5 qualities every children’s ESL teacher needs to succeed

Becoming a formidable children’s ESL teacher, both in Paris and beyond, is a journey that can take many years of experience to master. 

However, there are a number of qualities that everyone contemplating a foray into the world of teaching English to children should enter the industry possessing. 

This week on the Paris Teacher’s Club blog, we list five qualities that every children’s ESL teacher needs to be on the path to success. 

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1. A passion for education 

It goes without saying that a love for learning and for passing on your knowledge to your students is a key quality that each and every children’s ESL teacher in Paris and beyond should possess. Learning along with your students is part and parcel of the journey of becoming an excellent ESL teacher, but a passion for education is a core tenet of teaching. You should approach each new student and each new day with enthusiasm for your job and the task at hand.

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2. Excellent communication skills  

Part of the process of becoming a competent ESL teacher is building on your communication skills, and being able to easily yet effectively convey information to your students. Like any other skill, communication is a characteristic that teachers build upon, and the best ESL teachers know how to communicate in an engaging, interactive and exciting way.  

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3. Patience in spades

Patience is a central skill to teaching, but it’s never as important as when teaching both children and children who are learning English as a second language. Learning English is challenging, and can often be frustrating, so approaching your role as an educator with patience and understanding is central to getting the best results out of your students. 

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4. Organisation and punctuality

Teachers must be extremely organised. After all, they often have dozens of students relying on them to keep their learning on track. Being a children’s ESL teacher in Paris comes with a strict requirement to remain organised, even when the busiest times of the year roll around. Organisation will ensure that balancing a busy work schedule, many students and their own unique needs and your own life outside of work will be a seamless process. In the same vein, punctuality is absolutely key to succeeding as a teacher. This not only builds your reputation as a reliable and responsible educator, but, if you can’t get the little things right, you can’t expect to master the bigger ones.

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5. Flexibility 

Children’s ESL teachers in Paris often have an unpredictable schedule. This is one of the best and most exciting things about doing what we do, but it also means that newcomers to the industry should enter the field with the ability to be flexible and adaptable to the unexpected. Some days you will be teaching online classes from the comfort of your home. Others, you will be travelling around Paris for one-on-one classes in student’s own homes. Sometimes you may be at a school teaching groups of students. Being able to quickly adapt to an unpredictable timetable (with a smile!) is an important skill for any ESL teacher to possess. 

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