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About Me
- Arlinda Lopez Rodriguez, PhD.
- I am an associate professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus. My specialties are TESL, Curriculum and Instruction, Technology Integration and Online course design./ Soy catedratica aasociada en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Aguadilla. Me especializo en TESOL, Currículo e Instrucción, integración de la tecnología y diseño de cursos en línea.
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Fourth Reflection
As the semester has come to an end, so have my observations. The twenty hours I spent in the classroom, brought me profound excitement, as well as fear in my future profession. I have come to realize that teaching is not easy and takes determination from ones self to make it successful. When teaching high school students, I realized that one needs patience and enthusiasm when teaching them English. Many students do not want to learn the language or just feel embarrassed to speak it.
When I first taught my class I felt that it was going to be easy to teach a story. I was certainly wrong in that aspect. One thing is reading with them and the other is truly teaching them the importance of the story. The only way the students truly connect is if your there with them, reading and discussing the story as it goes. I feel that my class was successful, because the students were able to discuss and explain the story’s true meaning. At least I hope it was.
I have to admit that my path to becoming a teacher was not my first choice as a career. Throughout my journey as I call it, I have come to truly love this profession and I cannot wait to graduate and continue my studies.
I don't even know if I've been reflecting on this blog, I'm just talking my heart out. I wanted to share with you that I’ve been going back and forth between secondary and elementary education (I’m leaning towards younger children) as well as contemplating GREAT offers and opportunities presented to me. You know, we teachers have an ongoing job of educating and reinventing ourselves. Decision making is also important and strongly based on our desires but, how can others benefit from the route my career decisions take? I feel a need (it’s truly a need) to help as much as I can, I have always felt better when I see somebody is benefitted (see I don’t mention “me”, because I tend to forget myself to focus on others). Many people have told me I need also to think about me and my desires, my drives; so in all of this changing and growing I have also taken the task to balance out what is ME & OTHERS. I just hope that I am the best educator I can be; that students can remember me as the teacher that left a little butterfly fluttering in their hearts that always reminded them to educate themselves and strive for the best. I will forever remember Mr. Reyes (2nd grade).He believed so much in me that when for the first time I got this one test item wrong he saw me after class. He was astonished because I was a 4.0 average, 100% type of student, the thing was that a “friend” told me I had the answer wrong and that I should change it (she was envious). I thought Mr. was disappointed at me (but he wasn’t) and I felt so bad that crying I tumbled down the stairs of that second floor to find my nose bleeding and myself still crying because of the 98% I got. Mr. Reyes made a decision to be a teacher, a good one, one that treated everyone like an individual with different needs and capabilities. My decisions have to take me down that path.
I want to do my reflection on my teaching hours. As I mentioned last time, this is the first time I do observations and I had never taught a class before. Good thing demonstration classes prepare you a little right. I did my hours of teaching at the vocational school next to CORA. They were all girls and only 3 guys. I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. They were very cooperative and respectful. At first, they didn’t want to read or write in English but I got them into trying. They were so embarrassed when it got to reading out loud. They would say no because the other would make fun of them. So I talked with them and told them no one is perfect and there is no need to laugh because we’re all there to learn. I eventually got most of them into reading even the most timid ones. I also realized how very difficult it is when you have activities planned and then you realize that even though it might look appropriate for a twelve grade level they just don’t get it. We always have to go to a lower level with ESL students. Students are also very used to having all the information repeated to them in Spanish. So no wonder why they won’t ever learn English when all the teachers repeat every single thing in Spanish. That makes everything seems like a total waste of time. I think this is why since day 1 we have to be strict and show them that it’s English class not Spanish. If not students won’t listen because they know that sooner or later you are going to repeat everything in Spanish to them. I think it’s wrong when teachers do this. Teachers need to change otherwise they shouldn’t talk about how students don’t want to learn or are so lazy. So when we become a teacher let’s NOT start the class in English and then repeat everything in Spanish, let’s be more strict and force our students into doing more and trying harder because they can do it. Students are just lazy and too embarrassed of trying.
I want to reflect in relation to my class visit. To begin it’s more harder than I thought because I always give my demonstrative class here in the university and it’s simple because my audience know what I’m talking about, but when you are trying to prepare a class for real students it becomes a puzzle in your head. You have been in contact with these students and they might have brilliants ideas but they refuse to let them out because they think they are way cooler being the kid that doesn’t what to do their task on class. Something so simple like making your topic sentence have take them like 3 to 4 days to get it right, but when you get to them and begin to ask questions you realize that they are full of ideas but somehow they feel embarrassed to show them. I have many ideas to teach them what they are learning but with them it might take more than just to 2 classes, but I will do my best. The teacher has always been very helpful in everything she is always giving me advice letting the students know that I’m her assistance and they should respect me as if I was the teacher. The students seem to be more productive when they work in groups they learn and enjoy themselves more. There is a blind student in the first period which I always have concern when I’m helping the teacher I think of how difficult it must be for him but also how possible is for him to learn like everyone else, he is an excellent student I have seen him give presentation and he was really shy but he made an excellent work in his own short story. There was also a time that the teacher wanted me to see her group from hell that she had, I didn’t see it that way they came late alright but it was lunch before that class so I think is normal to arrive a little late, but I got the chance to help them in their sentence construction and they were all very enthusiastic with their task and they really like the teacher but I think they just needed more understanding more that giving them instruction and rules to follow. Sometimes in order to become an effective teacher is not to follow by the rules if not to follow their student’s needs. It’s really important to get to our students and with our book manual, I’m not saying that we should not follow the rule but to follow it by its need and importance.
I want to reflect in relation to my class visit. To begin it’s more harder than I thought because I always give my demonstrative class here in the university and it’s simple because my audience know what I’m talking about, but when you are trying to prepare a class for real students it becomes a puzzle in your head. You have been in contact with these students and they might have brilliants ideas but they refuse to let them out because they think they are way cooler being the kid that doesn’t what to do their task on class. Something so simple like making your topic sentence have take them like 3 to 4 days to get it right, but when you get to them and begin to ask questions you realize that they are full of ideas but somehow they feel embarrassed to show them. I have many ideas to teach them what they are learning but with them it might take more than just to 2 classes, but I will do my best. The teacher has always been very helpful in everything she is always giving me advice letting the students know that I’m her assistance and they should respect me as if I was the teacher. The students seem to be more productive when they work in groups they learn and enjoy themselves more. There is a blind student in the first period which I always have concern when I’m helping the teacher I think of how difficult it must be for him but also how possible is for him to learn like everyone else, he is an excellent student I have seen him give presentation and he was really shy but he made an excellent work in his own short story. There was also a time that the teacher wanted me to see her group from hell that she had, I didn’t see it that way they came late alright but it was lunch before that class so I think is normal to arrive a little late, but I got the chance to help them in their sentence construction and they were all very enthusiastic with their task and they really like the teacher but I think they just needed more understanding more that giving them instruction and rules to follow. Sometimes in order to become an effective teacher is not to follow by the rules if not to follow their student’s needs. It’s really important to get to our students and with our book manual, I’m not saying that we should not follow the rule but to follow it by its need and importance.
As we are expected to reflect on things that we consider impacting or important to us, I decided to reflect on my first professional development experience in the Mayawest Writing Workshop. I would like to begin by recommending my classmates who could not go to attend professional development workshops if they have another opportunity because they can be an unforgettable experience. I have to confess I was confused and even nervous once we got there, but as the presentations started, I was immediately involved and was already feeling totally different. The environment was very warm, comfortable and motivating, which is why I think many of my classmates felt free to share their works up front or out loud. After each presentation, I was surprised to learn about so many innovative and creative ways to teach writing without falling into the traditional routine we are all used to see in most schools. The reason I believe they must be useful is because we experienced it ourselves. We had fun. We were like kids. They all involved topics that are appealing to students and when students work on things that interest them they are more likely to learn. There is no reason to think that students would not have fun and learn. One of the things I liked the most was the motivation from the presenters. Because they presented these ideas in such a motivating way, I feel more likely to put them to practice as a teacher. So many times we run out of ideas when making lesson plans, but there are so many things we can do that do not necessarily require the use of expensive resources that there are really no excuses for not doing them. After attending the workshop, I was able to grow. I am now more willing to try new things. However, I was also allowed to determine the things I would really put to practice and the ones I would not. This workshop provided many useful ideas, but as a teacher I am expected to modify them into what I believe is best for my students. For instance, I would not use readings in Spanish in my class to try to make students assimilate the patterns, structures or rules to the English language because they are not the same. I believe that this can only confuse them or make them stick to a comfort zone. It is also more time-consuming for teachers to teach readings in two different languages. However, this is my opinion. Being able to analyze the pros and cons is what makes me grow as a professional. Maybe time will prove me wrong, but until then I am just going through the process step-by-step and this is what professional development is all about.
Throughout this class we have had great experiences in learning and practice. It has Praxis all over it. We have discussed interesting topics to make us aware of the world around us and the community inside the school. Some topics make us improve our selves as professional teachers. Within those we have effective teaching, where all teachers should have great qualities to compliment their work inside the classroom. It is also important to take into consideration that teachers must judge their instructional styles, techniques, and the way they teach. In order to be better at what we do, we should self-assess our performance as instructors and make the pertinent changes for our student’s sake. We have already conquered our profession it is them who need to be motivated and taught in a way that they acquire all the knowledge they need to gain. Assessing student’s performance can help them and the teacher know where they stand academically, if they are learning or not and where they need to improve. We analyzed the Contend Standards and Grade Level Expectations which serve as guides for teacher to instruct their students in what they have to know according to the level they are in. Defined concepts related to our profession. Each student teacher had the opportunity to present a topic that interest them taking the information out of a research they did on the subject. The topics were very interesting and helpful for our development as professionals because there is never enough material that a teacher can acquire to keep updated. All teachers should want to learn more each day to become living encyclopedias for our professional use and to instruct our students with the best and freshest information available. We can never cease to learn because teaching is all about learning. If you have knowledge you can teach, but if you don’t there is nothing to teach. Other subjects can help us understand the people in the instructional community. The circular letters we studied were valuable to help us understand the part that each member of the school has to play. They have different roles to accommodate different areas. We should be aware of their utility for additional support in matters related to student’s special needs. Another very important topic is the ethnographic study and observations. It is of enormous benefit for student teachers since it provides the opportunity for them to be exposed to a real classroom environment. We can observe students performance, attitudes, needs, interests, motivation, abilities and weaknesses. We can also observe the teachers performance and teaching strategies to learn from them and learn from their mistakes. My observations were notable. They gave me a clear view of what instruction is all about. For the classes they I had to teach I can say they were awesome. Before starting the first class I was very, very nervous I was about to collapse. But when I started the class all of that got lost. I was in front of the classroom providing instruction to those students, and I accomplished it smoothly. They were paying attention and participating. For the second class I was a little nervous but it wasn’t much. It was wonderful it came out so normal I thought I was inside my own classroom with my own students. It was great! At the end of the class I gave the students some treat that they picked from a box and finally took a picture and said goodbye. I felt kind of sad but I was very pleased to have that opportunity and I know I will do just great in my practice and will keep with me forever the experience that I gain.
“Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.” W. B. Yeats
Melissa Torres Sánchez
EDPE 4005 L11
Reflection #4
For this reflection I wanted to talk about my experience at the Mayawest National Writing Project (NWP). For me the NWP was a really gratifying experience, in which I can truthfully say that I enjoyed a lot. I got to meet and hear about the experiences of other teachers in their classrooms, and I got to learn about some teaching strategies for certain classes. It is not just for English classes it encourages writing in all of the different classes. It was a truly unique experience in which most of us took part of. For me that experience created a bond between us, we became our own little supporting community in which we shared our experiences, triumphs and even our momentary losses. By sharing and helping each other we developed a bond of friendship that will certainly follow us throughout our entire lives. I hope that I will be given the opportunity to attend to the NWP again, because it was a wonderful learning experience, in which I had the opportunity and the pleasure to learn more about each other. I know that most of us have had our good and bad experiences, but I’m hopeful that the good overpowers the bad. Because people will never change unless you give them a reason to, and I believe that we have the power to change our students lives for the better, because we are becoming curriculum specialist for that very same reason, to change the perspective that some people have about English teachers in Puerto Rico.
I will be reflecting on the following quote and its reality in my life:
“If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living.” - Gail Sheehy
Growth, to me, is an endless process in every human being. We grow physically to a certain extent, but we can continue growing in many other ways. In order to grow, we must change, transform, and become someone different; someone better. I visualize myself as a teacher this way.
When I was a child, I had many teachers in school and from them I noticed who were the "type" of teachers I would like to become and which teachers I would never want to be like. By the age of twelve, I had my first teaching experience at a Bible School. It was in church I was taught to hold a microphone and direct myself to others. As I came to the university to actually become a teacher, I began to internalize more and more ideas about what I will be doing as an educator in the near future. My work at college has led me to believe that this is for me; teaching is what I truly want to do.
Now I have come to realize that I have come a long way. I have been growing. I have been transforming myself into a teacher all along. I have been slowly, letting go of my shyness to speak in front of others. I can now say that I am not afraid to stand in front of a class and explain myself. I have had great field work experiences that confirm my vocation. I have even presented in PR TESOL Conventions twice in front of educators from around the island.
Sincerely, I do not have enough words to explain what I am feeling as I reflect on this. I am overwhelmed by the love of God towards me because I am sure that He has given me the opportunity to have come so far, and to have learned so much. Eric Butterworth once said: “Don't go through life, grow through life.” This is what I feel that I have done. I have grown in ways that I never thought I could. It just feels great to do my best, to grow, to improve, to reach my goals in life. I can firmly say that I am truly living but, I can assure you, my growth does not end here and neither should yours...
Fieldwork is tough. Sometimes we have to deal with a hundred students per day, and you need to make the difference in their lives. My concern is that you never know what you will face the next day when you put a step into the classroom we interact with real people, real needs. All of this comes to my mind because at my school observation there was a boy who really caught my attention. He is a fourteen years old teenager, who is noticeable homosexual. Then many questions came to my mind. How should I work with this student? How should I teach respect in the classroom? The student refers to himself as a girl and is always making sexual gestures, which discomfort the teacher and his classmates, specially the boys. I know there should be a background that is also affecting his development. he is in a process that all teenagers go trough that is the most difficult, the acceptance and the search for its identity. The problem is not really his sexual preference, it is mostly his behavior. There are many factors that are affecting his learning. He has a big problem of absenteeism and his is failing the grade, he is not doing his work. He obviously lack motivation. Where are is parents? What are they doing to help their son? What is the teacher doing to assure that he receives the same opportunity of education to succeed in life? We can see how people are leaving behind a child that has potential that is capable of being good citizen. There are many things an educator can do, that it makes me feel anxious, observing the situation and couldn’t do anything about it. How can it be that easy ignoring a human? He needs acceptance, needs guidance, he needs someone who believes in him. I am sure he can be a successful society member, but know he is out of rail. What would I do if I were his teacher???
i want to reflect on how this class have helped me grow as a teacher. This class has taught me so many important skills that us (future teachers) need to know in order to become the best teacher. being a teacher is what I've always wanted to be in my life and the experiences I had encountered in this class are very maningful to me. one of the best things of this class es the fact that we make our research proyects and we learn from what we do and what our classmates prepare for us. Research proyects help us into looking more deeply in the information and we learn more because of that. othes good thing of the class is the experience we had during the 20 hours of observations. This helps us to loosen when we do our practice and it also helps a lot in to acquire some feedback for the future. The best thing of the class is of course the teacher, and i'm not saying this to (lamber ojo) but what i want to say is that Arlinda has helped me a lot. Is her motivation and great way of teaching that has helped me leran what I know now and i thank you Arlinda for your patience and great teaching towards us. I enjoy being in this class and I loved being here. Thanks for everything .
I’ll start by saying sorry for not going to class today but I’m posting this blog from work because I got a last minute call.
I was reading something that had nothing to do with the class and I read a quote that said: “It is today we must create the world of the future”. It’s small but has a lot of meaning. I reflected on this quote and it goes along with the reason why I want to be a Secondary English teacher. Teachers are key in creating “the world of the future” because presidents, doctors, philosophers, scientist, astronauts, writers, and many other professionals from all over the world have passed through the hands of a teacher. I believe that teachers are responsible for molding students’ lives. When I become a teacher, I have the goal of creating competent human beings prepared to make a difference in the future. Well educated and prepared students are the future. I have been preparing myself to “create the world of the future” for four years now and I don’t only want to teach different subjects, I want to provide students with a life long education they can take advantage of to contribute to a better future society. When I graduate, I will always continue studying and doing personal research to find effective ways to improve personally and professionally and finding new ways to help my students. Now more than ever, I have no regrets on my decision of becoming a teacher. I proved this when doing my observations and the two hours of giving class. I won’t get too much into that because that’s for the next reflection but I can say how I felt. I felt eager for the two days to come so I could give class. While I was sitting in the classroom making annotations and observing, I also did a lot of reflecting. I knew I was at the right place. I can be very sincere by saying that I still hadn’t felt that necessary “passion” for this profession until this semester. It makes me happy to know that I’ll be spending my life doing something that I love. It makes me happy to think that I won’t be stuck doing something that I don’t enjoy. I just loved working with the students. Although I know that things won’t always be easy, I’ve taken the challenge and I don’t regret it. There have been times where I’ve felt frustrated that we’re being so well prepared and that sometimes it sounds unrealistic due to the fact that most public schools aren’t “up to date” in certain aspects. But then again I think that teachers have to make the best of what they have. A good education isn’t always going to depend on good facilities (although it sure helps) but the teacher is the one responsible to educate students properly. It is our job as teachers to contribute positively in students lives.
I want to reflect on the observations I have been doing in the classroom. The experience has been great. I really love what I am doing. Last Monday one of the students called me “missy” I got really excited, I kind of compared myself when a mother hears her child for the first time say mom. Being a teacher is not a job for everybody, you really have put it all into it. Being a teacher is not an easy task that is if one wants to be a good teacher. We should make a difference in the school we are going to teach and in a child’s life. Today I learned that calling role or passing attendance is very important not only for the teacher but for the student. I knew of a case today that a kid was being accused of something, I really don’t know what it was, but thanks to God that the teacher I am with she passes attendance every day and that she had that as evidence to help the boy to prove that at the hour that they said that he was doing what he was accused of he was taking class with that teacher. So calling roll is not only for a grade it can also help a lot in other things like in the case of this boy. Sometimes I can’t imagine how people become teachers and they don’t care for anything, because in my case I love what I am studying even more each day, there is so much one can do with the students that I can’t explain to myself how can teachers be so boring and stay in the same thing, there is so much to do with the students that a semester is not long enough. The students have so much to give, we just have to make an effort and try as hard as we can to find the potential that each and every one of them has.
My experience in the classroom was so great that I do not know what I love more- elementary or secondary students. I am caught in the middle (but something is telling me that I love secondary more). I am planning to do my practice teaching next semester at the elementary level. I know that I am going to do a lot of reflection next semester. I really want to know at which level am I better at teaching and which level I love the most. So far, this class has made me think about things in a new perspective and it has taught me many new things. I now that I am going to be prepared to be a teacher no matter at what level it is. As long as I am reflecting and continually learning, I know that everything will turn out great.
Reflection #4
Teaching:
I always thought that I would someday become a great teacher. The only thing is that I thought that it was going to be difficult. I always got the notion that the most challenging aspect of teaching would be classroom management. I knew that older kids (in Junior or High School) were more difficult to control than the younger students. I must admit, that I was a little scared when Prof. Lopez first told our class that we would have to teach two classes. You see, my original specialization was going to be only Elementary. I decided to do the Secondary specialization because it was only four extra classes. I never imagined myself as a secondary school teacher.
The great news is that thanks to my observations, I learned to love to teach at that level. I thought that classroom management and group control were going to be big issues, but I discovered that they were not. In fact, I found that it was pretty easy to control a group of high school students. All that I needed is a little background knowledge on classroom management techniques and confidence. I believe that my research project made a difference when I taught my classes. I was amazed to discover that my research actually worked in a real classroom.
My experience in the classroom was so great that I do not know what I love more- elementary or secondary students. I am caught in the middle (but something is telling me that I love secondary more). I am planning to do my practice teaching next semester at the elementary level. I know that I am going to do a lot of reflection next semester. I really want to know at which level am I better at teaching and which level I love the most. So far, this class has made me think about things in a new perspective and it has taught me many new things. I now that I am going to be prepared to be a teacher no matter at what level it is. As long as I am reflecting and continually learning, I know that everything will turn out great.
It seems surreal that by this time next year I'll be finishing my practice. It is a scary thought that maybe i would not be able to preform to my best and choke. However when I think of I do not see as a bad thing that I will be constantly teaching and making lesson plans and finding ways to keep up with the times and making the class more interesting. Everything is possible, while going to the school I had a very good experience and it had much to do with the fact that the group of students that I was observing, interacting and giving class, were good students not just academically but in behavior too. Also i got to glimpse what i group that could be considered opposite of that is like, and that is where the real challenge is, still to teach them and make them collaborate, not impossible.
Still I am more sure than ever that I chose the right profession for my future and like everything the beginning can be awkward, but it is something that fazes out, same thing that happened during my observations, the first couple of times it was awkward, but after getting familiarized, i did not mind it at all, even looked froward to going to the classroom, which is a very good thing to realize.
Nataly Rodriguez
Reflection #4
I found myself reflecting after giving the hours of class for this course. I spent a few days teaching 12th graders the parts of the essay, how to brainstorm, how to create an outline, and finally how to write an essay. When I told the teacher I wanted to teach them "the essay" she looked at me with a face that said "Ha! Good luck!". But the thing is that teachers, and even some students, think they can't do this or they can't do that. But I thought "they are going to be asked to write an essay in a few months when they get to college, so why not teach them now so they know how to do it when the time comes?". And so I did, and they wanted to die! They were never asked to do something like that. Some got excited, but others were dreading the idea. One female student even told me she had a nightmare with my class. But my reflecting on this lead me to conclude that students are not being encouraged, and even worse, they are being told that they are not smart enough or that they cannot do that, whatever “that” may be. The teacher even said, and I quote: "Years ago I would give my students Edgar Allan Poe stories, but students today I cannot give something like that". They were there and they heard, and many of them believe this to be true.
Many did not turn in the essay, some did an ok job, and other did a great job. I spent only four classes with them, and I received essays, real essays! This from students who "are not smart enough”, “can't handle classic literature”, and “can't even write a sentence." They need motivation to do. They don’t want to be in a classroom, they don’t want homework, and they don’t want someone telling them what to do. Without motivation, they will do nothing. For some reason, without knowing those students too much, I fell in love with all of them. I wanted them to get A's and I wanted to help them learn and speak English without fear. I tried, when given the chance, to help them and encourage them. I thought they hated me for giving them such a "hard" lesson, but they do not hate me. One of them told me I was the best English teacher (teacher jaja, not yet) he had ever had. And yesterday I saw one of the students, who is actually my friend, and he told me: "Jazmin said she misses you". I truly hope that they know that I cared, and that I believed (and still believe) in them. That's all students need to shine.
Reflection #4
Teaching:
I always thought that I would someday become a great teacher. The only thing is that I thought that it was going to be difficult. I always got the notion that the most challenging aspect of teaching would be classroom management. I knew that older kids (in Junior or High School) were more difficult to control than the younger students. I must admit, that I was a little scared when Prof. Lopez first told our class that we would have to teach two classes. You see, my original specialization was going to be only Elementary. I decided to do the Secondary specialization because it was only four extra classes. I never imagined myself as a secondary school teacher.
The great news is that thanks to my observations, I learned to love to teach at that level. I thought that classroom management and group control were going to be big issues, but I discovered that they were not. In fact, I found that it was pretty easy to control a group of high school students. All that I needed is a little background knowledge on classroom management techniques and confidence. I believe that my research project made a difference when I taught my classes. I was amazed to discover that my research actually worked in a real classroom.
My experience in the classroom was so great that I do not know what I love more- elementary or secondary students. I am caught in the middle (but something is telling me that I love secondary more). I am planning to do my practice teaching next semester at the elementary level. I know that I am going to do a lot of reflection next semester. I really want to know at which level am I better at teaching and which level I love the most. So far, this class has made me think about things in a new perspective and it has taught me many new things. I now that I am going to be prepared to be a teacher no matter at what level it is. As long as I am reflecting and continually learning, I know that everything will turn out great.
Analyzing myself as a teacher, I used to teach French in a provate school, I was kind an “old” teacher. I was formal trying to be informal and using the grammar translation approach. I remember that in my first years I did not use the grammar translation approach all the time and I used several assesment strategies. In my second year I tried to be more informal letting them to undesrtand that the language was not difficult but instead I finish using just the grammar-translation approach with the comunicative language approach. The students from the first group were not cooperative and did not pay attention but the second group was more cooperative. The second group was attentive and they even dress up for the dialogues they memorized for the class. They learned from me and I learn from them. I was very worried because of the first group behave; I wanted to be an effective teacher and reach them. I wanted to lure them to love to learn French as I had loved to learn it. Even though at that time I have not finish my studies in education I was worried because I wanted to reach my students and be an effective teacher. I did some mistalkes in past years as a teacher; thinking about it, now I undertand that I needed to study methology and the seminar cours to learn how to reach my students, how to use the education tools to teach them the language. I learned in Methology cours about the differents approach as multiples intelligents a tool to use in order to lure the students to love to learn, the standars use to create a better plan and I review my plans. Now in the seminar cours I had learn about assesstment and the different tools in order to be effective. Reading throughout my journal notebook for the seminar cours, I have learned so much. In my years as a teacher in a private school no one asked for my educational philosophy or what I think about education. In the school they just gave me the job and the group which I would work. In how to be an effective teacher using different approaches and assessment strategies in order to reach the students. This cours gave me the oportunity to do a research in leadership and teacher authority. Now I can do better, my future students will do better.
Reflection number four My teaching experience with high school students...
I may begin saying that teaching is not for all people. Teaching needs devotion and caring. When I decided to become a teacher, the first thing that came to my mind was if I will be able to handle and to really care for my students, then I realize that I have the cognitive material enough to deal with them and to guide them correctly through life. I know that sometimes it can be hard to achieve what we want with students, especially with high school students that the only thing they want to do is loose their time and make jokes about everything. When I did my registration to this course, I knew that the class had a requisite of doing classroom observations and that we need also to give class a couple of time. I was really scared of doing so, because students nowadays do not have responsibility and respect for their school work and teacher. I begin observing and taking note of how the teacher handles her students in order of following the same pattern when my teaching time arrive. So I implemented the same techniques and they really worked. The students were really paying attention and participating in class and they really enjoyed what we were doing.
I started my class with a greeting and jokes to break the ice between me and them, they like it and they felt more comfortable with me being that day their teacher. They cooperated with me in everything and they did their work without complaining about it. The first day that I gave class, I was asked by the teacher to introduce a new topic that I had to select. I asked her if I was able to tech them cause and effect and she agreed. I started my class by giving them a pre test. The majority dominated that material, and then I give the explanation of what cause and effect means. I gave them a lot of examples and we play a game. The game was a toss in which they had to create orally sentence fragments using cause and effect relationships. The rules of the game were that one student will have the ball, he/she will have to create a sentence fragment and then he/she will have to throw the ball to another student and that student will have to respond with another sentence fragment in order to create a whole sentence using cause and effect relationships. They really have fun with this game. They gave me positive feedback about it.
I may say that I really have fun being a teacher for two days, but I may say too that I like most being an elementary teacher than a high school teacher.
Analyzing myself as a teacher, I used to teach French in a provate school, I was kind an “old” teacher. I was formal trying to be informal and using the grammar translation approach. I remember that in my first years I did not use the grammar translation approach all the time and I used several assesment strategies. In my second year I tried to be more informal letting them to undesrtand that the language was not difficult but instead I finish using just the grammar-translation approach with the comunicative language approach. The students from the first group were not cooperative and did not pay attention but the second group was more cooperative. The second group was attentive and they even dress up for the dialogues they memorized for the class. They learned from me and I learn from them. I was very worried because of the first group behave; I wanted to be an effective teacher and reach them. I wanted to lure them to love to learn French as I had loved to learn it. Even though at that time I have not finish my studies in education I was worried because I wanted to reach my students and be an effective teacher. I did some mistalkes in past years as a teacher; thinking about it, now I undertand that I needed to study methology and the seminar cours to learn how to reach my students, how to use the education tools to teach them the language. I learned in Methology cours about the differents approach as multiples intelligents a tool to use in order to lure the students to love to learn, the standars use to create a better plan and I review my plans. Now in the seminar cours I have learned about assesstment and the different tools in order to be effective. Reading throughout my journal notebook for the seminar cours, I have learned so much. In my years as a teacher in a private school no one asked for my educational philosophy or what I think about education. In the school they just gave me the job and the group which I would work. In how to be an effective teacher using different approaches and assessment strategies in order to reach the students. This cours gave me the oportunity to do a research in leadership and teacher authority. Now, I can do better, my future students will do better.
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