ABSTRACT
How you handle embarrassing moments can build rapport with students as well as your own confidence. For example, what would you do if, in the middle of a lesson, you accidently let out a big belch—or worse—and the students go crazy? Some teachers might yell at the students to quiet down, glare at them, or pretend nothing happened. One teacher who had this happen to her decided that acknowledging the incident with humor was the best way to move forward. So she just laughed and said in her best exaggerated voice, “Did I do that? Excuse me!” The students laughed with her and they returned to the lesson. Addressing the embarrassment shows your humanity and allows you to model appropriate responses for students. Simply stating facts or using humor manages the situation in a professional manner and helps everyone return to the task at hand.
