Blog entry #9 - Teaching children vs. adults

While pursuing my undergrad in TESL, I always told myself I would teach adults, as opposed to children. I completed my four internships in elementary and secondary schools, which I found discouraging at times because there was so much focus on how to manage classroom behaviour, as opposed to how to teach the material.

As an instructor of adults, I do have to think about classroom management, but I find it to be quite different. My students are generally self-motivated and self-reliant. I rarely if ever have to "reprimand" a student. When I do, the student is almost always in agreement that they should modify their behaviour (e.g. turn their cell phone ringer off).

Even though I find teaching children to be generally quite draining, there is an element about it which I miss. I miss the sense of community that came along with teaching in a primary school. I got to know the parents of my students and the kindergarten teaching assistants. There was more of a sense that I was part of a team interesting in the academic and personal well-being of each child. 

With adults on the other hand, I find my work is more solitary, I have a good laugh with my co-workers in the staff room, but they don't generally have contact with or know my learners. I very rarely meet the parents of my students.

The other thing I miss about teaching young children is their authenticity. I find there's less guessing involved when it comes to knowing if they are angry, happy or sad. Perhaps by the time we reach adulthood, most of us have learned to disguise these kind of feelings when surrounded by our peers and teachers.

All in all, there are positives and negatives to both sides. Who knows, perhaps I'll go back to teaching kids in the future...