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Being holistic and humanistic, in my opinion, is that we should not only be sensitive to each student in their individuality and entirety, but that we should also treat the class as a community that requires nurturing. 

The teacher is an integral part of a shared experience, rather than simply a director of activities without concern for the individual students or the sense of community that is required for effective teaching and learning. 

Being holistic and humanistic is fundamental to my beliefs not only as a teacher but as a learner and human being in a broader sense. 

We are social beings Who value connectivity and meaningful association. 

Our identity in life comes from this, and through it we find life’s meaning and purpose. 

I also believe that this needs to occur in within a framework of compassion and peace. 

If we follow these beliefs, we will be focusing our teaching on our students as unique individuals, working with them at the place they are at any given point in time. 

In order to teach like this, we have to believe, practice, and model these principles. 

Teaching this way takes conviction and effort, but the results, in my experience, are self-evident. Teaching with passion and compassion brings us closer to our students and our students closer to us. 

The concurrent development of trust and respect results in more engagement, more risk taking, more learning, and a more rewarding experience for students and teachers alike. 

In many of the more traditional teaching contexts, the roles of teacher and learner are often positional.  

The holistic and humanistic model is one of unity and shared experience, in Which everyone is respected and acknowledged as equally valuable and significant.

Teaching is demanding, both physically and   emotion! ally. Our minds can be so busy as we monitor, manage, and teach our students that sometimes we don’t look after ourselves properly.

Voice is one of the most important teaching tools we have.

If we over stretch our voice, it adds to stress and fatigue – and in the end reducing the teaching efficiency

Here are a few ways, you can take care of your voice –

1. Keep Silence for some time everyday
2. Never raise your voice above the background noise
3. Don’t  spend much time in cold dry air, it puts strain on the neck muscles
4. Avoid irritating chemicals and over spicy foods
5. Stay Hydrated – Lubricate your throat – carry water 
6. Remember – Caffeinated and carbonated beverages dry you out
7. Posture also matters – stand tall with your shoulders back. 
8. Open your chest and keep the chin up. It helps projecting our voice with     less efforts.
9. Rest – not only your voice, but your body and mind as well

Another important aspect of voice is- Speaking clearly! It is a requirement for good teaching. 

If a teacher doesn’t speak clearly and with authority, it’s difficult for students to understand and remain engaged. 

Beginning teachers can tend to rush their speech, as they don’t want to be the center of attention. 

They’d rather be working with individual pairs or small groups because this is less intimidating. 

It may have to be more modulated and more intentional in tone, though not patronizing or unnecessarily deliberative. However, the positive wash back effect will be immediate and will lead to an increase in coincidence.

 However, sometimes silence is also the best approach. 

Have you ever attended an interview where the interviewer asks a question, lets     the interviewee answer, and then says nothing? 

What happens? 

There’s  a pause, maybe even a pregnant pause – and then the interviewee just keeps on talking, very often revealing something s/he never intended to reveal.     People just can’t stand silence!
But in a learning situation, silence can have another truly beneficial effect. Your students are running while you’re walking. They need silence sometimes, to catch up, to reflect, to rest, to process. Those ten seconds of silence, or thirty seconds or two minutes, may be far more valuable to them than yet more TTT!
 

I can’t do better than to recommend Thomas Topham’s required reading: Six Ways to SHUT UP: –

“Well-timed silence has more eloquence than speech.” -Martin Fraquhar Tupper

As a trainer, one of my ongoing issues in preserve courses is with teacher-talking-time – how much is coming out of the teacher’s mouth, the proportion of time the teacher is talking vs. the students, and how to get this ratio as high as possible in the students’ favor.

Whether this is actually something worth striving for is a whole different debate. Let’s just take it as a given that less teacher-talk is a good thing, and get on with the list:

1. Don’t Echo

Here is a common classroom script:

T: So, what are your ideas, where shall we go?

S1: Mumbai.

T: Mumbai, yes, great, we can go to Mumbai. Where else?

S2: The Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

T: Ooh, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, yes, we’ll put the Andaman & Nicobar Islands on the list, ok…

Even though the lesson is to some extent interactive, the students have no reason to listen to one another – the teacher is repeating everything that needs to be heard. “But they might not hear each other!” Tell them to speak up. Or better yet, if a student can’t hear, she can ask the other student to speak up.

“But how do I work in open class, if I am not supposed to speak?” With the above scenario, the teacher needs to say exactly four words:

T writes on WB “Places to Go”.

T holds WB pen, ready to transcribe. Waits. If nothing is forthcoming…

T asks, “Where should we go?” … and waits for answers.

2. Wait

It takes time for learners to hear and process what you have said and adding more teacher talk doesn’t help. Shutting up and waiting does.

“So where should we go? (1.5 second pause) 

Let’s make a list, we’ll write down our ideas here, what do you say guys? (1.5 second pause) 

How about Rameshvaram, is that a good place, should I write that? Yeah, OK…”

The only way for student voices to enter the classroom is by the teacher allowing the space. After you ask a question, wait. Wait a long time, if need be.

3. Don’t Answer Right Away

Chances are one of the students knows the answer, if the teacher shuts up. Compare:

S1: Why is that?

T: Ah, yes, you see here we have the auxiliary, so blah blah blah…

—

S1: Why is that?

T: Hmmmm…. (pauses, looks around the room, waits…)

S2: I think because, is question…

T: (pointedly shuts up, open body language, waiting…)

S3: Yes, “Do” because it is question, same like in yesterday lesson…

Here not only do we have students speaking and the teacher shutting up, but as an added bonus the students are doing the thinking and are showing evidence of their learning! Big Win!

4. Group work Is Better, Always

Because when the students are working together in groups it is impossible for you to speak. Well, not impossible – resist the urge to interrupt the group work for “just a second” to “just explain this one more thing” …

5. Ask Open-Ended Questions

They require more from the students, and therefore require less talk from you. Compare:

T: Is it a boy, or a girl?

Ss: Girl.

T: Yes, a girl. And what do you think, is she happy?

Ss: Yes.

T: Ooh, yes, she is. Maybe she got a good mark on her test, do you think so?

Ss: Yes.

—

T: Look. What’s this? (shut up. wait)

S1: A girl.

T: (continuing to shut up)

S2: She is schoolgirl.

S3: She is going to school; she has book bag.

S4: No, she is going home, she is happy. (laughter)

6. Make Use of Your Written Materials

If the instructions are already there in the coursebook, why are you spending valuable class time blathering on about how to do a gap fill?

Twelve distinctive behaviors comprise an inventory of qualities found in effective teachers. This list is based on one developed by Harry Murray at the University of  Western Ontario. Specific sub behaviors, for each inventory’s behavior, are defined.

1. Enthusiasm – use of non-verbal behavior to solicit student attention and interest
2. Clarity – method used to explain or clarify concepts and principles. 
3. Interaction – techniques used to foster student’s class participation. 
4. Organization – ways of organizing or structuring subject matter. 
5. Pacing – rate of information presented, efficient use of time. 
6. Disclosure – explicitness concerning course requirements and grading criteria. 
7. Speech – characteristics of voice relevant to classroom teaching. 
8. Rapport – quality of interpersonal relations between teacher and students.      
9. Relevance – bridges made between course content, processes and the world. 
10. Learning Centered – focuses squarely on student learning and mastery. 
11. Flexibility – openness to change; diverse ways of looking at, approaching material. 
12. Leadership – models civil behavior, intellectual rigor and respect for diversity. 

1. ENTHUSIASM: use of non-verbal behavior to solicit student attention and interest

• Speaks in a dramatic or expressive way. 
• Moves about while lecturing or presenting. 
• Gestures with hands or arms, yet avoids distracting mannerisms. 
• Maintains eye contact with students. 
• Walks up aisles beside students. 
• Avoids reading lecture verbatim from prepared notes or text. 
• Smiles while teaching. 

2. CLARITY: method used to explain or clarify concepts and principles

• Gives several examples of each concept. 
• Uses concrete everyday examples to explain concepts and principles.      
• Defines new or unfamiliar terms. 
• Repeats difficult ideas several times. 
• Stresses most important points by pausing, speaking slowly, raising voice, etc. 
• Uses graphs or diagrams to facilitate explanation. 
• Points out practical applications of concepts. 
• Answers students’ questions thoroughly. 
• Suggests ways of memorizing complicated ideas. 
• Writes key terms on blackboard or overhead screen. 
• Explains subject matter in familiar colloquial language. 

3. INTERACTION: techniques used to foster students’ class participation

• Encourages students’ questions and comments during class. 
• Avoids direct criticism of students when they make errors. 
• Praises students for good ideas. 
• Asks questions of individual students. 
• Asks questions of class as a whole. 
• Incorporates students’ ideas into presentation. 
• Presents challenging, thought-provoking ideas. 
• Uses a variety of media and activities in class. 
• Asks rhetorical questions. 
• Listens and responds to students’ contributions and learning. 

4. ORGANIZATION: ways of organizing or structuring subject matter

• Uses headings and subheadings to organize presentation. 
• Puts outline on blackboard or overhead screen. 
• Clearly indicates transition from one topic to the next. 
• Gives preliminary overview at beginning of class. 
• Explains how each topic fits into the course as a whole. 
• Begins class with a review of topics covered last time. 
• Periodically summarizes points previously made. 

5. PACING: rate of information presentation, efficient use of time

•  Digresses rarely from major theme. 
• Covers the important material in class sessions. 
• Asks and confirms if students understand before proceeding to next  topic. 
• Sticks to the point in answering students’ questions. 

6. DISCLOSURE: explicitness concerning course requirements and grading criteria

• Advises students on how to prepare for tests or exams. 
• Provides sample exam questions. 
• Tells students exactly what is expected of them on tests, essays or assignments. 
• States objectives of each meeting. 
• Reminds students of test dates or assignment deadlines. 
• States objectives of course as a whole. 

7. SPEECH: characteristics of voice relevant to classroom teaching

• Speaks at appropriate volume. 
• Speaks clearly. 
• Speaks at appropriate pace. 
• Leaves pauses in speech silent and avoids “um” or “ah”. 

8. RAPPORT: quality of interpersonal relations between teacher and students

• Addresses individual students by name (to the extent possible in larger classes). 
• Announces availability for consultation outside of class. 
• Offers to help students with problems. 
• Shows tolerance of other points of view. 
• Talks with students before or after class. 
• Acknowledges diversity in learners and their culture. 

9. RELEVANCE: bridges made between course content, processes and the world

• Provides broad (holistic) context for specific learning concepts  and skills. 
• Integrates materials (examples, cases, simulations) from “real world”. 
• Bridges specific learning concepts and skills to learners’ experiences. 
• Provides learners with access to external sources and experts to validate learning. 
• Provides opportunities for learners to apply learning to external world. 
• Provides opportunities for learners to bring external learning into the curriculum. 

10. LEARNER CENTERED: focuses squarely on student learning and mastery

• Focuses on learning outcomes and growth, not content taught. 
• Pre/during/post assessments used to ensure learning. 
• Instructor elicits student discovery and construction of knowledge.      
• Learners have some control over learning process. 
• Active, collaborative, and cooperative learning favored over passive learning. 
• Instructors are primarily designers and coaches. 
• Instructors and learners work in teams where appropriate. 
• Learners are empowered to take over their own learning. 
• Motivates learners by supporting their self-efficacy – ability to succeed. 

11. FLEXIBILITY: openness to change and diverse ways of looking at, approaching material

• Teaching appeals to different learning styles. 
• Awareness of inter-subjective construction of knowledge. 
• Appreciation of multiple perspectives and intellectual curiosity. 
• Willingness to “give” responsibility of learning to learners where appropriate. 

12. LEADERSHIP: models civil behavior, intellectual rigor and respect for Diversity

• Models and requires a learner’s behavior that supports teaching and learning. 
• Models intellectual engagement with ideas, concepts and materials. 
• Provides intellectual challenge for all levels of learner abilities. 
• Demonstrates respect for diversity and requires similar respect in classroom.

Staying home now means working on self development through various online platforms ……creating strategies …let’s keep on moving in the house of course !

Our accredited on-line TEFL/TESOL course is a 100% distance-learning program and can be taken with or without tutor.  It’s primarily designed for those people who wish to study an internationally accredited TEFL/TESOL course but have time and/or budget constraints which don’t allow them to attend one of our training centers.  The advantages of this course are as follows:

1. you will be able to study at your own pace,
2. you can take the course from anywhere in the world, and
3. our online tuition are very competitive.

As it is an online TEFL/TESOL course, there is no classroom attendance and no teaching practicum. You will, however, have the opportunity to see actual EFL classes through videos. Throughout the program, you will study the same course content, including a comprehensive grammar review, and design classes just as the onsite program.At the end of the course, you will have learned the following:

• Understand the qualities that make great teachers.
• Gain knowledge about past and current EFL teaching methodologies.
• Know how to effectively organize and manage an English class.
• Create high-energy classes every day.
• Acquire know-how of teaching different types of students.
• Understand what is going on inside your English language learners.
• Become an expert in language skill development.
• Turn boring subjects into engaging classes.
• How to correct errors in speech and writing.
• Assessment strategies to achieve accuracy and fluency at the same time.

Throughout the program, your personal tutor will check your assignments.  There are practice quizzes to help you stay on track.  You are also eligible for two meetings of 45 minutes to get extra help if something needs a little more explanation.

If you register for the course with a tutor, you will have the choice of a free specialization:  Teach Business English, Teach Young Learners or Teach TOEFL Preparation.The course comes with full career-support services, including resume preparation, school lists, recruiter information, direct referrals to school, job leads as available.  
Apart from India, iTTi also has its own schools in many countries of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South and North America.Prerequisites to registering for the course are an excellent command of both spoken and written English, a high-school diploma as a minimum educational requirement and 18 years of age.