My confidence is shot to pieces, want to leave teaching for good

[Caribou1]

I'll talk about a lesson I did today.
3 hour lesson,
Introduction- ice breaker quiz, matching questions with answers.
Topic is houses and rooms in the house. Discussion about where people live, what type of house, terraced, detached etc.
Do you prefer houses or apartments?
Introduction to different rooms in the house, furniture, useful vocab.
Quizzes on YouTube, matching games.
I tell them the answer and they think of the question.
Listening exercise, listening to an estate agent conversation.
Activity- writing their own 'for sale' advert.
Looked at some grammar with matching exercises and an Interactive quiz. Speaking opportunities.
They are a low level class so their speech is more limited/lacking confidence.
They're all adults.
Is my lesson really that boring/rubbish?
Some just sit on their phones, some do always come on time and participate in everything which I appreciate.
2 didn't even turn up today.
One of them insisted he was moving up to the next level despite having poor attendance and only half marks in tests. I tried to explain to him but he hasn't returned to my class.

I feel like I shouldn't be in this profession. I've posted before, I really don't know what a good teacher is. I'm kind with them, ask them about their lives and so on.

Can you get a job in a different type of setting? These people sound like absolute losers.

3 hours is a really long time. Both for you and them. It sounds like some of them are just going through the motions without any intention of trying.

I should have mentioned it's only really 2.5 hours as we get a 3 hour break in between.

I should have mentioned it's only really 2.5 hours as we get a 3 hour break in between.

30 mins* sorry not 3 hours

It sounds like an interesting and well planned lesson to me. Why are they in your class? By choice, or because they are required to be, for some reason? If they’re not there because they want to be, I’m sorry to say it’s going to be an uphill struggle, especially with adults.

Okay, but how do you run activities? How much of that is pairwork, groupwork, or just teacher talking to class? What's your TTT like? How often do you swap pairs and groups? How do you lead into new parts of the lesson? If students are disengaged, how do you respond?

Your "fun" activities seem repetitive - quizzes and matching. Even low level TEFL students can enjoy a wide variety of vocab games. I taught zero beginners for years. It's hard, but there are a lot of creative activities that you can use.

TEFL isn't for everyone, it's true. Have you spoken to your DOS about your concerns? What support have they offered? Have you asked to observe another teacher, or to have one of your classes observed for feedback?

It is a long time if they don't want to be there and it sounds like some really don't.
Your lesson plan sounds fine and I've taken language lessons as an adult.
After an hour I was pretty tired though.

But are these people who have been told to attend or do they want to be there?

What are they trying to achieve? These are adults so I think I'd be explaining bluntly that they won't achieve their objective unless they put in some more effort. Make it clear you aren't a pushover.

As previous pp said, look for a different job?

Your lesson sounds great.
They sound lacking in motivation and actively trying not to take part.

You are providing the water. They can't be made to drink.

They have either paid to be here or sponsored.
We have everybody, people needing English for work, Masters, we have housewives doing it as a hobby.
I mean the group is around 6-10 depending on who turns up, people often like to sit on their own but they do pairwork sometimes with their partners.
I've done some unscramble the word activities too and describing the pictures, but maybe they aren't fun or varied enough indeed.
I guess I never thought adults would want so much fun in lessons.
I will speak to them, I suppose I'm worried about making a bad impression as I've only been here a few weeks.

It's not you OP

99% of my students are Saudi, I don't know if this makes any difference. I feel like it is me

I read your introduction and thought it was a great lesson for children - lots of different methodologies to keep students on task and interested. For adults have you done TEFL training - I would use some of the resources and ideas from here. I'm not sure adults need as much 'fun' - keep them busy and plenty of challenges.
You said you are only there a few weeks - what is your brief or what did the last teacher do? Did they gibe you any lesson plan? For adults I would do grammar, functional reading and writing, filling in forms and real life things they will need and then maybe something a bit lighter for the last part of the lesson.
You sound like you are dedicated and capable and if they are there to learn they should put their phones away. Remind students to turn off their phones at the start of the lesson and wait a minute while everyone does this - simple but works.
If a student wants to move up a level - let him and see what advice the teacher gives him - don't take it personally. Good luck in your new role.

Sorry I didn't see the other replies.
Many are 20-25 and I suspect their parents will have paid for these lessons. They're in the UK for anything from 1-8 months.
I do understand it's tiring, I took German from 2-5pm on an afternoon and I felt like dozing off despite it being a fantastic teacher.

It’s not your lesson, although I think it could be a bit pacier if that’s designed to take three hours. I deliver training to adults and they can be more rude than y10 kids on Friday afternoon, especially if they don’t really want to be there.

I really should know this but how can I make them pacier?
We have a functional skills class as well and this was the one where the 20 something moaned they wanted more 'games'.
We were doing role plays and activities related to further education and working life. We did a lesson on cooking yesterday that half didn't come to.
I guess there's no point in me keeping on moaning on here though, I need to do something about it.

If your working for one of these "international colleges" I'd quit now I worked for a couple years ago they were both horrendous

I used to teach language classes to adults.. it's like pulling teeth. It's not you!

TEFL students DO want fun, dynamic lessons. People telling you that your lesson is fine are not giving you useful feedback - none of us have seen your lesson. From your description it sounds like TTT may be too high. I also wonder how much you're just going through the coursebook - students usually don't respond well to that.

Don't let them sit on their own and disengage. Speaking is the cornerstone of any TEFL class. Even if you're doing a grammar activity with students working alone, have them check their answers with their partner afterwards before looking together as a class.

You're not going to get much useful advice here, where the vast majority of posters are not TEFL teachers. Ask for advice on a Facebook group for TEFL teachers, or speak to your DOS. If you're worried about coming off badly, think about how to frame your request in a positive way - not that you're worried you're a shit teacher, but rather that you'd like advice on making your classes more dynamic.

In schools phones are banned I think they should be here too.

Is this your first time teaching? If so I think you're right to be looking for ways to improve but also being very hard on yourself for not yet having it all perfect. I haven't taught TEFL but have taught adults in other contexts and it's hard and takes some practice and adjustment. Obviously the same is true for teaching children, but I think there's often an expectation that it'll be loads easier with adults, which is true in some ways but, as you've found, expectations can be a real issue. Some of that improves with practice because you get better, but also some of it you just get used to it. I once had a training session where the trainer pointed out that lecturers often expect to encounter rows of smiling faces if they're doing well, but that's not realistic - people who are enjoying and benefiting from a class are going to be engaged mentally but that doesn't usually look like enthusiasm and grins all round. A lot of people are quite stony-faced if they're concentrating.

The best way to get better is practice, but a helpful shortcut is to watch someone else who is experienced - is that a possibility for you? Are there more experienced teachers, perhaps ones who the students seem to feel fit their expectations, to observe and, ideally, to have a chat with afterwards?

Yes I thought this - it's just incredibly rude. Could you ask them to leave the room when they need to use their phone? How can you possibly learn when you're on a phone. I wouldn't have my phone in a workplace meeting either, and no way would I let the children I teach have a phone. I accept it is difficult with adults though (although their behaviour sounds like teenagers).

There's your answer.

you may be expecting them to do the work to learn but I think a lot of students have been taught by being given the answers and a simple way to understand them (even if it’s not true). Sounds like these are looking for the east way round learning a language