Updates on Teaching

Well, to begin with, the weather hasn't improved. I haven't been to the pier since Sunday, and I'm not missing anything. It's currently very windy and raining occasionally. I ended up buying an umbrella because the cheap poncho I brought with me just got to be too much of a hassle. Taking it on and off takes about a minute of fussing, whereas opening an umbrella takes two seconds. Also, one of my students made fun of me for wearing it at school: "Miss, that's cheap!" Can't be looking cheap in front of my students. I wish he could have seen it in a more positive light: "Miss, that's thrifty, since there's no reason you'd bring a cheap umbrella back to the States, so why buy one and waste money?" Oh well. I'm glad I bought it. Ironically, I left it at home today because it was sunny this morning. Yeah, it rained. Luckily it only rained at times when I didn't have to go outside to travel between classes. I got to stay inside and make posters about grammar!

I have recently learned that there is a laptop-projector combo available on the TCC campus. Teachers can use it, but unfortunately it belongs to the principal. So I can't make regular use of it. I do plan on using it next week for a 2-3 day lesson on advertising. Have you ever seen the Dove ad "Evolution"? Look it up. I love using it with teenagers because it really shocks them. I can't wait - I think it will knock these kids' socks off. In addition to the commercial, I'll create a power point presentation in which I'll place tons of examples of advertising techniques (in the context of advertisements themselves, of course). It's hard to become less dependent on technology, and I became so used to using it back in the States. While I think that a person can be a fantastic and very effective teacher without using computers and the internet, I do feel that technology brings a whole lot of benefits to teaching. And actually, I think that it's going to become more and more difficult to be a competitive and effective teacher without using technology. The fact of the matter is that our students are becoming increasingly involved with computers, the internet, iPods, etc. That's just the way the world is moving. If we don't employ technology in our classrooms, our students are probably going to be at a disadvantage.

Now, the trick is teaching a concept with technology, not teaching the technology itself. For instance, I want to use technology for my advertising lesson because I can use computers/internet to bring very relevant material into play. What's the point of using a mock ad from the textbook when I can discuss the concepts I want to discuss in relation to advertisements made for real products? That's why I dislike English many English textbooks, although they do save time. They don't often present the English language in ways that the students can relate to. They force the students to adapt to a curriculum instead of forcing the curriculum to adapt to the students. We want to teach kids to use the language skills they learn in the classroom out in the "real" world. How can we do that if we don't use "real" material?

Anyway, since I'm already on the topic of teaching, I can happily report that it's going better. I've come to some important conclusions about myself and about professional life. First, I've learned that the better I am at doing something, the more I like doing it. My first few weeks of student teaching were rough, but now I'm getting better at it and behold: I'm having more fun!

I've also learned that teaching is about small steps and small successes. I can't take 40 17-year-olds and teach them how to write fantastic persuasive essays in perfectly formal English in two weeks. In fact, I don't think anyone can (especially when they're throwing folders at each other). But I can get them to use more specifics and evidence in their writing, and I can teach them better ways to develop and organize their ideas. That's respectable progress.

Finally, I've learned that I have to take care of myself. I have to pay attention to the things that are important to me, like yoga, running, reading, writing, and calling the people that I miss (a lot). If I don't do these things, I get depressed pretty quickly. Sad, angry Ellen = bad teacher Ellen. I'm already a pretty wired, jumpy person. I pace around the classroom and dance in the staffroom. I don't need to myself more jumpy through extra stress!

Speaking of stress, however, I do need to do some student-teaching related tasks. If I don't get them done this afternoon, I'll be stressed. So I must bring this post to a close. I will try to post again later this week (with pictures).

3.5 weeks of teaching left! That number is sad and happy at the same time.