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Teaching - Blog Posts
Eleventh Classroom...
It’s been a year…
Still AroAce…
Still a teacher…
Still barely sane…
I went from being a ‘traveling ESL teacher’ to a paraprofessional at a Montessori school. I am not impressed. Oh sure, Montessori is a wonderful learning philosophy but it is not for everyone. It is certainly not for a teacher with ADHD that struggles with hyperfocus. The individualized lessons given are often at the cost of classroom management or vice versa.
The parents who send their kids to a Montessori school do so in lieu of seeking out professional help for their unique or troubled child. I have TWELVE out of twenty-six students who are either obviously ADHD or obviously Autistic to some degree. Two have IEPs and the rest are ‘busy kids’ in their parents’ eyes.
This is a challenge that I have no problem with. I LOVE my students.
BUT I am not thrilled with their parents…
‘I want to focus on this pregnancy’…Yeah, but while you’re doing that you could LAY in bed and work with your son on his letter sounds.
‘My parents are in a motel getting their act together’…AKA, drug addicts.
‘My mom says that this rule is dumb’…Sorry, it’s a SCHOOL rule. No sweets.
The only thing worse than the parents is how this school is run…
The double standards and obvious favoritism is what REALLY pisses me off.
I do my job, I get yelled at by THREE different people.
Someone else DOESN’T do their job and they get praised…wonderful.
Oh yeah, and we have FOUR Montessori teachers out of FORTY.
Hug...?
Hug hug hug hug hug
You’re my favorite teacher
No, no please don’t leave!
Nothing ever changes...
Bureaucracy is a tumor on society’s ass that will never go away…
Government…fueled by greed and money…one of the worst necessary evils…
All I wanted from Biden was student loan forgiveness for my admittedly incomplete education. Did I get my diploma? Yes.
Did I graduate feeling confident and ready? No.
My student teaching was interrupted by Corona.
This may not seem like such a big thing to you…
But when you have anxiety and are faced with a new experience, a new challenge, a new career… It is terrifying to feel ill prepared.
Teaching well behaved adults who want to learn English is one thing but teaching children who are a million times more hyper, sociable, and sneaky than you are is an entirely different matter. I am happy to say that I am finally on the right track to becoming a teacher…hopefully a GOOD teacher. But at the same time, I am very disheartened that it took so long and I had to jump through so many rings of fire to do so. You’d think that someone at some point in the educational food chain would know how to organize things better…streamline the process. Make things easier.
No.
First I get told that I need to have three different certifications…
Then I’m told that the school district that just hired me needs me to do yet another background check…
I’m working in the same State! Why do I need to get another background check when I just got one done last month?!
Certification Pending...
This is such a depressing thing to see when you have studied for what essentially amounts to three months straight.
Sadly, I only have myself to blame considering I let my background check slip. Now I have to get in touch with people to have my work email unlocked.
It has been a long and winding road already…
No one at grad school said anything about additional certification…
The program was geared towards preparing student to teach adults, not kids.
Then again, when I asked the ‘teaching career’ guru if I should get certified in general education or special education…she said ‘no’.
Do yourself a favor, if you are going to specialize in ESL, special education, or any other area…go for additional certification in general education. There are more special education jobs than there are ESL (in my State, anyway) and there is WAY more general education jobs than there are both ESL and special education combined.
Get it while you are still in college!
It will open up three times as many doors for you!
Start in general education, get that experience, then work towards the subject or kinds of students you actually want to teach.
Get your foot in the door!
Background Check...
I passed both Praxises
Yet I am so forgetful…
My brain has a fog.
Fifth Classroom...
I was in a library at night.
It was just me and thirty-five adults and the occasional handful of kids.
China, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Haiti, and more…
Different cultures, different educational backgrounds, different English language speaking abilities…
These were my students.
I taught them English, having to provide my students with different activities and materials in order to best work with their level of competence.
I taught them American culture not for the sake of seamless integration into America but so they would better understand the strange customs of their new home.
If they failed to secure a babysitter then I assigned a book report.
Advanced students helped lower students read and write a brief summary.
I supplied children with toys, drawing tools, and entertainment while we waited.
I did this for two years before going to grad school for TESOL…
Welcome one and all <3
WRITING WEDNESDAYS
TEACHER SATURDAYS
I got a new computer and I'm like so excited ! I bought it because I earned money teaching mathematics and physic. I love teaching people ! There is also my bullet journal. Since the holiday I try new things in it, I decorate it more basically. And if you zoom you will probably see that I'm following curses on Coursera, I got one on music theory and one on thermodynamic because it was one of the very few I found in French.
When I entered this college, I became a "chill" kinda student. No planner... No schedule... Just go with the mood kinda studying.
It was okay till now... But hey! University exam is two weeks from now😈
I'll have to reactivate my machine-mode.
My goal for today is to complete the first revision of ABDOMEN (Anatomy) for 30 very important topics.
The Importance of the Act of Reading
First, I would like to reaffirm that I always saw teaching adults to read and write as a political act, an act of knowledge, and therefore as a creative act.
Freire, P. (1983). The Importance of the Act of Reading. Journal of Education, 165(1), 5–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205748316500103
I just had a dream that we were back in school and used a Ouija board to teach students spelling
If you get this, answer w/ three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs. anon or not, doesn’t matter, let’s get to know the person behind the blog!
Hi! Thanks for the ask!
1- I'm currently studying to become a primary school teacher. This is why I've been tasked by my family to help my little cousins with their homeworks for half of the summer, however they have never listened to me and never will. Since they don't want to do them, they're currently running and screaming around the house, while I decided to hide in the bathroom. Normally I would do better, but it's just not my day 😅
2- I love musicals and have participated as a dancer in one. Unfortunately the group disbanded after that because half of the members moved away from town, but if I could I would repeat the experience.
3- I love learning new languages and I'm thinking about learning sign language as well since it could be useful in my career. I'm also learning French and Spanish, and I already know English. My mother tongue is Italian.
Augmented Reality in Education: Redefining Learning Through Interactive Experiences
In today's fast-paced digital age, the world of education is undergoing a remarkable transformation, thanks to Augmented Reality (AR). This cutting-edge technology is reshaping the way students learn, making education more captivating and effective than ever before. In this article, we'll explore how Augmented Reality is revolutionizing education by creating immersive, interactive learning experiences that engage students in a whole new way.
Augmented Reality: A Fresh Perspective on Learning
At its core, Augmented Reality adds a layer of digital content onto the real world. Students can access this digital layer through AR-enabled devices like smartphones, tablets, or AR headsets, turning traditional lessons into engaging adventures.
Firing Up Curiosity and Imagination
Imagine studying biology by taking a journey inside the human body. With AR, students can explore organs and systems in a dynamic, lifelike manner. This immersive experience sparks curiosity and ignites their imagination, making learning enjoyable and unforgettable.
Bringing Learning to Life
AR bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications. Students can conduct virtual experiments, design virtual structures, and perform chemistry experiments safely. This hands-on approach enhances practical skills and deepens understanding.
Personalized Learning for Every Student
AR tailors learning experiences to each student's unique needs and style. By adjusting content and difficulty levels, AR applications provide targeted support and challenges. This individualized approach boosts engagement, motivation, and academic performance.
Collaboration and Social Learning
AR encourages collaboration among students. Virtual group projects, interactive quizzes, and AR games promote teamwork and problem-solving skills. By exploring together, students learn from each other, creating a supportive learning environment.
Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusivity
AR makes education more accessible and inclusive. It provides additional visual and auditory cues for students with special needs, accommodating various learning styles. This ensures that every student can actively participate and benefit from the educational content.
AR and Language Learning
AR transforms language learning. Students can engage in virtual conversations, practice vocabulary in context, and explore foreign cultures in immersive ways. This interactive approach enhances language acquisition and fluency.
Proven Positive Impact
Numerous studies show AR's positive impact on learning outcomes. Students using AR technologies perform better academically and retain information longer. AR enhances spatial understanding and problem-solving skills, as reported by Stanford University.
Expanding Global Learning Opportunities
AR opens doors to global experiences. Students can virtually explore different cultures, landmarks, and historical sites. This global perspective fosters cultural understanding, broadens horizons, and promotes interconnectedness in our increasingly globalized world.
Changing Assessments for the Better
AR revolutionizes assessments. Instead of rote memorization, students engage in interactive, practical assessments. They solve AR-based puzzles, complete virtual experiments, and showcase their understanding through creative projects, preparing them for the demands of the modern workforce.
Augmented Reality is reshaping education, making it more engaging, inclusive, and effective. By embracing AR's capabilities, educators are sparking curiosity, promoting collaboration, and preparing students for the ever-changing world. As technology advances, it's crucial for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders to embrace Augmented Reality and integrate it into education, ensuring that future generations are well-equipped for success.
Few teachers have the energy or will or funds to even change things. One, job's overtime. Two, job's funds are low. Three, with standardized tests parents only care about their children passing tests not being actual decent human beings and if children finds anything unsatisfying about us and dares to say a word to their parents and their parents go to the principal, goodbye to this shitty job that at least has steady paycheck and roof over heads.
There's at least 27 more reasons, go.
Dragon Stew Teaching
When I was younger I really thought the story of Dragon Stew was quite clever, and the solution to the problem was so simple that it was genius!
If you don't know the story (and I may get a fact or two wrong as it has been years), the basic idea is that a King declared that he wanted to eat Dragon Stew and he tasked his people with catching a dragon. The dragon was caught and was getting prepped to be cooked in the stew. When it came down to the crucial moment, the dragon was desperate for his life and he talked the king into allowing him to cook a meal for him. He asked the king what he liked and he listened carefully and he used the information he had learned to make an absolutely delicious meal. The dragon managed to secure the job as the king's personal chef and he did so by listening every day and making exactly what the king wanted. Win/win. The dragon lived and the king got his 'dragon stew', though in the end that meant it was a stew made by a dragon. Apologies if I have mixed up some details of the story (let me know in the comments!).
Subconsciously, this has bled through into my philosophy as a teacher. There are, of course, non-negotiable staples that need to be in the classes I teach but beyond that, we need to know how we are going to please our students. How are we going to make our lesson time productive and useful for them? The answer is in their words, in their mannerisms in their consistent mistakes. Pay attention, take note and adapt your curriculum to those needs. Put aside your ego or the sense of entitlement your years of teaching affords you. We should always be developing and growing as teachers, this is how we keep our job and our lessons fresh.
On top of that, you can avoid being eaten. :-)
Idioms, a key part of language
I noticed a lot of textbooks don't have enough idioms. Particularly on a junior level. It's kind of crazy when you consider how common they are in our daily conversation in the realm of natural English.
So, here are a few that might be of interest to students;
When it rains it pours -> This can be used in both negative and positive situations. We use this to describe that when one thing happens, another or a few events seem to follow. For instance a student came down with COVID 19 and her air conditioning broke down a day later. When it rains, it pours, eh?
Kill two birds with one stone -> This idiom meaning to accomplish two things in one action is easy to imagine. In fact there is a similar idiom in Japanese, as there is for the previous one, so when your students study this, they will say, 'oh, I get it!'
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. -> This is more of a proverb than an idiom but it is a good way to encourage positive thinking. The basic idea is when you are met with trouble (lemons), you should do you best to turn it into a positive situation (refreshing lemonade).
Take it on the chin -> When you are down or something bad happens to you, accept the situation and don't complain or turn it into a big problem. Be positive even in adversity.
I like to focus on positive expressions and situation as sometimes learning a language can feel like a very negative situation, especially for some beginners.
Teachers can teach idioms by making a guessing game (can you guess the meaning of this idiom), or finding ways to draw these out in the course of discussion in class. Make sure the students make a note and try to quiz them later or provide them with an opportunity to use them in a class.
Put the test mentality behind you
I was aware of the big problem in Japan before seeing my own children battling through it. It hinders language students from the beginning. It remains, wrongly, the criteria that companies use to gauge success.
Japan's education system is anchored around a focus on tests. Every course, every textbook is centered around the students taking and passing exams. It is very common that the children will go to cram schools called juku, where they essentially are trained the ins and outs of how to pass the tests to get to the next tier of education. And this stands in the way of their ability to actually speak the language that they speak, because schools don't set a curriculum based on activating the language they use.
This continues on to the adult level. TOEIC, the Test of English for International Communication is the standard that companies and some institutions measure people's ability to communicate. Which means that company workers are bound by a similar constraint of a system focused on the wrong thing, the ability to actually speak. I have taught students with strong TOEIC scores in the 700's (990 is best) but are unable to string together a few sentences. Similarly I have taught students in the 400's who manage to communicate consistently. It is just not the right focus.
English training, or any language for that matter, needs to be centered around a focus on actually speaking and relaying information. Classrooms need to be loud with students using the target language in structured, productive, activities. And it needs to be the students' voice you hear the most, not the teachers'. Activating and getting practical experience can help push Japan towards a stronger average level of proficiency. Japan is ranked at #87 in the world in the global English proficiency rating (LINK), which is labeled as 'Low Proficiency'. It would help to see this over-reliance on tests change from the Elementary level, but as trainers of Adult Speakers we can make a difference by giving our students every chance to speak, but ensuring that the lessons are productive and there is always a takeaway.
I should qualify that tests are not all bad. They do provide a motivation to study and some people really grow their vocabulary trying to do well in their tests. Also companies do need some way to measure people's progress, especially if they are spending money on English training programs. But the current test systems are insufficient and there needs to be a way to measure people based on their ability to communicate. I don't have the easy answer to this, but my eyes are open to how we can achieve this. Either way, for now, I am focused on improving the opportunity to speak while ensuring the students have multiple takeaways from each class.