If you're happy and you know it, shout 'hooray!' :-D

Today, I was reviewing vocabulary with one of my regular students called David. Looking at the pictures and reading the words can be a little boring, especially when reviewing previous lessons.

To help David remain focused and motivated, I use learning new songs as a reward system. The new song is introduced at the start of the lesson and then we sing together at the end. This gives David something fun to look forward to and also gives each lesson a structure.

Today, we learnt the song 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!'. He really liked clapping his hands and singing along. I also used emoticons to teach David other emotions like angry, sad, happy. We had a lot of fun pulling silly faces!

Learning should always be FUN! If you're not having fun as a teacher, your student is not having fun either. :-)

Natalia. xx

A little insight into my teaching practice...

I want to share a little about my experience so far teaching with DaDaABC. Now I have a blog, I will be sharing day-to-day observations and thoughts. 

This post is a bit of a broad overview and some observations about my students so far. Enjoy! :-)

The main thing I love about DaDaABC is that you have regular students. In other teaching platforms, you will see different students each time. For me, building a bond and tracking a student's individual progress is very rewarding. For a student that is a little shy, seeing the same teacher can be comforting as they get to know and trust you.

This was the case with a young student called Icy who was shy to speak. Now she is confident to not only speak in class but also answer questions and offer her opinion. It is so great to see a previously shy child become confident in their ability.

One of the most rewarding parts of the job is getting to know your students and catch up with them each class. One of my students, a boy called Lucas, loves telling me about his day at school and what he has learned in his school classes. In fact, he teaches ME some of the time! One day, he was telling me about Isaac Newton and the theory of gravity. Needless to say, I was speechless!

It has to be kept in mind that every student is an individual and deserves to be taught in a way that suits them. Some children prefer to follow the coursework, and others prefer to play games and be interactive in class. One of my students, David, LOVES to sing songs and play in class. I teach him new songs at the start of the class and sing the song again at the end as a reward for completing the classwork. This helps David to stay focused and feel motivated to complete the work. And David... you're a great singer!

Teaching with DaDaABC allows you to build this bond with the students in a similar way to a school classroom. One-on-one teaching means the children receive individual attention and your focused attention. As of yet, I have not taught any group lessons but I have received training in this. It's something I'm looking forward to starting in the future!

Natalia. xx

Why choose DaDaABC?

Hi! 

So... why should you choose DaDaABC?

It's true, there are so many online companies that you can choose from. What makes DaDaABC special? 

For me, the best thing about DaDaABC is my students. 

With DaDaABC, you'll receive regular students. This is a huge benefit as you see them every week and will get to know them not only personally but also you'll get to know how they learn.

Some children are visual learners. This means they will respond well to props and pictures: things that they can see.

Some children are auditory learners. They will learn by singing songs, listening and repeating after you.

Some children can be categorised as kinaesthetic learners. They learn by doing. Playing games and being active in class is a great way to engage these students.

But it takes time to learn these things about students. They are individuals. They have their own personalities, interests and ambitions. It's great to learn these things about your students as it shows you are interested in THEM. :-)

Teaching with DaDaABC allows you to get to know your students and how best to teach them. This would be impossible to learn in a 30-minute lesson with a different student each time. 

It's also really rewarding to see the progress in your students and know that their (and your!) hard work is really paying off!

I'll discuss more about different teaching methods in a later blog. Plenty of information can be found about teaching visual/auditory/kinaesthetic students online. 

https://lonerwolf.com/visual-auditory-or-kinesthetic-test/

Are you a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learner?

I am a mostly visual learner! :-)

Another great thing about DaDaABC is the amount of support available to you. They are only ever a Skype call or message away if you need assistance. You can also ask for help during class if there is an issue with the video/sound connection. Assistance usually comes within a minute, which is amazing!
The staff are approachable and always friendly. Even though they are on the other side of the world, I always feel supported. 

Want to know more or to apply?
https://www.DaDaABC.com/teacher/job/f7d7d7q865/

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment on this blog, or you can also email me at: nataliadadaabc@hotmail.com

Natalia. xx

Setting up your classroom!

Step into my office...

Having a great, functional workspace is essential to being a successful teacher. 

There are a few options available to you.

You can keep your background plain with a white wall, or you can use an appropriate poster/backdrop. I decided to use a map of the world and this comes in handy when talking with my students about different countries.

I love to use many props in my classes. Props help students to understand and also help them to keep focus - especially younger students who respond well to puppets and toy animals.

This is my lion puppet, he is called Simon. The younger children really enjoy playing the game 'Simon Says' with this puppet. This game helps them to learn body parts and simple commands while having a lot of fun doing so!

Flashcards are always very useful!

I use this set to teach counting 1-20. 

Children love playing this shopping basket game. I use real and fake food in this game. I can roleplay as a customer and cashier with the child and also introduce the concept of giving/receiving money. 

It's always really great to try to add fun games to make the lesson more interactive. Having props to show to a child keeps them engaged in the lesson. 

If you are interested to apply or would like to find out more:

https://www.DaDaABC.com/teacher/job/f7d7d7q865/

Natalia. xx

I'll start at the beginning!

Hello! Welcome to my shiny, new blog.
I figure the best place to start is at the beginning... I have quite a bit of catching up to do.
My journey with DaDaABC began around two months ago.
I applied and received an invitation to a Skype interview with one of their recruiters. The first interview was to check that I had a stable internet connection that was fast enough for their requirements.

The interview process is conducted as follows:

1. Technical interview over Skype with a recruiter
2. Discussion about achievements and qualifications
3. Access is given to DaDaABC software and training how to use software
4. Formal interview with a Teaching Assistant and 5-minute mock lesson
5. 15-minute trial class with a student

You receive feedback throughout the interview process which is great.

I found this useful to help me to constantly improve ready for the next stage. The software is really user-friendly and you receive full training in how to use all of the tools.

Interested? Find more information or apply here: https://www.DaDaABC.com/teacher/job/f7d7d7q865/

Natalia. xx

Tada! A new blog is born... :-)

Hi there! My name is Natalia. I am an English teacher with DaDaABC.

I am 24 years old and have a degree in Creative Illustration from Lancaster University. 

I have always wanted to teach and found that for me, teaching English online was a fantastic way to gain experience. It has quickly become more than that and I am now pursuing this as a full-time career. 

I decided to start this blog as when I first started looking at companies I struggled to find any information about DaDaABC from a teacher's perspective. On this blog, I will be sharing my own day-to-day experiences and thoughts. I will also upload videos to let you in on some tips I have picked up along the way. 

I hope that you enjoy reading. 

Please feel free to ask me any questions and to also give feedback.
You can email me: nataliadadaabc@hotmail.com

This is the first blog I've created --- so be a little patient, haha. ;-)

Natalia. 

P.s. If you are interested in joining DaDaABC, please follow the link below. 

https://www.DaDaABC.com/teacher/job/H5F1P2q465/

Natalia. xx