Life at Kaplan: Teaching Methods and Language Tips

Timothy Koskie is a Senior Teacher at Kaplan Sydney, and has been teaching for the past five years. Today he talks us through his teaching methods, and gives some language tips and advice for students looking to study English with Kaplan.

 Job Title: Senior Teacher – Admin Coordinator

 School: Kaplan Sydney City

How would you describe your style of teaching?

I would describe my teaching methods as incorporative, communicative, and team-oriented. Here at Kaplan we are a team working on a project and that project requires us to work together, as a class but mainly as a community of individuals. 

What materials do you use to teach in class?

The primary materials that I use to teach in a class are a good whiteboard and markers. Where possible, I prefer students to write the components that we use in class, as I find it increases their exposure and ownership of the tasks.

What differences do you notice with students at the start of a long term course and at the end?

One of the main differences that I notice in students towards the end of their course is that they become better communicators, better at being themselves and better at being with people. That is mostly across the spectrum, in their language and in their jobs. They are not afraid anymore and they learn to roll with the punches of communication challenges.

What advice or language tips would you give to any student looking to study a long term course at Kaplan?

One of the biggest pieces of advice I would give to students is to do a little bit of extra work every single day. Studying for twenty minutes a day outside the classroom is a lot better than doing 17 hours of work on the last day of their course. There simply is not a comparison. Every day, do a little bit, be it a little bit of vocabulary or a little bit of reading; it will add up very quickly.