“How do I say this in a way that everyone will understand?” This is a question I ask myself every time I speak in class. As an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher, clarity is always my focus. However, this is easier said than done. As teachers, the odds are school was something we enjoyed, maybe even something that came easy to us. But that’s not the case for everyone and it’s something I always try to keep in mind when planning a lesson.

The first day of school is never easy. But when it’s also your first day as a teacher, in a new country, teaching a foreign language, it’s even more so. I remember walking into class for the first time as a teacher and feeling more nervous than I had ever felt as a student. I truly felt like a stranger in a strange land.

One of the hardest things any teacher has to grapple with first is: how do I create the best environment for learning so every child feels secure in taking risks and exploring their innate creativity? For that, it all comes down the culture you build within your classroom. The question is, how do you do that?