Why do students really come to English classes, and what should teachers do about it? In this episode of the How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em dig into the realities of the classroom: student motivation, managing turn‑taking, dealing with similar (or identical!) student names, and knowing when teachers should step back and let students do the talking. They also share: practical strategies for balancing TTT vs STT, how to handle awkward silences and dominant speakers, real examples of using AI in lesson planning, and a cautionary tale about why you should always check your materials before class… Grab a coffee (or tea), settle in, and join Gav and Em for an honest, practical conversation about what actually happens when you’re teaching English — and why it matters. ☕ Support the podcast: ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Quiz music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpSEdFEwCS0

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to How to English TEFL

01:50 – Why do students come to English classes?

05:24 – Different motivations in the same group

07:56 – When students have the same (or similar) names

10:14 – What to do when you say the wrong name

12:49 – Turn-taking: order, randomness, and balance

15:44 – Encouraging quieter students to speak

16:22 – Awkward silences and “no questions”

22:01 – When students ask the teacher questions

23:15 – TTT vs STT: how much should teachers talk?

26:18 – Using AI in lesson planning

30:34 – Why you should always check your materials

Welcome back to the show. I guess you're wondering what really goes on while teachers are teaching? In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em talk about the physical and mental tension of teaching, what happens when you leave a class and come back to find students speaking their own language, and why learners often answer a different question to the one you asked. They also discuss how to grow their podcast. Whether translation apps help or hinder language learning. And finish with a surprising deep dive into the words don and doff. Honest teaching talk, classroom realities, and plenty of reflection for teachers and learners alike. ☕ Support the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpodTimestamps00:00 Introduction00:39 What teachers do while teaching05:23 Movement, posture & staying healthy10:53 Leaving the class and L1 switching17:24 Not answering the question22:08 Getting deep and technical26:11 Growing the podcast29:10 Translation apps in lessons35:36 Don vs doff (word origins)

Welcome back to How to English with Gav & Em! In this episode, they branch out into the rhythms of teaching life. From how long a lesson should be, to what really happens between classes, why students sometimes stare blankly at their stories, and how our increasingly dramatic hand gestures somehow hold it all together. Grab a cuppa, settle in, and if you’d like to support the show, you can always show your thanks at ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to the 3rd, no 4th episode

00:52 – Who listens to this podcast?

01:43 – Ideal weekly teaching load

04:47 – What's a teaching hour?

05:02 – Small talk: essential or excessive?

09:01 – What teachers do between lessons

13:33 – Admin, notes & digital vs analog

16:24 – Giving grammar real context

22:54 – Why students don’t react to your stories

29:26 – The art of TEFL hand gestures & goodbye