjoy most / least?
- How much English did the learners use?
Classroom management
- Did I use whole class, group, pair or individual work? What did I use it for? Was it successful?
- Did the learners understand what to do in the lesson? Were my instructions clear?
- Did all the learners participate?
Overall
- If I taught the lesson again, what would I do differently?
Which questions will you focus on first in your teaching diary?