Talking the talk is easy; walking the talk is a different story.
As teachers, we often guide our students on how to learn better. But when the roles are reversed — when we become learners — can we truly do what it takes? This post is an invitation for you to pause and reflect.
When Language Levels Get Real: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Let’s be honest: beginning students deal with more concrete vocabulary; therefore, their words are “simpler” to use and remember. Intermediates start to encounter a greater variety of language. Yet, the advanced level is when push comes to shove, and mastering it — especially if our goal is to teach others effectively — is no joke. We must do what it takes to get ourselves there and fully walk the talk.
Otherwise, we risk giving instructions without the insight or empathy that comes from having both trudged and trekked the same path ourselves.
Putting Ourselves in Our Students’ Shoes Isn’t Easy
Putting ourselves in our students’ shoes is challenging because of a number of things we must face throughout the learning process. Consistency, work-life balance, and mindset are just some of the areas we may wrestle with when it comes to studying. On top of that, we inevitably encounter our own emotions and beliefs, which can play a decisive role in our development, directly affecting our performance.
But I can’t simply tell you this theoretically — I had to prove it to myself.
My C2 Preparation: Where Theory Met Reality
When I was preparing for my C2 Proficiency, not only did I have to immerse myself in English on a daily basis, but I also had to juggle working 10 hours a day and still find the time and energy to sit down and hit the books. If I hadn’t, my target of passing the exam would have soon become a distant memory.
This struggle is just one of the challenges our students typically face, even while we encourage them to “Try just 10 minutes a day” — a reality also highlighted in research on teacher self-directed learning and habit formation.
But have you tried it yourself?
Discipline Over Motivation (Always)
It was discipline, not motivation, that got me through. Of course, there were days I missed — sometimes for good reasons, sometimes simply because I was depleted. But even when I was too tired to do a grammar review or study new vocabulary, I still did something in English: reading a book, watching a movie, or writing in my journal.
These actions shifted from routines into habits, and these habits are part of my life to this day.
Saying what people are supposed to do is easy. Doing it yourself is what ultimately gives you the experience of trying, sometimes failing, yet nonetheless moving steadily toward your goal.
The Underrated Skill: Recording Yourself
Another simple activity we tend to overlook is recording ourselves and analyzing our own performances. This is where I finally saw my progress. We are our fiercest critics, no doubt. But looking at ourselves is one of the best ways to raise awareness and create further opportunities to improve.
Before Telling Students to “Just Do It”…
Maybe we should honestly ask ourselves whether we have done it recently, too.
Have we faced the same resistance?
The same fatigue?
The same fear of not being good enough?
Walking the talk doesn’t mean being perfect — it means being engaged in the process, just like our students are (or are attempting to be).
Reconnect With the Learner Inside You
Try it: record yourself, write something, and reflect on your own beliefs about learning. Not to prove anything to anyone, but to stay connected with the learner inside you.
Before your next class, when a student says they’re struggling to improve, you’ll remember your own recording, your own messy writing, your own doubts — and you’ll teach differently because of it.
Because the more we practice what we preach, the more authentic, supportive, and effective we become. That’s the kind of teacher most of us would want to learn from — and hopefully, the kind our students already see in us.