ELT World Discussion

[dreadnought]

The other day I did a workshop with some teachers on the subject of teacher guilt. I was expecting it to tank horribly, but it went rather well and the teachers seem relieved to be able to get off their chest their feelings of doubt, guilt and uncertainty they have about their own abilities and performance as a teaching professional. Most of all, I think they were relieved to discover that other teachers shared similar feelings of guilt to themselves. Certain recurring themes were:

1. Guilt that they didn't prepare enough for their lessons while other teachers in their staffroom seemed to spend ages preparing.
2. A feeling that their lessons were dull and uninventive. They felt their students were frequently bored or uninterested.
3. Guilt that they don't do more to improve their own practice, e.g. by taking courses, reading more books about teaching, improving their own English (since these teachers were non-natives)
4. Frustration that it still took them so long to prepare a lesson when other teachers seemed to be able to do it so much quicker.
5. A feeling that while they know how they should teach (e.g. more communicatively and interactively), it is always too much effort and hassle to actually implement it in class and they fall back on a more teacher-centered approach.

There were others, but those were the ones that stuck in my mind. Anyhow, we talked a little about how to take positive steps to counteract these feelings or if they were genuine concerns what kinds of concrete steps they could take to resolve them.

I've certainly felt all of these things at various points in my career, less so now, but they still bubble up now and then. Certainly number 5 is an ongoing concern for me, particularly as a lot of my work involves teacher training. I preach the value of communicative teaching, but I know I don't always carry through to the degree I could in my classrooms.

So, I'd be interested to know what you feel or have felt guilty about as a teacher and what you do to deal with it.

[spiral78]

I feel guilty when I'm not 'on' for some reason...it's pretty rare, but sometimes when I've just taught too many hours or am tired for some other reason, and I find myself just going through the motions.

I think if I found myself in 'off' mode often, I'd be really worried.

[lozwich]

While I was doing the DELTA I felt guilty because my classes weren't so great, but I felt so overwhelmed there wasn't much I could do to fix it.

I've been having these horrible headaches lately. A few weeks ago I got a migraine while I was teaching and had to get another teacher to take over for me halfway through, which I felt terrible about, and I had another headache yesterday and felt bad for not being able to teach as well as I should. It was hard to be enthusiastic through the painkiller haze.

Otherwise, I don't feel guilt about my teaching. I always try to do my best in each class and if I don't get there, I try to do better next time, rather than dwelling on the past.

[denise]

[lozwich]

Oh yes, I hate it when I don't check exams before giving them to students. If I want to, I'm allowed to change the exams so they suit my class, and I do feel bad if I don't take the time to check and there's something on there we either haven't done, or I've told them won't be on there.

[gaijinalways]

I think there are always days when you don't feel on top of your game. Sometimes also you forget something (a copy or laminate) that you wanted to use because it makes the task easier or makes it easier for the teacher (you don't have to copy everything on the board, though you can dictate it too, but you have to budget more time in that case).

As to upgrading my qualifications and publishing more, these would be things I would feel more guilty about. I wish I was more organized and could write and research the articles some people seem to be interested in, though recently what I read in the JALT publications does little or nothing for me.

I don't worry how long people spend on making lesson plans, that's different for everyone. Sometimes I spend time seeking photos or particular activities to do online. Sometimes I can rely on my memory and my bookmarks; other times I have to do some digging.
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[tarte tatin]

I quickly dispel any guilt by reminding myself that I am not paid to feel guilty! I am sure that's not something you told teachers in your workshop though

Of course I like and respect my students and I want them to get the most out of their course but taking into account that most of us are paid in real terms far less than a few years ago, I am not beating myself up if I forget the odd photocopy or wing it when I have a headache.

[lozwich]

I agree with gaijinalways. We also have to remember that we are different to other teachers, some days I might take ages lesson planning, and others bring out a tried and tested lesson that takes about 2 minutes to put together from the last time I used it.

Students have a part in learning too, and I'm sure they don't feel guilty if they didn't ensure learning took place..

[Justin Trullinger]

I feel guilty about spending too much time on discussion boards.
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[shuize]

[David]

* Letting the system, on occasions, drag me down.

* Not beating up those who use 'but that's the way we've always done it' as the reason for not doing anything helpful or productive.
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[Emma]

Should I feel guilty about teaching an absolute beginner that 'look', 'room', 'cook', and 'book' all sound the same and the sound he wants for that double o is a proper northern oooo sound?