The World is My Oyster

For #TESL0100

Or at least, for the immediate future, Winnipeg and the Manitoba Interlake region are my "oyster"! This is essentially what I was told by a professional colleague when she commented that I would soon be done my TESL training and I replied, "Yes, but then what?"

During the various components of my pursuit of this training, I have researched employment opportunities, met with course administrators and toured their facilities, experienced language teaching in a university setting, and discussed volunteering experiences with my classmates. The result is that I have become aware of the many contexts, both paid and unpaid, in which I will be able to share my newly acquired skills. However, before I launch myself upon the world, or even the above mentioned region, I thought it would be a useful exercise to complete the self-rating list of "Characteristics of a Successful Language Teacher" as suggested by Brown & Lee (2015). As well, I will look at one of the characteristics that I need to improve on and discuss how I can continue to develop that skill or quality.

The following table shows the characteristics adapted from Brown & Lee (2015), but I have compressed the suggested rating scale to three levels that are meaningful to me. Bear in mind that I have very limited experience as a language teacher, so some of my answers come from other teaching experiences in math and science. Also consider that a rating of 3 is not an indication that I consider myself to have attained perfection in that characteristic, but rather that relative to some of the other characteristics, I do not need to focus on them, but that I should continue to maintain them as I gain experience.

Characteristics of a Successful Language Teacher Rating: 3 = I do this consistently; 2 = I am developing in a positive way; 1 = I need to do a lot of work
Description	Rating
Background Knowledge
Understands organizational, pragmatic, and socio-cultural systems of the English language	2
Comprehensively grasps basic principles of language learning and teaching	3
Has fluent competence in speaking, writing, listening to , and reading English	3
Knows through experience what it is like to learn a foreign language	3
Understands the close connection between language and culture	3
Keeps up with the field through regular reading, collaboration with others, and conference /workshop attendance	2
Pedagogical Skills
Has a comprehensive, informed approach to language teaching	2
Efficiently designs and executes lesson plans	2
Understands and appropriately uses a variety of techniques	3
Monitors lessons as they unfold and makes effective mid-lesson alterations	2
Effectively perceives students’ linguistic and personal needs, along with their various styles, preferences, strengths and weaknesses	1
Gives optimal feedback to students	2
Stimulates interaction, cooperation and teamwork in the classroom	3
Uses appropriate principles of classroom management	2
Uses effective, clear presentation skills	2
Creatively adapts textbook material and other audio, visual, and technological aids	3
Innovatively creates brand-new materials when needed	3
Uses authentic, washback-giving techniques to assess students	1
Interpersonal Skills
Is aware of cross-cultural differences and is sensitive to student’s cultural traditions	2
Enjoys people; shows enthusiasm, warmth, rapport, and appropriate humor	3
Values the opinions and abilities of students	3
Is Patient in working with students of lesser ability	3
Offers challenges to students of exceptionally high ability	1
Cooperates harmoniously and candidly with colleagues, including seeking opportunities to share thoughts, ideas, and techniques	3
Personal Qualities
Is well organized, conscientious in meeting commitments, and dependable	3
Is flexible when things go awry	2
Engages in regular self-reflection on teaching practices and strives to learn from those reflective processes	1
Maintains an inquisitive mind in trying out new ways of teaching	3
Sets short-term and long-term goals for continued professional growth	2
Maintains and exemplifies high ethical and moral standards	3

It's obvious that I have plenty of work to do in my continuing development as a language teacher. However, I am going to look at the two characteristics that I gave myself a low rating for under the heading of Pedagogical Skills, since I believe the root cause of my need for further work is the same for both. These are "Effectively perceives students’ linguistic and personal needs, along with their various styles, preferences, strengths and weaknesses" and "Uses authentic, washback-giving techniques to assess students". As I mentioned, most of my teaching experience is in math and sciences, at the college level, and for the most part, those classes are presented in a lecture style and assessment is in the form of tests and lab reports. Assessment criteria are well-defined,  results are either right or wrong, and feedback is in the form of a percent correct translated to a letter grade. There is some opportunity to give additional feedback through comments on a test paper or report, but there isn't much time to discuss the details with individuals. Adult students are expected to take the initiative in asking for clarification, and some do, but most rush off to the next class. Therefore, I don't have much experience in perceiving students' personal styles and preferences.Teaching language classes to smaller groups, either in a community or college setting, will give me greater opportunity to tune in to my students, and to really tailor my teaching to their personal styles and needs.

I am also still working my mind around the concept of "washback". Brown & Lee (2015) says that it includes the effects of assessment on teaching and learning prior to the assessment. I suppose the review I did with my students prior to a final exam, and the exam-taking strategies I gave them would be a kind of washback effect of a summative assessment. However, there was not much formative assessment, other than machine-graded homework and my ability to occasionally use the results of that to re-teach some material if a majority of students were having some difficulty with a particular concept. So for the most part, I have little experience with washback, and I will need to pay careful attention to including opportunities for its positive effects in my teaching and assessment.

Resources: 

Brown, H.D. & Lee, H., (2015), Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, 4^th ed., Pearson Education Inc., White Plains, NY, pp. 497, 546 - 547 

Breaking Down Grammar

For #TESL0100

In Unit 3, we were asked to discuss a grammar point that would be challenging to explain. For me, one point would be how do we know whether to begin questions with either a form of 'do' or 'be. This came to my attention because I am similarly struggling with the correct ways to ask questions in my study of French grammar.

At first, I thought of the difference being in whether the question was about an action in general or something more specific. (e.g.: Do you go there often? Are you going there tomorrow? Are you going now?)

I noticed that the forms are similar, as far a word order: do/be subject verb adverb/object? However, with do the infinitive of the verb is used and with be we use the present participle of the verb. To make it a negative, a contraction is used: don't, doesn't, aren't, isn't

The meaning for both forms is to ask a direct question, and I couldn't distinguish why there is a difference in  auxiliary verbs.

I was looking at the tense of the verbs. For instance in the above example, do is used for a recurring action, while be is used for future and present. However, for a different verb, this didn't seem to  hold: (e.g. Do you want ice cream all year? Do you want ice cream for your party next week? Do you want some ice cream? but Are you singing in the school choir? Are/do you sing next week? Are you singing in the shower?) Again, looking only at the tense of the main verb. 

I couldn't see a pattern for when one or the other is used, except that it 'sounds right'!

However, after I posted my dilemma for discussion with my classmates, I received some clarification. The key is the tense of the main verb, but the distinction is between progressive tenses (present, past or future) and simple tenses. For progressive tenses, we use "to be" (Are you singing, will you be singing, were you singing?) but for simple tenses, we use forms of  "to do" (do you sing, did you sing?) or the auxiliary "will" (will you sing?)

These aren't all the possibilities, as there are other auxiliaries such as "would" and "could" and "can" that make the question more suggestive, but that is another line of enquiry. 

I believe I have gained some more understanding of the issue, but sometimes I think I understand French grammar better than I do English!

Resources:

Galetcaia, T. (2018, Oct. 22) Questions and Comments About Unit 3 Readings [reply to post] Message posted to  https://universityofmanitoba.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/310890/discussions/threads/557609/View

Share and Share Alike

For #TESL0100

The old idiom, "share and share alike" came to mind as I was reading about Creative Commons licenses.  The idiom means "having or taking equal portions" but the use of the "Share Alike" condition for a Creative Commons license has a somewhat different meaning. It means you are giving permission for others to use your work as they see fit, subject to any other conditions you might add, as long as they also share it under the same conditions. That means they can't publish anything based on your work with either more or fewer restrictions. It also means that if you are using someone else's work under this condition, you must include the same Creative Commons license. To omit any license would imply full copyright, which is more restrictive than the original "Share Alike" condition.

So why would anyone want to use this or any of the other Creative Commons licenses (non-derivative, non-commercial, share alike, attribution, public domain) on their work? Why would you essentially give away your work? To me, the more appropriate question is why wouldn't  you share your work? Teachers work very hard to prepare materials and figure out how best to use them to benefit the students in our classes. But at best, all this work will benefit a few dozen people each year. If we collaborate with the colleagues at our own institution, then we can add a few dozen more. However, if we upload our activities or lesson plans to Tutela, or other educational sharing sites, or put them on our blogs, if we join in the exchange of ideas during the #CdnELTchat, then we can potentially benefit many more learners and teachers. So our hard work counts a little more.

The other side of the coin is that we have already explored some of this sharing by others during our "PLN" quests. We've already benefited from lessons shared on Tutela and from replies to our tweets. I have often found just the idea or resource I need from something shared on Twitter before I even asked for it.

Maybe someday, we think, we'll author a really great textbook our resource book based on all those lesson, and sell enough to retire. Having previously shared them is not going to prevent that. In fact, it might give you a ready-made audience who'll buy that book, just to have all your great ideas in one place! So here's my final question:

What's in your license?

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Resources:

share and share alike. (n.d.) Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. (2015). Retrieved November 9 2018 from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/share+and+share+alike

Licencing Types (n.d.) Creative Commons Retrieved November 9, 2018 from https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/licensing-types-examples/.

Uncertainty in Assessment: Measure to Change

For #TESL0100

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle holds that you cannot simultaneously measure both the position and the velocity of something, at least for very small particles. In other words, you can't measure one parameter without changing the other one. In the realm of quantum physics, this is very significant.

So how does this relate to language assessment? Assessment is measuring a student's performance in a language task. Sometimes, assessment means a test, and in some types of ESL instruction, tests are necessary. Students who are learning English for the purpose of further study, or to get a job credential, will have to take tests. Students who want to get into an ESL program will likely have to take a placement test. And usually, when someone is going to take a test, they will practice or study beforehand. Thus the test, or the preparation for the test, will cause some change in the student's ability and also in their emotional engagement with the language, whether positive or negative. The act of preparing for a test may not produce the most desirable change in the student, especially if the student does not do as well as they had hoped, or doesn't get any feedback other than a grade.

However, I have learned that there are many ways other than tests to assess a student's performance in language tasks. Additionally, many of these assessments methods have the purpose of producing positive change in the student. Suiting the assessment to the task, and to the student, makes it part of the learning process, rather than just a measurement of achievement. Assessment that provides action-oriented feedback doesn't just tell the student how well they performed the task. This type of assessment and feedback relates the the student's goals, encourages reflection, gives information about the learning process, encourages back-and-forth dialogue between teacher and student, and motivates for continued improvement. There are many tools teacher can use to give this type of feedback, but the point is to give students information they can use to move forward in their learning. This is the kind of change an assessment should cause.



Resources:

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2018), Uncertainty Principle, [webpage], retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/uncertainty-principle .

Williams, S. (2015) REALIZE 2015 Forum: Action Oriented Feedback, [video], My English Online, retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDbkhsNfmK4 .

The Dilemma of Languaculture

For #TESL0100

In the discussion of the "Languaculture Principle" in Brown & Lee (2015, Ch. 4), the first guideline for incorporating languaculture into L2 classrooms encourages, "emphasizing that no culture is 'better' than another, but that cross-cultural understanding is an important factor of learning a language." Another guideline urges, "Screen your techniques for material that may be culturally offensive." To me there is a conflict between these two. This may be valid if one is teaching English in a country other than one's own. It is also appropriate if one is teaching children. And there is cause for being sensitive to people who have come to Canada as refugees and who may have experienced trauma - one should take care when discussing sensitive topics. However, if I am teaching adults who have come to Canada, either to become citizens or to learn the language and culture for the purpose of study, I don't think I should have to try to sanitize or avoid aspects of my culture because someone else might get offended.

Yes, be sensitive, let students know they can express their opinions and disagreements on an issue, and certainly be prepare to deal with some high feelings. The #ELTChat community refers to this as teaching the PARSNIPS.

I've come across the reference to PARSNIPS while participating in #LINCchat and #CdnEltchat a few times. At first I understood it to mean topics that nobody likes to talk about or that are sensitive or taboo in the classroom. When I looked it up, I found this Blog post by Brave Learning blogger Wiktor K where he defines PARSNIPS as an acronym for Politics, Alcohol, Religion, Sex, Narcotics, -isms and Pork. He discusses some of the ideas that came out of a #ELTchat session in 2010, as well as linking to a summary and the full transcript of the chat. He also links to another blog and an article in The Guardian on the subject, both worth a look. They are all skewed to a discussion of different stakeholders' attitudes towards these subjects on their exclusion in coursebooks and the resulting blandness of the books, but they touch on some ways that teachers are using to get around this problem when needed. 

Since many coursebooks for ELT are published in the US, the conflict between the "left-wing political correctness" and the "right-wing religious fundamentalism"  leave us with little to talk about beyond the weather. (Thornbury, 2010)

Refernces:

Brown, H.D. & Lee, H., (2015), Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, 4^th ed., Pearson Education Inc., White Plains, NY, pp. 82 - 83. 

Thornbury, S. (2010) T is for Taboo,  [blog], An A -Z of ELT retrieved fromhttps://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/t-is-for-taboo/

Approach - Method - Technique

For TESL0100

Often, these terms are used as if they were interchangeable, but when it comes to language teaching, they really aren't. Based on the definitions given in Brown & Lee (2015, Ch. 2), I have come to understand that "approach" is akin to one's personal philosophy of teaching and learning language. From that, "methods" (note the plural) are the systematic ways that one plans the classroom environment, the relationship between teacher and students, and the interaction between students' L1s and the L2 that in being taught. Different methods may be used to teach different skills, or throughout the length of a course or even during one lesson. "Techniques" are the fine points of delivering information to students and eliciting language, and hopefully learning, from them.

So what is my approach to teaching ESL? Since I have very little experience yet, this is hard to pin down. However, I will paraphrase what I said in an earlier blog. I don't just teach (algebra/chemistry/ English), I teach people. So for now, I will define my approach as one of teaching the whole person. Sooner or later, all education coursebooks get around to referring to the psychology of education, and to the concept of affect, or emotion. The reason for this is that for someone to learn something, they need to have a personal stake in it, which boils down to emotion, be it positive or negative. (Although I think in general a positive emotional engagement is going to have a more successful outcome.) And so, this is what underlies my approach to teaching the whole person: I will use whatever methods and techniques that are both appropriate for the skills and content that are the focus of the lesson, and that will engage the emotions of my students.

In Brown & Lee (2105) I read about the various historical methods that have swung like a pendulum to address the various philosophies or approaches to language teaching through the history. At first glance, some of them seem counterproductive or at best a little absurd, but when they are examined more closely, and compared to the currently accepted approach of "Communicative Language Teaching", one begins to see that some elements of each of them can contribute positively to a successful experience for the students and the teacher.

Below is a drawing I made ('art" was never on my list) to illustrate my approach to using a variety of methods during the course of just one day's lesson. I hope you find it emotionally engaging (as in have yourself an LOL!)

Resources:

Brown, H.D. & Lee, H., (2015), Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, 4^th ed., Pearson Education Inc., White Plains, NY, pp.15. 

Adapt to Continuous Enrollment

For #TESL0100

When asked to think about what I would do in a class where students could be  beginning  the class on a weekly basis, here is what I thought I could do to help my students settle in  quickly and to minimize disruption to the class.

I would find this to be a very challenging environment, as I assume that this also means some students would be leaving a different times once they have accomplished their goals. Thus it would present an ever-changing dynamic in the classroom and continual re-evaluation of how students are working together. I would hope that I would have some idea of when students will be joining or leaving, so I can work out what to do and who to enlist before it happens. 

Here are the steps I would take:

• I would identify one or two students who are friendly and inclusive during group work so that a newcomer could be placed in a group or pair with one of them (ambassadors). I would let these students know that I will be pairing newcomers with them so that they can make them feel welcome and introduce them to others when appropriate. 
• If there is not a chance to meet with the new student before class, I would welcome them and get their name quickly and then seat them next to the ambassador. I would introduce only this person at first and reassure the new student that they will meet the rest of the class as we proceed.
• I would also let them know that they can just observe or participate if they are comfortable during the first class.
• During a break, I would speak to the new student and give them a needs assessment to complete, and ask them to stay after class for a few minutes.
• At this meeting after class, I would make sure they have the required materials and contact information, and also inform them of the class procedures, expectations and etiquette (this would either be on paper or posted in the room.)
• I would answer any questions they have and tell them to contact me or come to class a little early, or ask their ambassador or other students if they have any questions later.
• I would let them know that after the first day of observing, they will be expected to begin participating in class.  

Since some students will be leaving at various times, I would have to keep updating my list of "ambassadors", and make sure there are two or three willing to help on any day. 

I welcome suggestions or comments for this scenario.

“Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it’s a plan!”

—The Doctor, Season 7, Christmas Special

For #TESL0100 

Ah, the Lesson Plan! It's the bane of teachers in training everywhere. We know we need them, but we long for the day when we have enough experience that we can dash them off in ten minutes or even "wing it" in the classroom without one. But it doesn't really work that way, does it?

I have discovered this week that there are many ways to represent a lesson plan. In past courses, I have made them very detailed to the point of over-doing it. I didn't write a two-hour word-by-word script, but in trying to give enough information so that a substitute teacher could follow, I probably included such an overwhelming amount of information that someone, including myself, could get tied up trying to follow it all. I left no room for variation or the "teachable moment". 

Sometimes the "plan" is simply a set of goals for the class. Sometimes it is objectives and a sequence of tasks with suggested (!) time frames. Sometimes, as when I was teaching algebra, it is a few notes and arrows in the margin of a textbook, or a series of headings prepared in advanced to be projected so the notes and examples could be filled in as I went along. And I would submit that even the most experienced teacher has their materials in a file, ready to go, and a plan in their mind of what will happen, in what sequence, throughout the day. After all, The Doctor always has a plan, even if much of the time it is simply to "Run!"

Resources:  Ruhlin, C. (2013), 20 Great Doctor Who Quotes, retrieved from https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/06/20-great-doctor-who-quotes.html

x

What are You Listening To?

For #TESL0120

From the perspective of someone who has already completed most of the other courses in this TESL program, including doing my practicum in a speaking oriented class, I expected the Speaking and Listening skills course to be along the lines of a summary of what I had already learned. I have realized that it is not that straightforward. Of course there has been some overlap between courses, and I have been able to use and build upon some of the other skills and resources I have developed throughout the program. However, as I have found in my own study of a second language, speaking another language, and listening that produces understanding are the most difficult skills to learn and practice, and so are also the most challenging to teach.

This course has given me a clearer understanding of my own L2 journey, and has shown me that there are teachable skills for listening, both to one's L1 as well as in learning an L2. I have also learned that the best way to improve one's speaking skills is to speak the language as much as possible. I will also now have the courage to explain to friends who offer to help me practice speaking that I don't expect them to correct every mistake I make, but that I would be grateful if they would just listen.

When is an Accent a Pronunciation Challenge?

For #TESL0120

During the process of learning about Teaching English as a Second language, I have come to realize that there are many interconnected skills to be taught. One of the most challenging of these is speaking, and particularly pronunciation. Harmer (2001) states that "frequently, foreign language speakers want to retain their own accent...because it is part of their identity," and that "intelligibility is the prime goal of pronunciation teaching." However, this does not mean that we do not need to teach correct pronunciation.

While I don't disagree, I am finding this to be a particularly difficult task. In listening to L2 English speaking samples of  different L1 learners, for the purposes of identifying their pronunciation difficulties, I find it difficult to identify all but the most blatant of discrepancies. This may be a case where experience is not an asset, in that I have been exposed to so many different  L2 English speakers that I no longer hear the errors. I do hear and enjoy different accents, but I don't have much difficulty understanding them. I believe that with practice on my part, I can train my ear to hear more of what I need to in order to help my students improve their pronunciation, but if the goal is intelligibility and not to sound like a native speaker, where do we draw the line?

In this sample, the speaker is rated as a beginner (Band 3). While she has grammar and vocabulary limitations, I notice only a few pronunciation errors with dropped final consonants, which in context do not cause difficulty in understanding what she is saying.

Resources:
Harmer, J. (2001). Chapter 13: Teaching Pronunciation. In Harmer, J. (Ed.). The practice of English language teaching (pp. 34-51). Essex, England: Longman.

The schwa and other phonemes.

#TESL0120

I remember the schwa /ə/ from some language class in the distant past as the pronunciation of the letter 'e' that English speakers use when they get a little lazy and don't quite make it to the 'e' in 'bed. I don't equate it with how I pronounce the 'er' at the end of "teacher",  which is the example given by EnglishClub.com (2018) in their Phonemic Chart. I attribute this difference to the chart being based on British English associated with  the accent of southern England. To me, it is the vowel sound I use for "the" or the second 'e' in "television".

Imagine my surprise when I was confronted by 43 more of these odd looking symbols that I will have to learn and be prepared to use in teaching English pronunciation. Of course it isn't actually as bad as that. Seventeen of them (e, p, b, t, d, k, g, f, v, s, z, m, n, h, l, r, w) are letters of the English alphabet that I already associate with their assigned phonemes. One is an upper case version (I) that requires attention to the font. Four of the consonants are intuitive ( ʃ, __ʧ, ʤ), and three of them I recognize from other alphabets that are familiar to me (ð - used in Icelandic , θ - greek, used in math, j - also used in Icelandic with the given pronunciation of the 'y' in "yes"). Remaining are about seventeen vowel phonemes whose symbols will take time for me to make sense of. 

Learning these symbols, most of which are altered versions of familiar alphabet shapes, will be a challenge, but the process will give me further insight into what my future students will face. 

Resources: 

EnglishClub.com (2018), Phoneme Chart, [printable image], retrieved from https://www.englishclub.com/images/pronunciation/Phonemic-Chart.jpg

Leaving the NEST

#TESL0100

Creative Commons: Free for reuse; No attribution required

As someone whose L1 is English, I have wondered why many of my TESL professors and classmates are L2 English speakers. After reading Chapter 8 of Brown and Lee (2015) and the introduction stories of my current classmates, I am now able to understand why this is the case. I can also see how this can be a great advantage, both to students and to the ESL teaching community.

Brown and Lee (2015) use the terms “native English-speaking teachers” (NESTs) and “nonnative English-speaking teachers” (NNESTs), and further states, “NESTs are…not better teachers than NNESTs by virtue of their ‘native’ language background. The most important qualification for a teaching position is training and experience in teaching languages.” (p. 165) I felt discouraged when I first read this, but then I realized that “not better” doesn’t mean to imply worse, and that training is the most important factor.

Among the advantages of being a NNEST listed by Brown and Lee is that of “familiarity with what it is like to learn the target language as an L2 and be more empathetic with students about their needs and challenges.” As a NEST, I do not have this advantage. However, as a lifelong L2 learner of French, I find that I can relate to the concepts, situations and difficulties that are presented by my TESL courses. I have been exposed to a number of different learning situations in the process of my L2 learning, and I can reflect on how they were successful or not, and identify the methods and teaching philosophies behind each of them.

I also have the advantage of being able to call on my ever-expanding PLN – my classmates, my instructors and the wider ESL teaching community. This community is geographically diverse, but they are most welcoming and willing to share their experiences, resources and opinions with teachers and learners alike. I look forward to the resumption of the bi-weekly #CDNELTchat (formerly #LINCchat) sessions on Twitter.

Resources:

Brown, H.D. & Lee, H., (2015), Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, 4^th ed., Pearson Education Inc., White Plains, NY, pp. 156 - 174.

Back to the beginning

#TESL0100

My Personal Learning Network Diagram

After having taken all but two of the TESL courses last fall and in the spring of this year, I now find myself going back to the beginning, that is the Fundamentals course. Of course there is some overlap with what I have already learned, but going back to the beginning has prompted me to think about and reaffirm my reasons for embarking on this challenging field of study.

Since I have not previously been a language teacher (although it could be argued that Mathematics is a kind of language), I sometimes feel out of place or inadequately prepared to take on this task. However, after reading the introductions by my classmates, I am reassured that we all come to this with different backgrounds and skills, I am reassured that my teaching experience, along with my own love of language and penchant for learning, will serve me well in this pursuit.

I am also delighted to see that the size of the class is much larger that it was last year, indicating that this area of teaching is growing and that we will continue to expand the cohort of teachers and learners who can help and encourage each other.

Here's an older approach to language instruction:

"Pickering, we have taken on a stiff job." -Henry Higgins, Pygmalion (1912) by George Bernard Shaw

Observation Report, Teaching Journal and Continuing Professional Development

My final reports on my Observation Experience,  my Teaching Experience and my Continuing Professional Development are on separate pages on the tabs at the top of this page.

#TESL0170
##classroomobservation
#observationreport

#teachingreflections
#evaluationfeedback
#CPD
#networking

#CdnELT

Teaching Speaking Day 5

Today was the final day of my Student Teaching experience. I hoped to have some fun with the students and try out some new-to-me technology. For the most part, this was successful, although most of the students are very serious about their learning and take a bit of time to relax and enjoy themselves.

On reading the blog posts of one of my classmates, I finally realized how the online quiz game Kahoot! works between the teacher's computer and the students' smart phones, and I was eager to try it. It has both a quiz function and a survey function, so I decided to use it to review the vocabulary from the last class as well as to do my Student Teacher evaluation survey. As a warm-up, I used the game to do a ten-question vocabulary quiz. The questions and correct answers are linked below. You can also view and try the game with the link in my Resources list, if you sign in as a teacher.

There is also a link to the Teacher Evaluation interactive survey. in the Resources list, and a link to the questions in document form below. Since I used the interactive app to do the survey, I gave the students slips of paper to write their additional comments and I had my sponsor teacher collect them. The students were able to answer anonymously if they chose to. The results of the survey will be part of a later blog post.

After the remaining pairs from the previous day had presented their dialogues, I reassigned the groups for the remainder of today's lessons. The second activity had the students reading a case study (The Tips Jar) on a misunderstanding about tipping in cafés. I had them take turns asking and answering discussion questions, which are in the link below. I again provided answer prompts and modeled some of them to encourage the students to answer in sentences. After time for group discussions, I asked some of the students to share their answers. I kept track of who I asked, so that each student would be asked to share at least once during the class.

For the third activity, I displayed a list of items in a table setting, and had the groups/pairs attempt to sketch a North American formal table setting on a piece of graph paper. I was impressed by the detail that some of the students included. After they had some time to sketch, I handed a paper cut out of one of the items to each student and had them arrange them on the white board (with painters tape). I used an app on my phone called Instant Buttons to provide sound effects during the activity: applause for success, air horn for something that needed to be changed, and some encouraging music while the students were placing their items. I intended to have them come up one at a time, but after the first few, everyone was up at once.

Photo by Vicky Isliefson

The final activity used a description of bad eating habits in the textbook. I assigned one habit to each group and after they read the description in the book, the students were to look up the same habit using their smart phones. Each partner was to use different ways of phrasing the question, in order to see that they would often get a different result if the questions was phrased differently. I provided alternate search phrases for the first two habits. (See the link for Student Instructions below.) I instructed the students to take brief notes on what they found, and then asked some to share what they found.

I did not need the contingency activity and there was not time to play the closing video. I thanked the students and my sponsor teacher and received some real-time applause. It was a great experience!

Lesson Plan
Student Teacher Evaluation Survey
Student Instructions and Discussion Questions
Vocabulary Questions for Kahoot! game
Alternate Student Work Pages (for a student who is not always able to participate in the discussions.)

My Teaching Strengths:

1. I used technology,  paper-based resources and some physical activity to provide a variety of experiences for the students. (Confession: the cut-outs were made with an electronic cutting machine.)
2. I prepared a paper-based back-up for the required Teacher Evaluation, in case the computer/phone version did not work.
3. I followed up on unfinished activities from the previous class.

My Weaknesses:

1. I did not include some information about how to tip and how much to tip in the Tips Jar activity. There was not enough focus on what to do in Canada. 
2. I did not control the students well during the place setting activity. I did not give them enough direction about when to get up and come to the front.
3. I did not provide enough model search terms for the Bad Eating Habits activity, resulting in some students misunderstanding what they were to search. 
4. I did not check to make sure students were taking notes during the internet search for the Bad Eating Habits activity.

Resources:

Genzel, Rhona B, & Cummings, Martha Graves, (2010). Culturally Speaking, 3^rd Edition. Boston: Heinle, Cengage Learning.

cremagames (2011). Instant Buttons. [computer software - smart phone app]. Madrid.

Furuseth, Asmund, et al. (2018). Kahoot! [interactive web software] https://kahoot.com.

Kahoot! (2018) Teacher Evaluation: Vicky Isliefson. [user created interactive game using web-based software]. Retrieved from https://play.kahoot.it/#/?quizId=acca10f0-3e5a-4eea-a413-8496fcbd17e1.

Kahoot! (2018). North American Dinner Vocabulary. [user created interactive game using web-based software]. Retrieved from https://play.kahoot.it/#/?quizId=6f69bc36-4154-432c-a5b2-996c43bfb8a7.

Proposal at the Drive Thru: Gaber, Jared. (May 24, 2014). Tim Horton’s Marriage Proposal. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwsRTS8Fuu8. 

The Course Outline, Instructor's Guide and the Curriculum for the course were provided by the school, but cannot be cited due to privacy requirements.

#TESL0170
#teachingreflections
#CdnELT

Teaching Speaking Day 4

Today's speaking class lesson was about dining customs, table manners, and different types of restaurants. I started with a short video depicting some very bad table manners. While the students watched the video, I watched them to see how they reacted. Some found it funny and at least one made a face showing dismay or disgust. I then asked these students what their reactions were, and why.

I put the students into pairs or groups of three, making sure students from different countries with different L1s were together. First, they worked through an eight-question Customs Quiz about North American dining customs in their textbooks. I instructed them to take turns reading the question and then their answer from the choices. I also instructed them to choose not only the best answer, but also the worst answer, as many of the questions had more than one plausible answer. Instead of discussing the answers with the class, I used a video which showed most of the customs, along with some "wrong ways" to behave at a formal dinner. After the video, I explained some of the vocabulary that was used.

For the second activity, using the same Customs Questions and the same student groups, I had the students ask and answer according to what would be acceptable manners in their own country. I also had them discuss their personal preferences regarding eating out. I gave them prompts and examples to encourage them to answer in full sentences. (See Discussion Questions link below.)

For the third part of the lesson, I had planned to use a vocabulary matching activity in the textbook. Since time was running short, I did not assign this to the class. However, when I noticed some of the groups were finishing the discussions before the others, I assigned this activity to the individuals in those groups, so that they would have a learning activity to work on. (The classroom teacher had previously told them to study that activity for their next test.)

I used the Let's Share activity from the textbook, which explained different types of restaurants in North America. I had the student take turns reading the categories and descriptions, as well as share similarities and differences for their home countries.

The final activity involved writing dialogues for different eating out situations. The textbook provided the "waiter" portion of the dialogue and the students had to write the "customer" portion. After the pairs wrote their part of the dialogue, they had some time to practice, and then each pair read their completed dialogue to the class. I listened for any misunderstandings or pronunciation errors, and was able to give a few corrections, along with praise for their efforts. My students have very good imaginations!

Not all groups got to share their dialogues, so I will have them do that during the next class. I did not have time to play the remainder of the Table Manners video. Nor did I need to use the contingency activity.

Lesson Plan #4
Discussion Questions for Lesson #4

My teaching strengths:

1. My lesson was well planned, with a variety of activities, and additional activities if there was extra time at the end of the class.
2. I required students to read the textbook information aloud to each other, thus giving them practice in speaking, and especially pronunciation.
3. I included speaking prompts and model dialogue for the discussion questions, thus encouraging students to use complete sentences and avoid one-word answers.
4. I gave each group some attention and encouragement as they were doing their speaking tasks.
5. I kept track of which students I called on to share their answers with the class, making sure that each student was called at least once during the class.
6. I recognized that there was not enough time for all the activities, so I left out the one that was least important to the flow of the class, and also required the least amount of speaking for the students. 

My teaching weaknesses:

1. I missed some cultural differences regarding noisy eating and tipping at restaurants. (I will try to incorporate this into the next class.)
2. The second video was too long, and not as interesting as I had hoped. It had too much new vocabulary. I should have discussed the vocabulary before I played the video, so that students could listen for it and understand better.
3. I forgot to note which dialogues were assigned to which groups. (I will make sure to do this next time.)
4. I do not wait for and insist that students stop talking when I needed the whole class's attention. 
5. My on-screen displays are too small. (I will switch to PowerPoint, at my sponsor teacher's suggestion.)
6. I still have difficulty remembering names. I need to devise a memory association activity that will help me and the students remember everyone's name!

Resources:

Genzel, Rhona B, & Cummings, Martha Graves, (2010). Culturally Speaking, 3^rd Edition. Boston: Heinle, Cengage Learning.

Rocha, Mariana. (Mar. 31, 2011). The King of Queens - Bad Manners. [video file]. Retrieved from . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVt06gKIfEU.

The Distilled Man. (May 20, 2017). Table Manners 101: Basic Dining Etiquette. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDGGv7z5r2c .

The Course Outline, Instructor's Guide and the Curriculum for the course were provided by the school, but cannot be cited due to privacy requirements.

#TESL0170

#teachingreflections

#CdnELT

Teaching Speaking Day 3

Today was the same group as Day 2. Some students on the list seem to have stopped attending, so I was prepared to modify my group assignments to accommodate the absences. All the tech was working and I was able to play the videos and display the discussion prompts on the board.
Some whole class discussions and transitions took longer than I allowed for, so there was not time for discussion of the final video or for the closure discussion at the end of the plan. However, because this is a less formal speaking class, this is preferable to having too few activities for the students to do.