the english teacher problem
Mojtaba Ghassemi, Iran
I think that the biggest problem here is the low rates of pay. Being paid less than 3 SUD per hour makes the teachers in general and Language teachers in particular teach for around 80 hours per week in order to only cover the basic expenses. And that leaves no room to be creative in the classes.
Átila Cassiana, Brazil
Like yours, I have the same problems. I teach English in a public school here in Brazil and my students don't like to study. They don't have any wish in their life. I do many things to make the classes interesting but it doesn't work. And here we have the same problems with the low salary. I hope one day the teachers should be more respect.
Carlos Rubio, Ecuador
Overcrowded classrooms is the worst problem a TEFL might face. First of all, knowing if you have reached all the students would be difficult. Then, giving all the students an opportunity to participate would be impossible. Outcomes will be low specially in spoken skills.
Stuti, India
The biggest problem in any class is the bad behaviour of the students. One can definitely deal with the issues like the low pay and resources etc. all these issues do have a workaround, however the issue of the bad behaviour is the one which is most difficult to handle. I agree that there are some students who do not behave badly because they are bad but they do so only to garner the attention of the class however, there are some who behave so only to disrupt the class or simply because they take the class for being granted they would expect the teachers to be understanding towards them. They do not understand the perspective of the teacher and don't hesitate to ditch the teachers in some cases.
Linda, Germany
Sadly the low pay is the biggest problem. I got into teaching English as a Foreign Language for two reasons - I enjoy teaching and it provides the only possibility to work abroad. Unfortunately with the introduction of the Euro the salary I get is really low. Teaching is wonderful but why can't we get paid a reasonable salary? And the thought of what the situation is going to be when I retire is gloomy. What do other teachers do when they retire? How do they survive on the low pensions?
Bekzod, Uzbekistan, Tashkent
I go along with all teachers' opinions, these problems were and will be. I've been teaching English for a year and a half, but as there has been no support and lack of sufficient finance as my employer promised I tend to get demotivated from teaching but only the reason I'm still teaching is students who are eager to get knowledge and come to private educational centers to find what they can't find at public schools and universities these days in our country. The quality of education is so miserable at public school these days that I have to admit that any graduate of Pedagogical university wouldn't work at public schools in any conditions because of too low pay rate, lack of respect towards any teachers and conditions there. But anyway, I think being a teacher is a challenging job and it's not for everybody.
Bekzod, Uzbekistan, Tashkent
I go along with all teachers' opinions, these problems were and will be. I've been teaching English for a year and a half, but as there has been no support and lack of sufficient finance as my employer promised I tend to get demotivated from teaching but only the reason I'm still teaching is students who are eager to get knowledge and come to private educational centers to find what they can't find at public schools and universities these days in our country. The quality of education is so miserable at public school these days that I have to admit that any graduate of Pedagogical university wouldn't work at public schools in any conditions because of too low pay rate, lack of respect towards any teachers and conditions there. But anyway, I think being a teacher is a challenging job and it's not for everybody.
Olga, Argentina
We EFL teachers in Argentina have to face problems such as overcrowded classrooms, demands of syllabuses that are inapplicable to classroom contexts, and sometimes the attitudes of parents and the bad behaviour of students. Nevertheless, the biggest problem is our salary: as we are underpaid, we have to work too many hours, which are distributed among schools located at distant places from one another. The consequences of this situation are two: that we cannot aspire to improve our language or professional level because overwork makes us feel exhausted, and that our teaching tends to be poorly performed.
M. Maza Benouar, Algeria
To me the lack of training and development opportunities makes the teacher's career stagnate and involves an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction and frustration.
Trinidad West Indies
Trinidad is an English speaking country, so all of our EFL students come from Latin America, the non-English speaking Caribbean and occasionally from Europe. Courses are available at small, private specialist schools, or the University. Numbers are not a problem, and although competition keeps our salaries artificially low, we manage. Our real problem is getting inspection copies of materials, especially course books. It is difficult to keep abreast of current publications, as information on the Internet, although useful, does not give us a true picture of the full course, and books are very expensive for us at the current exchange rate for the pound sterling. For the same reasons it is difficult for small schools to invest in hi-tech equipment. We can get it, but only at a price. Bookshops here will only stock EFL books they know they can sell to existing customers which gives a very limited range. We manage by adapting the books we have, and using authentic materials, but this only addresses part of the problem.
Dr.Krushna Chandra Mishra
To me it appears that demands of the syllabus pose the most difficult of challenges so far classroom teaching of ESL in my situation in India is concerned. I say it is the syllabus that poses a real high magnitude challenge because most of the times a review of the syllabus is made much that is required to be done is generally overlooked and what comes by way of a new replacement falls short of the emerging expectations by the generation of learners for whom globalisation's opportunities mean preparation for an international career with tough competition.
Kanwalpreet Kaur, India
Sometimes spoilt children at home become troublemakers in schools. They need proper counseling and after getting cured they should sent to schools because they tend to spoil other kids also.
Sridevilazaras, India
As I am very much interested in teaching I don't feel difficult about the overcrowded classrooms, attitude of students, parents and management. I can manage them. But I am very enthusiastic in learning and developing my language skills. Though there are some training programs we are not getting permitted to go and develop our subject.
Ursula Huancas, Peru
Well,I can deal with a low rate or a disruptive student, but I really can't stand those parents who believe that we are going to do everything they haven't done for their children. I think that all the ones mentioned above have "an easy" solution but parents attitude is something that escape from our hands.
Albert P'Rayan, India
I teach English at the tertiary level and I have worked in India and abroad. As a teacher I face many problems but the biggest one is the 'attitudes of educational managers'. Most of them are educrats (bureaucrats who consider themselves as educationists)and thrust their views on professional teachers. As bureaucrats they are inflexible and as pseudo-educationists they are blind and take delight in misleading real educationists.
Mohd Syahir, Malaysia
Teachers in Malaysia are very lucky indeed if they compare themselves with other colleagues in other country. Malaysian Ministry of Education are very kind enough to give nearly everything that we need. Sadly, there are huge gaps between parents ideology in rural and urban areas. Parents must work together with teachers not blaming one another if problem persist. Students nowadays, lacks of attention, care and most of all, LOVE. Most of the time, they will try their best to gain teachers' attention either through good deeds or bad behaviour. As a teacher, we deliver knowledge, at the same time we integrate moral values. Teachers; be wise and get control of the anger. I am proud to be a teacher.
Jenny, Colombia
I think the very first problem about being an English teacher in my country has to do with the educational laws currently established. They are too loose with students, allow them to approve subjects with no effort at all so there's not even an extrinsic motivation to study hard.
Samir Ibrahim, Syria
I think that teachers have all these problems mentioned in the vote column. However, the low rates of pay appears to be a strong complaint. The lack of the shortage of training sessions turns to be a critical issue. These two points can be enough to get many teachers to forget about the sanctity of their career. Concerning the bad behaviour of the students and the noisy office hours they spend, most of them tend to think about their being nervous miserable creatures.
Ahmad, Syria
Well, I'm afraid most of the teachers here would always go for what they think is the easier option of having students 'memorise' things and learn them by heart! You'll be amazed at how students can write long compositions while stumble at telling a verb from a noun! And what's worse, those are the teachers that are looked upon as the good and successful ones!!! HELP!
Deborah, France
It's quite hard to choose just 1 problem! From my experience of teaching there are far too many students per class which then leads to behaviour and management problems. I also find it disappointing that there isn't more support and development opportunities to try to overcome the said problems.
Mateusz, Poland
Schools in Poland usually have different rates for Polish teachers and native speakers. These rates are not based on qualifications and experience but simply on where you come from. Talking about discrimination and glass ceilings, we've got it all...
Marni Jamil, Malaysia
In my opinion, time factor is one of the main issue since students need more time and attention from their teachers. In my observation, majority of the students with low proficiency level in English language would have a hard time during English lesson. Some of them might not not even understand simple English words and surprisingly, these students were expected to appreciate Literature without even understanding English in the first place! I could still recall the information that I received in one of the methodology classes that I attended, which stressed that teachers should try in every possible way to make students understand English without translating them into students' native language. One of the examples is by using actions to show a certain movement or by conducting a demonstration. I have tried it in class and it is achievable because students can understand better. However, such approach is time consuming compared to the grammar translation method, hence teachers are struggling really hard to complete the whole syllabus in a given time. Moreover, it also depends on the effectiveness of classroom management because it is obvious that classroom management and teaching cannot be totally separated because both are present in the whole process.
V.Sankaranarayanan, India
My biggest problems are establishing compatibility with students and imbibing in them some seriousness about the importance of learning English.
Romina, Italy
The problems I face up everyday in my classrooms are the bad behaviour of students , who don't respect the teacher as such. Maybe the problem is our society and the loss of the most important values. This is the basis of my difficulties.
Rogerio luques, Brazil
Lack of training and development opportunities are the biggest challenger that teachers have to face nowadays, not only because the rates or lack of training but also because of
lack of time to prepare goods classes. Although the teacher effort if he or she does not have enough time his/her job could not be sufficient and the students learn less than they need about the language that they are learning.
Elisabeth Blanco, Colombia
It is a shame our low rate of pay, sometimes we have to work double time in order to have the money for survive, for doing research you have to have savings in order to spend time on that because there is not support.
Ayþe Gül, Turkey
The biggest problem is, I think, families' life conditions and their own education. I saw a lot of students, If their families are well educated and well behaved they learn and behave well too. Because their families shape their characters firstly. What students see in their families, they behave as their families do. And families with low economic status can not supply their children's needs well, I think it is important. When we give homework our students -because some subjects need a lot of materials they can not do. Therefore some topics remain abstract.
Ranjani Venkat, India
I am thoroughly disturbed and upset by the behaviour of many of my students. While I do not expect them to blindly obey me or treat me with exaggerated respect, I believe I need to be given my due as a teacher. In this regard let me clarify that I am not very stern or severe on any of the children but rudeness and use of bad words does put me off badly. Today's kids are bright and intelligent but are a somewhat arrogant lot. I am at my wits end very often while teaching.
Irina Milanova, Bulgaria
I think all problems that teachers face come from their too low salary. Students behave badly because they don't respect teachers. Why should they if they see how their parents look down on teachers because very often students' pocket money is much more than teachers'? Teachers aren't motivated to develop their knowledge, because in the end the salary is the same. No support from nowhere. We, Bulgarian teachers, have the lowest status in Bulgaria and in Europe as well.
Nad, Algeria
I think that each country has its own specificity therefore educational problems differ from one country to another.
Mehdi, Tunisia
I've learnt much about respecting students' needs and all and how much that can be motivating for them. However, the rising generation is far too busy doing nothing. All they care for is entertain themselves. With new technology, this aim is so easy to reach. My students are motivated to learn English as they know how important it is for their careers, but they are too lazy to work. I don't expect anyone to have a clue for this situation; it's about the rise of a nation.
Zakari, Ghana
The current biggest problem in the public schools in Ghana is overcrowding.This highlights the low rates of pay.
Jessica, Scotland
How sad to see that all over the world teachers are suffering from poor pay and conditions. Here in the UK as well, these are our main concerns. Most teachers in private language schools here are paid hourly, for contact time only, and receive no sick pay, no job security and often don't know from one week to the next how much work they'll be offered. What a pity the British Council doesn't feel able to step in and support teachers in this area.
Guenter, Austria
I could pick several here and there are several things that irritate me. Although on a personal level many parents seem to appreciate what teachers do, on a public level teachers have a low status and public opinion only focuses on negative examples. This is especially pronounced when there's some debate about pay. And I get the impression that officials and politicians are only interested in polishing up their own image. They have very little understanding of the real work of a teacher of this time. Parents are frequently more interested in marks than in education. And it's the same with pupils: few are interested in learning. There's a lot of freedom within the syllabus, so that is not a problem here.
Lydie, France
Parents tend to be overprotective. In order to avoid any potential conflict, they wait until they feel children show some signs of motivation. Easy! it's up to the teacher to take charge, as most parents lack authority.
Bozkur, Turkey
It is interesting to read that most teachers in the world have common problems. From my point of view, we all knew most of the problems we might encounter with before the we started teaching. How many rich teachers do you know? How many students sit still, obey all the rules, or do their homework every day? This is all teaching about. Touching lives. Best wishes.
Tarveen Walia, India
Recently I asked my +2 students how many of them would consider taking up teaching as a profession. It came as no surprise to see not a single hand going up. It seems teaching is not on anyone's scheme of things. Low pay scales, rampant exploitation by school authorities, overcrowded classes & a general lack of respect for elders are just a few of the problems in a country like India. There aren't enough growth opportunities, & you tend to be doing the same clerical jobs year after year. On the brighter side, even a handful of grateful students & the fact that they remember your lessons years after, makes all the hard work worth it, somehow.
Ganesan Venjataraman
In every nation and clime, teachers generally don't get the status and respect in their respective society that they richly deserve. Really a sorry state of affairs that deters most talented & resourceful persons from choosing Teaching as a profession, career and mission. Result: Mankind stands to lose. People need to be educated to see & assess the realities of life and the position teachers occupy in human development & the pride of place they deserve. Then only, teaching will regain its status as a Noble Profession not only in name but in reality & the world will turn into a better place.
Lilly Spillman, Argentina
I'm not quite sure if there's just one of the issues above that makes it 'the' biggest problem we teachers have to face. After so many years of teaching I have come to the conclusion that it's a combination of all the items mentioned. First of all, our salaries are really very low (not only in my country, but also everywhere else)and we have to work long hours to make ends meet; students lack motivation for learning, therefore their bad behaviour which we have to cope with; parents are not very supportive at all; the fees for training or teacher development have become unaffordable; .... well the list is long ....
Although I have become a pessimist concerning any progress in our situation, I still feel happy and enjoy being a teacher!!
Ben, Malta
It's really only a seven month season here, busy from April to October but then nothing besides that. So, financially this time of year is terrible, after the long winter months with no work. Being off in winter is a great thing, but that first month of getting back to work proves to be a really expensive time.
Camelia Santa, Romania
Money may be a problem, especially in my country and especially during the first years of teaching, but another big problem is students' behaviour which is getting worse and worse every year. Probably having fewer students in class would solve a bit of this aspect, but not entirely. But, at least, it would be a start. Only a few students are easier to supervise and easier to deal with. I'm still young and I still hope that all is to be changed.
Monique Ditesheim, Santiago Chile
I agree with Alicia, teaching is a very nice task, but only when students are motivated and unfortunately in Chile it's rather difficult to find a motivated student, because mentalities aren't the same as in Europe. I hope one day things will change for better.
Tatjana, Lithuania
A low status of a teacher results from a low pay in a global society where the main value seems to be money, consequently, a teacher is often seen as a loser as his/her salary is low. However, not a single person can avoid schooling if s/he wants to achieve his/her goal in life. The question is: why isn't an educated person who educates others and makes the world multi-coloured to others respected and treated fairly?
Mary, Argentina
In my country very little is done in the field of teacher development. If you are interested in attending this kind of courses, you have to pay very high fees and, since teachers are not evaluated, there is little demand for improvement projects. In addition, very few school managers understand the benefits of offering their teachers opportunities for improvement schemes. Consequently, teachers do what they can, which is not always the best, and the results of their work is far from being satisfactory. However, nobody seems to care much about this. Those students who really want to acquire a good command of English as a foreign language attend private courses at institutes as if this were not a goal of the state education.
Paul Fernandini, Peru
The negative attitude of students towards English is probably the main cause of disruptive behaviour and bad interpersonal relationships between a teacher and a student as we have to deal with different types of personalities on this "arena" called classroom. I have always thought that it is necessary for teachers to set up rules from the very beginning, being "friendly" (not friends!!!) when the circumstances allow to do so and always being firm without offending or humiliating our students who are the most important part of the learning process and our reason to be in the classroom. We have to be aware that if we build up a barrier between us and the students, learning will not take place at all... resulting in feelings of displeasure for both the teacher and the pupils.
Asif Chowdhury, Bangladesh
As far as I concern, money talks in this world. But in case of education, it is not supposed to be treated in the same way! But, after all we are the human being and we need to care about our fundamental needs and demands. Whenever a teacher is happy with his 'stomach' as well as his 'mind' then obviously we can get the best from him. Like, if the teacher is worried about his hunger and thirst and also if he lacks in concentration by thinking of his family affairs and other dealings then automatically we can never expect a good shot from a teacher in regards his performance. So, my view is pretty straight forward, "Make a teacher happy, in return he will make a group of students happy!"
Nadeem al-Murshedi, Yemen
As an English teacher in Yemen, I face several problems. Recently teachers receive about $180 a month. Of which $100 goes for rent and utilities, $30 goes for transportation and $50 for food, clothes, hospitals and many other things. Of course, this sum doesn't help at all. Many teachers have to look for part time jobs or they may be absent from their schools for several days or months to work for other people. Another problem is many of our schools, the class contains more than 100 students which means there is no real teaching and learning. In fact, this is a baby sitting, not teaching. I am an English teacher and obliged to teach geography and history beside English. Ministry of education doesn't offer training and development opportunities to English teachers. There aren't qualified trainers for them. I have recently found out that the British council gives some training to English teachers while I was digging in the Internet to find some NGOs that train English teachers. I have attended 3 workshops prepared by the British Council in Sana'a. There are no facilities in many schools that help teachers teach well. The total absence of ICT tools in most of our schools is a real problem .
Kayan, Israel
I would like to see change in the teacher's status. I think every problem starts there.
Abdul Ghani, Pakistan
Teachers have got low status in our society. Once there was strike in Berkley University, when it was inquired teachers replied our salaries not equal to the salaries of bus cleaners. If this happens in most advanced countries, can you imagine the situation in developing countries and under developing countries.
Alicia, Chile
It's so difficult to teach here because students don't want to learn, they don't write nothing, I think that I must teach them with love, patience, but they don't respect me what can I do with that? I love my profession, to teach is the best important in my life.
I think that the biggest problem here is the low rates of pay. Being paid less than 3 SUD per hour makes the teachers in general and Language teachers in particular teach for around 80 hours per week in order to only cover the basic expenses. And that leaves no room to be creative in the classes.
Átila Cassiana, Brazil
Like yours, I have the same problems. I teach English in a public school here in Brazil and my students don't like to study. They don't have any wish in their life. I do many things to make the classes interesting but it doesn't work. And here we have the same problems with the low salary. I hope one day the teachers should be more respect.
Carlos Rubio, Ecuador
Overcrowded classrooms is the worst problem a TEFL might face. First of all, knowing if you have reached all the students would be difficult. Then, giving all the students an opportunity to participate would be impossible. Outcomes will be low specially in spoken skills.
Stuti, India
The biggest problem in any class is the bad behaviour of the students. One can definitely deal with the issues like the low pay and resources etc. all these issues do have a workaround, however the issue of the bad behaviour is the one which is most difficult to handle. I agree that there are some students who do not behave badly because they are bad but they do so only to garner the attention of the class however, there are some who behave so only to disrupt the class or simply because they take the class for being granted they would expect the teachers to be understanding towards them. They do not understand the perspective of the teacher and don't hesitate to ditch the teachers in some cases.
Linda, Germany
Sadly the low pay is the biggest problem. I got into teaching English as a Foreign Language for two reasons - I enjoy teaching and it provides the only possibility to work abroad. Unfortunately with the introduction of the Euro the salary I get is really low. Teaching is wonderful but why can't we get paid a reasonable salary? And the thought of what the situation is going to be when I retire is gloomy. What do other teachers do when they retire? How do they survive on the low pensions?
Bekzod, Uzbekistan, Tashkent
I go along with all teachers' opinions, these problems were and will be. I've been teaching English for a year and a half, but as there has been no support and lack of sufficient finance as my employer promised I tend to get demotivated from teaching but only the reason I'm still teaching is students who are eager to get knowledge and come to private educational centers to find what they can't find at public schools and universities these days in our country. The quality of education is so miserable at public school these days that I have to admit that any graduate of Pedagogical university wouldn't work at public schools in any conditions because of too low pay rate, lack of respect towards any teachers and conditions there. But anyway, I think being a teacher is a challenging job and it's not for everybody.
Bekzod, Uzbekistan, Tashkent
I go along with all teachers' opinions, these problems were and will be. I've been teaching English for a year and a half, but as there has been no support and lack of sufficient finance as my employer promised I tend to get demotivated from teaching but only the reason I'm still teaching is students who are eager to get knowledge and come to private educational centers to find what they can't find at public schools and universities these days in our country. The quality of education is so miserable at public school these days that I have to admit that any graduate of Pedagogical university wouldn't work at public schools in any conditions because of too low pay rate, lack of respect towards any teachers and conditions there. But anyway, I think being a teacher is a challenging job and it's not for everybody.
Olga, Argentina
We EFL teachers in Argentina have to face problems such as overcrowded classrooms, demands of syllabuses that are inapplicable to classroom contexts, and sometimes the attitudes of parents and the bad behaviour of students. Nevertheless, the biggest problem is our salary: as we are underpaid, we have to work too many hours, which are distributed among schools located at distant places from one another. The consequences of this situation are two: that we cannot aspire to improve our language or professional level because overwork makes us feel exhausted, and that our teaching tends to be poorly performed.
M. Maza Benouar, Algeria
To me the lack of training and development opportunities makes the teacher's career stagnate and involves an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction and frustration.
Trinidad West Indies
Trinidad is an English speaking country, so all of our EFL students come from Latin America, the non-English speaking Caribbean and occasionally from Europe. Courses are available at small, private specialist schools, or the University. Numbers are not a problem, and although competition keeps our salaries artificially low, we manage. Our real problem is getting inspection copies of materials, especially course books. It is difficult to keep abreast of current publications, as information on the Internet, although useful, does not give us a true picture of the full course, and books are very expensive for us at the current exchange rate for the pound sterling. For the same reasons it is difficult for small schools to invest in hi-tech equipment. We can get it, but only at a price. Bookshops here will only stock EFL books they know they can sell to existing customers which gives a very limited range. We manage by adapting the books we have, and using authentic materials, but this only addresses part of the problem.
Dr.Krushna Chandra Mishra
To me it appears that demands of the syllabus pose the most difficult of challenges so far classroom teaching of ESL in my situation in India is concerned. I say it is the syllabus that poses a real high magnitude challenge because most of the times a review of the syllabus is made much that is required to be done is generally overlooked and what comes by way of a new replacement falls short of the emerging expectations by the generation of learners for whom globalisation's opportunities mean preparation for an international career with tough competition.
Kanwalpreet Kaur, India
Sometimes spoilt children at home become troublemakers in schools. They need proper counseling and after getting cured they should sent to schools because they tend to spoil other kids also.
Sridevilazaras, India
As I am very much interested in teaching I don't feel difficult about the overcrowded classrooms, attitude of students, parents and management. I can manage them. But I am very enthusiastic in learning and developing my language skills. Though there are some training programs we are not getting permitted to go and develop our subject.
Ursula Huancas, Peru
Well,I can deal with a low rate or a disruptive student, but I really can't stand those parents who believe that we are going to do everything they haven't done for their children. I think that all the ones mentioned above have "an easy" solution but parents attitude is something that escape from our hands.
Albert P'Rayan, India
I teach English at the tertiary level and I have worked in India and abroad. As a teacher I face many problems but the biggest one is the 'attitudes of educational managers'. Most of them are educrats (bureaucrats who consider themselves as educationists)and thrust their views on professional teachers. As bureaucrats they are inflexible and as pseudo-educationists they are blind and take delight in misleading real educationists.
Mohd Syahir, Malaysia
Teachers in Malaysia are very lucky indeed if they compare themselves with other colleagues in other country. Malaysian Ministry of Education are very kind enough to give nearly everything that we need. Sadly, there are huge gaps between parents ideology in rural and urban areas. Parents must work together with teachers not blaming one another if problem persist. Students nowadays, lacks of attention, care and most of all, LOVE. Most of the time, they will try their best to gain teachers' attention either through good deeds or bad behaviour. As a teacher, we deliver knowledge, at the same time we integrate moral values. Teachers; be wise and get control of the anger. I am proud to be a teacher.
Jenny, Colombia
I think the very first problem about being an English teacher in my country has to do with the educational laws currently established. They are too loose with students, allow them to approve subjects with no effort at all so there's not even an extrinsic motivation to study hard.
Samir Ibrahim, Syria
I think that teachers have all these problems mentioned in the vote column. However, the low rates of pay appears to be a strong complaint. The lack of the shortage of training sessions turns to be a critical issue. These two points can be enough to get many teachers to forget about the sanctity of their career. Concerning the bad behaviour of the students and the noisy office hours they spend, most of them tend to think about their being nervous miserable creatures.
Ahmad, Syria
Well, I'm afraid most of the teachers here would always go for what they think is the easier option of having students 'memorise' things and learn them by heart! You'll be amazed at how students can write long compositions while stumble at telling a verb from a noun! And what's worse, those are the teachers that are looked upon as the good and successful ones!!! HELP!
Deborah, France
It's quite hard to choose just 1 problem! From my experience of teaching there are far too many students per class which then leads to behaviour and management problems. I also find it disappointing that there isn't more support and development opportunities to try to overcome the said problems.
Mateusz, Poland
Schools in Poland usually have different rates for Polish teachers and native speakers. These rates are not based on qualifications and experience but simply on where you come from. Talking about discrimination and glass ceilings, we've got it all...
Marni Jamil, Malaysia
In my opinion, time factor is one of the main issue since students need more time and attention from their teachers. In my observation, majority of the students with low proficiency level in English language would have a hard time during English lesson. Some of them might not not even understand simple English words and surprisingly, these students were expected to appreciate Literature without even understanding English in the first place! I could still recall the information that I received in one of the methodology classes that I attended, which stressed that teachers should try in every possible way to make students understand English without translating them into students' native language. One of the examples is by using actions to show a certain movement or by conducting a demonstration. I have tried it in class and it is achievable because students can understand better. However, such approach is time consuming compared to the grammar translation method, hence teachers are struggling really hard to complete the whole syllabus in a given time. Moreover, it also depends on the effectiveness of classroom management because it is obvious that classroom management and teaching cannot be totally separated because both are present in the whole process.
V.Sankaranarayanan, India
My biggest problems are establishing compatibility with students and imbibing in them some seriousness about the importance of learning English.
Romina, Italy
The problems I face up everyday in my classrooms are the bad behaviour of students , who don't respect the teacher as such. Maybe the problem is our society and the loss of the most important values. This is the basis of my difficulties.
Rogerio luques, Brazil
Lack of training and development opportunities are the biggest challenger that teachers have to face nowadays, not only because the rates or lack of training but also because of
lack of time to prepare goods classes. Although the teacher effort if he or she does not have enough time his/her job could not be sufficient and the students learn less than they need about the language that they are learning.
Elisabeth Blanco, Colombia
It is a shame our low rate of pay, sometimes we have to work double time in order to have the money for survive, for doing research you have to have savings in order to spend time on that because there is not support.
Ayþe Gül, Turkey
The biggest problem is, I think, families' life conditions and their own education. I saw a lot of students, If their families are well educated and well behaved they learn and behave well too. Because their families shape their characters firstly. What students see in their families, they behave as their families do. And families with low economic status can not supply their children's needs well, I think it is important. When we give homework our students -because some subjects need a lot of materials they can not do. Therefore some topics remain abstract.
Ranjani Venkat, India
I am thoroughly disturbed and upset by the behaviour of many of my students. While I do not expect them to blindly obey me or treat me with exaggerated respect, I believe I need to be given my due as a teacher. In this regard let me clarify that I am not very stern or severe on any of the children but rudeness and use of bad words does put me off badly. Today's kids are bright and intelligent but are a somewhat arrogant lot. I am at my wits end very often while teaching.
Irina Milanova, Bulgaria
I think all problems that teachers face come from their too low salary. Students behave badly because they don't respect teachers. Why should they if they see how their parents look down on teachers because very often students' pocket money is much more than teachers'? Teachers aren't motivated to develop their knowledge, because in the end the salary is the same. No support from nowhere. We, Bulgarian teachers, have the lowest status in Bulgaria and in Europe as well.
Nad, Algeria
I think that each country has its own specificity therefore educational problems differ from one country to another.
Mehdi, Tunisia
I've learnt much about respecting students' needs and all and how much that can be motivating for them. However, the rising generation is far too busy doing nothing. All they care for is entertain themselves. With new technology, this aim is so easy to reach. My students are motivated to learn English as they know how important it is for their careers, but they are too lazy to work. I don't expect anyone to have a clue for this situation; it's about the rise of a nation.
Zakari, Ghana
The current biggest problem in the public schools in Ghana is overcrowding.This highlights the low rates of pay.
Jessica, Scotland
How sad to see that all over the world teachers are suffering from poor pay and conditions. Here in the UK as well, these are our main concerns. Most teachers in private language schools here are paid hourly, for contact time only, and receive no sick pay, no job security and often don't know from one week to the next how much work they'll be offered. What a pity the British Council doesn't feel able to step in and support teachers in this area.
Guenter, Austria
I could pick several here and there are several things that irritate me. Although on a personal level many parents seem to appreciate what teachers do, on a public level teachers have a low status and public opinion only focuses on negative examples. This is especially pronounced when there's some debate about pay. And I get the impression that officials and politicians are only interested in polishing up their own image. They have very little understanding of the real work of a teacher of this time. Parents are frequently more interested in marks than in education. And it's the same with pupils: few are interested in learning. There's a lot of freedom within the syllabus, so that is not a problem here.
Lydie, France
Parents tend to be overprotective. In order to avoid any potential conflict, they wait until they feel children show some signs of motivation. Easy! it's up to the teacher to take charge, as most parents lack authority.
Bozkur, Turkey
It is interesting to read that most teachers in the world have common problems. From my point of view, we all knew most of the problems we might encounter with before the we started teaching. How many rich teachers do you know? How many students sit still, obey all the rules, or do their homework every day? This is all teaching about. Touching lives. Best wishes.
Tarveen Walia, India
Recently I asked my +2 students how many of them would consider taking up teaching as a profession. It came as no surprise to see not a single hand going up. It seems teaching is not on anyone's scheme of things. Low pay scales, rampant exploitation by school authorities, overcrowded classes & a general lack of respect for elders are just a few of the problems in a country like India. There aren't enough growth opportunities, & you tend to be doing the same clerical jobs year after year. On the brighter side, even a handful of grateful students & the fact that they remember your lessons years after, makes all the hard work worth it, somehow.
Ganesan Venjataraman
In every nation and clime, teachers generally don't get the status and respect in their respective society that they richly deserve. Really a sorry state of affairs that deters most talented & resourceful persons from choosing Teaching as a profession, career and mission. Result: Mankind stands to lose. People need to be educated to see & assess the realities of life and the position teachers occupy in human development & the pride of place they deserve. Then only, teaching will regain its status as a Noble Profession not only in name but in reality & the world will turn into a better place.
Lilly Spillman, Argentina
I'm not quite sure if there's just one of the issues above that makes it 'the' biggest problem we teachers have to face. After so many years of teaching I have come to the conclusion that it's a combination of all the items mentioned. First of all, our salaries are really very low (not only in my country, but also everywhere else)and we have to work long hours to make ends meet; students lack motivation for learning, therefore their bad behaviour which we have to cope with; parents are not very supportive at all; the fees for training or teacher development have become unaffordable; .... well the list is long ....
Although I have become a pessimist concerning any progress in our situation, I still feel happy and enjoy being a teacher!!
Ben, Malta
It's really only a seven month season here, busy from April to October but then nothing besides that. So, financially this time of year is terrible, after the long winter months with no work. Being off in winter is a great thing, but that first month of getting back to work proves to be a really expensive time.
Camelia Santa, Romania
Money may be a problem, especially in my country and especially during the first years of teaching, but another big problem is students' behaviour which is getting worse and worse every year. Probably having fewer students in class would solve a bit of this aspect, but not entirely. But, at least, it would be a start. Only a few students are easier to supervise and easier to deal with. I'm still young and I still hope that all is to be changed.
Monique Ditesheim, Santiago Chile
I agree with Alicia, teaching is a very nice task, but only when students are motivated and unfortunately in Chile it's rather difficult to find a motivated student, because mentalities aren't the same as in Europe. I hope one day things will change for better.
Tatjana, Lithuania
A low status of a teacher results from a low pay in a global society where the main value seems to be money, consequently, a teacher is often seen as a loser as his/her salary is low. However, not a single person can avoid schooling if s/he wants to achieve his/her goal in life. The question is: why isn't an educated person who educates others and makes the world multi-coloured to others respected and treated fairly?
Mary, Argentina
In my country very little is done in the field of teacher development. If you are interested in attending this kind of courses, you have to pay very high fees and, since teachers are not evaluated, there is little demand for improvement projects. In addition, very few school managers understand the benefits of offering their teachers opportunities for improvement schemes. Consequently, teachers do what they can, which is not always the best, and the results of their work is far from being satisfactory. However, nobody seems to care much about this. Those students who really want to acquire a good command of English as a foreign language attend private courses at institutes as if this were not a goal of the state education.
Paul Fernandini, Peru
The negative attitude of students towards English is probably the main cause of disruptive behaviour and bad interpersonal relationships between a teacher and a student as we have to deal with different types of personalities on this "arena" called classroom. I have always thought that it is necessary for teachers to set up rules from the very beginning, being "friendly" (not friends!!!) when the circumstances allow to do so and always being firm without offending or humiliating our students who are the most important part of the learning process and our reason to be in the classroom. We have to be aware that if we build up a barrier between us and the students, learning will not take place at all... resulting in feelings of displeasure for both the teacher and the pupils.
Asif Chowdhury, Bangladesh
As far as I concern, money talks in this world. But in case of education, it is not supposed to be treated in the same way! But, after all we are the human being and we need to care about our fundamental needs and demands. Whenever a teacher is happy with his 'stomach' as well as his 'mind' then obviously we can get the best from him. Like, if the teacher is worried about his hunger and thirst and also if he lacks in concentration by thinking of his family affairs and other dealings then automatically we can never expect a good shot from a teacher in regards his performance. So, my view is pretty straight forward, "Make a teacher happy, in return he will make a group of students happy!"
Nadeem al-Murshedi, Yemen
As an English teacher in Yemen, I face several problems. Recently teachers receive about $180 a month. Of which $100 goes for rent and utilities, $30 goes for transportation and $50 for food, clothes, hospitals and many other things. Of course, this sum doesn't help at all. Many teachers have to look for part time jobs or they may be absent from their schools for several days or months to work for other people. Another problem is many of our schools, the class contains more than 100 students which means there is no real teaching and learning. In fact, this is a baby sitting, not teaching. I am an English teacher and obliged to teach geography and history beside English. Ministry of education doesn't offer training and development opportunities to English teachers. There aren't qualified trainers for them. I have recently found out that the British council gives some training to English teachers while I was digging in the Internet to find some NGOs that train English teachers. I have attended 3 workshops prepared by the British Council in Sana'a. There are no facilities in many schools that help teachers teach well. The total absence of ICT tools in most of our schools is a real problem .
Kayan, Israel
I would like to see change in the teacher's status. I think every problem starts there.
Abdul Ghani, Pakistan
Teachers have got low status in our society. Once there was strike in Berkley University, when it was inquired teachers replied our salaries not equal to the salaries of bus cleaners. If this happens in most advanced countries, can you imagine the situation in developing countries and under developing countries.
Alicia, Chile
It's so difficult to teach here because students don't want to learn, they don't write nothing, I think that I must teach them with love, patience, but they don't respect me what can I do with that? I love my profession, to teach is the best important in my life.
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