Although many soon-to-be ESL teachers spend much of their time concerned with how they will handle classroom issues, like a student's behavioral or academic problems, the path to success as an ESL teacher starts with preparedness. ESL teachers need to know how to modify their plans to accommodate the needs of their students; however, starting with a solid curriculum and plan at the beginning of the school year can help you make changes intelligently.

Challenging and Level-appropriate Curriculum

A successful ESL class begins with a good curriculum. A curriculum should cover all four areas of English communication (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and should be challenging for the students' English speaking levels. In classes where students of many different levels work together, teachers should create different goals for each level and assign more advanced students more challenging work. The curriculum should be based on teaching academic, business and practical English skills so as not to limit students' opportunities upon graduating college. ESL teachers can choose from a content-based curriculum, which uses content from other K-12 courses like history and math to teach English, or a curriculum that focuses solely on language. Regardless, the curriculum should be designed to allow flexibility in terms of assignments, lessons and time frame based on learning styles and ability levels.

Diagnostic Assessment

A diagnostic assessment allows ESL teachers to survey their classes' skills at the beginning of the school year to determine where their strengths and weaknesses lie. According to Dorit Sasson, a teacher's diversity coach and experienced educator, a diagnostic assessment is the primary way that ESL teachers can prepare for their classes. According to Sasson, when teachers give these diagnostics, or "pre-assessments," they learn how much students must do to get from their current level of English proficiency to their desired level. Teachers can create their own diagnostic assessments based on the goals for the course, or they can use one of the standardized ESL assessment tests like the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In fact, some students may already be starting school with TOEFL scores that the teacher can look up. However, teachers can also plan their classes better by giving a small diagnostic before each unit to assess student understanding on the particular assignment that will be taught. Using the diagnostic assessment, teachers can make informed decisions about whether to skip or add items to their lesson plans.

Modifiable Lessons

In order to be successful, ESL teachers need to understand how to modify lessons, not only based on student ability but also due to learning styles and classroom reception. ESL teachers who refuse to do anything other than what is written in their lesson plan will lose the student's attention, as each class is different, with different learning styles, likes and ability levels. Plan for each lesson you want to teach by stating its goals, but list several different methods for how you might teach it. For instance, you could teach different types of questions using a handout that lists the questions, by showing a video, by doing a skit or by having students interview each other.

Student-Centered Activities

Because learning a language is personal, students won't learn unless they are really involved in the process. For this reason, the successful ESL teacher plans most activities to be student-centered activities. According to Teach English Abroad, a student-centered activity "is an activity when students are active during the class." This could mean that students are answering a teacher's questions, working in pairs or playing a game. While a mini-lesson or lecture format may be required infrequently, the successful ESL teacher involves students in their learning during most classes.