German teacher: advantages and disadvantages, career

Teaching German is not a common profession. But it has its advantages and disadvantages. Before pursuing a career in this language field, you need to weigh all these parameters and other circumstances.

The German teacher, like any other teacher in the school, only seems to be an easy and simple position. Of course, if there is a vocation, the intention to seriously educate other people, this is very pleasant. But you will definitely have to prepare for classes, a lot of knowledge will need to be mastered constantly, because teaching methods are steadily improving. And very few people need teachers who know only the initial university training.

It can be considered a plus that a German teacher at a public school takes two months leave every year. And in private educational institutions, the vacation is shorter, but the pay is significantly higher. Besides this work can be done at home or at the client's place.

As for the shortcomings, it is also worth noting:

• a high level of stress (especially in general education schools and universities);
• the need to work all day;
• the need to write a lot;
• the need to prepare a lot of reports;
• the likelihood of conflicts with students and their parents;
• the inability to "relax and not think" in the process of work.

The most important trait of a German teacher (especially one who specializes in teaching students in primary and secondary school) is the ability to motivate them. Only by overcoming the natural cravings of children and adolescents for entertainment can you achieve success. Emotional sensitivity will play an equally important role here. It is very important to distinguish between real problems and difficulties in students from whims and whims. Another significant point is willingness to deal with stress and psychological stress.

A German teacher cannot afford even a slight lack of confidence in front of his students. Disorganization, indiscipline, lack of discipline in such a profession is also prohibited. As in any other areas of pedagogy, neatness and cleanliness, excellent taste in clothes are imperative. Professional skill in teaching a foreign language is expressed primarily in the ability to form, develop and consolidate a secondary linguistic personality in students. The bottom line is that they think, speak, write harmoniously and fully in the language they are mastering, and not painfully select certain words or expressions. To achieve this goal, you need to know:

• language system;
• key linguistic and linguodidactic categories;
• culture of Germany, its history, present and expected prospects;
• psychology of teaching;
• personality traits of students and its change as the course progresses.

A significant professional quality will be the ability to clearly plan your actions within the educational process. In the course of drawing up a plan, you will have to study:

• general patterns of language acquisition;
• the achieved level of proficiency;
• the main factors that hinder or help the educational process.

Important: a good teacher himself always selects authentic teaching aids that introduce people to the country and its culture and history. He also determines what to get to know him and in what order. It is necessary to instill in the classroom in every possible way a creative approach and the ability to think independently. Another of the valuable qualities is:

• the ability to unite students;
• the ability to respond to psychological shifts;
• the ability to organize teamwork;
• the ability to resolve conflicts.

It is possible to obtain such a specialization as a teacher of the German language only in higher educational institutions. It is more correct to focus not on language, but on pedagogical universities and institutes - they pay more attention to mastering the ability to teach. It will be somewhat easier for those who are undergoing retraining after mastering some other pedagogical specialization, especially those related to the Russian language. Then, at least, it will not be necessary to study psychological and teaching disciplines from scratch.

In addition to receiving a diploma, certification for 1 category is desirable. She shows:

• stable and positive development by students of the necessary knowledge;
• the ability to identify the growth of language skills and adjust training in accordance with the achieved level;
• the teacher's personal contribution to improving the quality of teaching, to the emergence of new and improvement of old methods of educational work;
• active assistance to other teachers in methodological work.

The minimum salary for a German teacher in Russia is about 21,700 rubles. On average, they receive from 30 to 33 thousand. The highest level, according to a number of recruiting projects, exceeds 150 thousand rubles. The portfolio includes the following sections:

• basic information about yourself;
• pedagogical work;
• achievements in extracurricular and extracurricular work;
• general assessment of professional activity (attestation characteristic);
• feedback from students and their parents about the work of the teacher.

After continuing education / retraining or after long-term work in the specialty, a German teacher can become:

• translator (simultaneous or literary);
• translation editor;
• private tutor;
• the head of the educational department or the head of the school;
• an employee of a German firm in Russia.