Are You Actually Teaching the Way You Think You Are

You say you’re running learner-centered, task-based lessons—but are you really? In this episode of Real Talk in ELT, I dig into the uncomfortable (but necessary) truth: there’s often a gap between what we think we’re doing in the classroom and what’s actually happening.

What we unpack in this episode:
Why many teachers believe they’re promoting autonomy, reflection, or critical thinking—but end up doing most of the cognitive heavy lifting themselves
How recording and reviewing your own lessons can reveal blind spots (without spiraling into self-doubt)
The difference between teaching philosophy vs. teaching reality—and why students can feel the gap
Practical steps to check yourself: recording lessons, asking for targeted peer feedback, and mapping your teaching choices
Why true student learning happens when they process, reflect, and make connections—not when you spoon-feed everything

If you’re a language teacher, trainer, or freelance educator who wants to stay authentic, improve practice, and make sure your classroom really matches your philosophy, this episode is your wake-up call.

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Contact Kelly:
Instagram - @kellypenningtonELT
Email - [email protected]
www.kellypenningtonelt.com

Content in this episode:
00:00 Intro: Are You Really Teaching the Way You Think?
00:22 Effort vs. Results in the Classroom
00:44 Do You Believe You’re Student-Centered?
01:09 The Reality Check: Recording and Reviewing Lessons
01:34 When Beliefs Don’t Match Practice
02:04 Why Misalignment Hurts Your Teaching & Marketing
02:30 Task-Based Learning or Just Grammar Review?
02:47 Autonomy vs. Teacher Control: Who’s Deciding?
03:14 The Reflection Gap: Students Aren’t Natural Reflectors
03:46 How to Create Space & Tools for Student Reflection
04:32 Step 1: Record & Review Yourself (Coach, Don’t Criticize)
05:41 Step 2: Get an Outside Eye (Peer Observations Done Right)
07:20 Why Specific Feedback Is More Valuable Than “It Was Fine”
08:13 Every Lesson Has Positives & Negatives
09:17 Step 3: Map Your Actual Choices
09:55 Measuring Open Questions, Prep Balance & Cognitive Load
11:22 Who’s Doing the Heavy Lifting—You or Your Students?
12:56 Why Spoon-Feeding Slows Learning
13:57 Teacher Role = Facilitator, Not Knowledge Dumper
16:10 Can Students Learn Without Teachers? (Yes, But Slower)
16:49 How Teachers Accelerate Language Learning
17:15 Watch Yourself: Are You Delivering What You Sell?
17:48 Final Tips: Aligning Beliefs, Practice & Student Perception
18:47 Wrap-Up: Roll the Tape & Reality-Check Your Teaching