What makes a good English language teacher? It goes without saying that a good teacher must be an expert in their field of knowledge. To achieve this, our teachers need to remain up to date with current research and developments in the field of English language education. As all of us who have sat in a classroom know, however, a good teacher is more than a subject-matter expert; the teachers we remember in our lives gave us more than a knowledge of their subject; they gave us an insight into human nature, how to care and behave towards others, and they helped us grow.
They opened our eyes to a wider world, showed us possibilities and opened possible doors to our futures. A good teacher shows their humanity to students and it is this sharing of the heart that teaches us the invaluable and unseen life lessons that make us better people.
Students come to Australian Centre Of English to learn English. A key factor in the learning of any language is to be able to lose one’s inhibitions and to make mistakes. The freedom to make mistakes in a learning environment only comes to a classroom when the teacher creates an atmosphere that allows for trial and error, that rewards effort and that fosters encouragement. It is personality that provides a teacher with the ability to do this, not simply knowledge.
While Australian Centre of English teachers must have relevant qualifications, it is their personality, love of people and enthusiasm for teaching that shines through which has made them part of our teaching team. These gifts may come with experience but may also be innate to some teachers. Our teachers therefore range in age from people in their twenties to some in their sixties.