Quick answer: New EFL teachers succeed fastest by building seven habits: find out students' needs and level in lesson one, prepare thoroughly, observe and be observed, self-evaluate after every class, push learning beyond the classroom, build a store of materials, and fill lessons with communication practice rather than teacher talk. None needs experience – just consistency.
As a new or prospective English teacher, there is a lot to learn about organising a successful TEFL class. We’ve selected 7 top tips to help you succeed in the early days of your teaching career. There’s plenty here about building great habits and inspiring your students so read on and prepare for success.
1. Find out needs and English level in lesson one
This will help you prepare relevant material and pitch it at the correct level for future classes. It needn’t feel like a test. Instead, one simple idea is as follows. Ask each learner ask their partner:
- why they need English
- what they like to talk about in English
- the thing they find most difficult in English
Then get each pair to stand up and introduce their partners’ needs to the class. You can take notes and get a feel of their oral English level at the same time.
2. Prepare well – be organised
As a new teacher, expect to spend at least an hour planning for each class taught. This can be laborious but preparation is really key. You are building good habits and don’t worry, you will get quicker. Store your lessons so you can recycle later. For what a well-staged plan looks like, see our 5 top tips for TEFL lesson success.
3. Observe and prepare to be observed
You will learn so much by watching other teachers. Do ask a teacher you respect if they will observe you. Yes, it can make you nervous (who likes being watched?) but tell yourself how fortunate you are to have some extra feedback; anything learned should serve to make you a better teacher.
4. Self-evaluate
Ask yourself questions at the end of each lesson like:
- Can they say more when now than when they came in?
- Did all students get a chance to communicate in English?
- Was the pitch of material right?
Whether your lesson was great or didn't quite go according to plan, building in this pattern of self-evaluation means you are continually trying to improve on the last lesson given.
5. Encourage learning outside of class
Think of English classes as a springboard for your students to practise English outside classes. Inspire your students to keep learning outside class. Explain this is the best way to improve, even if they only have a spare hour or two a week. To help, always give homework as preparation for the next class or to consolidate a lesson. Inform students of great sites where they can practise listening/reading on their own and get students to feed back to the class on other English sites they have used. If you and your class like social media, consider setting up a Facebook group where you might post something interesting in English for students to communicate on. There are ready-made ideas in our posts on great ESL homework ideas and getting students to use English out of class.
6. Create a store of useful material
Collect ‘realia’ (real items such as menus, transport or simple street maps, family photos etc.). You’ll be glad you did, especially if moving to teach somewhere remote. Additionally, start getting a list together of great free or cheap online English lesson resources for instant lessons at your fingertips. The completely free activity books at American English are worth downloading before you travel anywhere with unreliable internet.
7. Prepare plenty of communication practice activities
As a new teacher, it is likely you will talk too much. Where possible, explain quickly, set up a task or tasks, then step back to let them complete it in pairs or groups. You can monitor, prompt and listen for corrections while they complete the tasks. Our tips for TEFL discussion classes and these 5 TEFL warmers will fill your first weeks with speaking activities that run themselves. There is more on how to create lesson plans that work in our online TESOL courses.
Which habit matters most in your first month?
If you can only focus on a few things at once (and in your first month, you can't focus on everything), prioritise like this:
| When | Focus on | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Needs analysis (tip 1) and preparation (tip 2) | Everything else depends on knowing your students and having a plan |
| Weeks 2–4 | Cutting teacher talk (tip 7) and self-evaluation (tip 4) | These two habits improve every single lesson you teach |
| Month 2 onwards | Observation (tip 3), materials store (tip 6), out-of-class learning (tip 5) | Longer-term habits that compound as your confidence grows |
And if the grammar questions students ask are what worries you most, a short course like our 20-hour Essential English Grammar plugs that gap quickly. Above all, be patient with yourself: every experienced teacher you observe once stood exactly where you are now, over-planning, over-talking and learning from every lesson – the seven habits above simply shorten that journey.
Frequently asked questions
What should a new EFL teacher do in the first lesson?
Run a friendly needs analysis: have students interview each other about why they need English, what they enjoy talking about and what they find hardest, then introduce their partner to the class. You learn their level and priorities without it feeling like a test, and they speak English from minute one.
How can I adapt these tips for beginner classes?
Keep the same seven habits but simplify the language: needs analysis becomes picture-prompted questions, warmers become games with minimal instructions, and homework becomes very short listening or vocabulary tasks. Beginners thrive on routine, so reuse the same lesson shapes and instruction phrases each week.
Do these tips work for teaching English online?
Yes. The needs analysis works perfectly in a first video lesson, observation can be done by recording your own lessons, and the communication-practice rule matters even more online, where teacher talk fills the screen. Store your materials digitally and reuse them across students.
How long does it take to feel confident as a new TEFL teacher?
Most new teachers report a clear shift after four to six weeks of regular teaching – roughly the point where planning drops below an hour a lesson and classroom routines feel automatic. Self-evaluation and being observed speed this up more than anything else.
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Over to you
- If you are a teacher, why not add your tips for the new teacher below?
- Join in the discussion in our friendly Facebook group
- Ask Louisa a question on any aspect of English teaching.
Louisa Walsh, Course Director, Global English TESOL