1. What beliefs or assumptions about language learning and language teaching have you held throughout your English language development and your teacher career?
Teaching
should involve engagement and joy.
-“I view teaching to be engaging and well structured”.
(Metaphor narrative)
-“Based on their responses in a survey of interests
taken previously, soccer was part or their appealing topics. With this in
mind, the entire lesson was created in relation to this sport connected to past
events.” (Journal 3)
-“I wanted my students to practice what they had
learnt in a contextualized and exciting way. Also I needed them to work
together and build bonds as a group so I created a game of treasure hunt”.
(Journal 4)
The
classroom environment influences the learning process.
-“I encourage a respectful environment in which all
the students’ opinions and ideas are welcomed”. (Metaphor narrative)
-“The classroom environment was very peaceful and
quiet” (Journal 3)
Music,
games and technology are useful resources for the language learning
process.
-“Music, games and technology take important part in
my EFL lessons”. (Metaphor narrative)
-“You have had very interesting classes in which you
have shown that the use of technology in a classroom is very positive.” (Ana
Zuñiga’s comment on my Journal 2)
There
should be a good behavior in the
classroom (discipline).
-“I am a very strict teacher who enforces rules and
discipline”. (Metaphor narrative)
-“some students got distracted by their peers and I
had to persuade them to be concentrated on the task”. (Journal 3)
Teaching
is an lifelong process of learning every day.
-“I am doing my best on being a better person and
teacher every day”. (Metaphor narrative)
- "I'm aware being a teacher is a never ending process. You always learn something new..." (My autobiography)
- "I'm aware being a teacher is a never ending process. You always learn something new..." (My autobiography)
Enriching
experiences encourage motivation on learning.
-“I was in 8th grade where an American girl came to study. She sat next to me and I was fascinated with the idea of having a "gringa student" in my class. Since then, we became good friends and I tried to communicate with her in English all the time. This experience made me get more engagement and commitment with my English classes”. (My autobiography)
-"My English teacher played a crucial role on my motivation because she was very resourceful, creative, organized. All this encouraged me to love English even more”. (My autobiography)
-"As one of the most enriching experiences I had was a trip to the United States. I worked as a Camp Counselor in Fresno-California for 3 months”. (My autobiography)
-"During that year I had to teach English to 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders which was a challenge for me to lead both primary and secondary English lessons. It was also an enriching experience because I could learn more about being organized and supportive with my students.” (My autobiography)
-"My English teacher played a crucial role on my motivation because she was very resourceful, creative, organized. All this encouraged me to love English even more”. (My autobiography)
-"As one of the most enriching experiences I had was a trip to the United States. I worked as a Camp Counselor in Fresno-California for 3 months”. (My autobiography)
-"During that year I had to teach English to 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders which was a challenge for me to lead both primary and secondary English lessons. It was also an enriching experience because I could learn more about being organized and supportive with my students.” (My autobiography)
-“Something
similar happens to our students so that we as teachers must do our best to
offer students good, positive and amazing learning experiences that shape their
minds and lives in a positive way”.
(Sergio Hurtado’s comment on my autobiography)
- “I personally think your experiences have led you to
be a great professional”. (Hans Oviedo’s comment on my autobiography)
Teacher should provide opportunities to their
students for fostering learning.
-“A letter, a podcast, a
comic strip or a blog were the ways they could use to talk with a famous singer
and ask him/her about the frequency of the activities they do on their daily
basis. I realized most of them decided to create a letter while others chose
the comic strip. I felt very happy to see their attitudes towards the activity
which was opened to their preferences.” (Journal 2)
-“I wanted my
students to practice what they had learnt in a contextualized and exciting way.
Also I needed them to work together and build bonds as a group so I created a
game of treasure hunt.” (Journal 4)
2. What sources have you derived those beliefs or assumptions from?
Taking into account Freeman's (1992a) ideas, cited in Richards & Lockhart (2004), "teachers' beliefs about learning may be based on their training, their teaching experience, or may go back to their own experience as language learners". During my life, there have been many stages in which I've acquired my own beliefs. First as a language learner, then as a teacher and now as a master's candidate. This last stage has been the most remarkable one for me because I've made many changes on my methodology since I started my masters studies. Every reading, lecture and class session have influenced on my thoughts and assumptions about teaching and learning.
3. How would you challenge some of those beliefs?
I'm pretty sure my role as a teacher is crucial to empower or disempower my students. In light of this, I would challenge my beliefs through reflection. As Deus Pinheiro (2004) states, "..because the personal emotional structure of the teacher has such an important impact on the learning process, it is necessary that teachers reflect on their actions and experiences as human beings and professionals..". Along similar lines he suggests "Reflection on personal experience is a must for anyone who wishes to be the best they can be!". Bearing the above in mind, this process of reflection is a challenge to shape my assumptions in order to be a better teacher and human being.
References:
DEUS PINHEIRO, J. (2004). Self observation. A teacher Development Approach. Glosas didácticas, 11, pp. 192-206.
RICHARDS, J. & LOCKHART, C. (2004). Reflective Teaching in Second Language Clasroom. New York: Cambridge University Press.
2. What sources have you derived those beliefs or assumptions from?
Taking into account Freeman's (1992a) ideas, cited in Richards & Lockhart (2004), "teachers' beliefs about learning may be based on their training, their teaching experience, or may go back to their own experience as language learners". During my life, there have been many stages in which I've acquired my own beliefs. First as a language learner, then as a teacher and now as a master's candidate. This last stage has been the most remarkable one for me because I've made many changes on my methodology since I started my masters studies. Every reading, lecture and class session have influenced on my thoughts and assumptions about teaching and learning.
3. How would you challenge some of those beliefs?
I'm pretty sure my role as a teacher is crucial to empower or disempower my students. In light of this, I would challenge my beliefs through reflection. As Deus Pinheiro (2004) states, "..because the personal emotional structure of the teacher has such an important impact on the learning process, it is necessary that teachers reflect on their actions and experiences as human beings and professionals..". Along similar lines he suggests "Reflection on personal experience is a must for anyone who wishes to be the best they can be!". Bearing the above in mind, this process of reflection is a challenge to shape my assumptions in order to be a better teacher and human being.
References:
DEUS PINHEIRO, J. (2004). Self observation. A teacher Development Approach. Glosas didácticas, 11, pp. 192-206.
RICHARDS, J. & LOCKHART, C. (2004). Reflective Teaching in Second Language Clasroom. New York: Cambridge University Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment