"In what way would you like to improve as a teacher? How do you think this course will help you to improve?"
There are more ways than one that I would like to improve as a teacher, but in the spirit of answering the question concisely, I will attempt to identify the single most important aspect of my deficiencies and formulate a clear path to grow professionally. I will start by saying that this course will undoubtedly help me to improve as a teacher if for no other reason than the increased exposure and idea sharing with other teachers and Dr. Katz, who insists we refer to him as Steve. I have always seemed to learn tons by surrounding myself with bright and motivated people, and being in the classroom environment is both stimulating and invigorating.
As a teacher, I have always relied on my social skills to bridge any gaps that may exist between my preparation resourcefulness and the desired result. Having said that, I feel that I can improve as a teacher by pulling from a wider range of available content to create more dynamic, less teacher-driven lesson plans. The double edged sword of feeling comfortable in front of a classroom is the tendency to sometimes rely on my own interpersonal skills to keep the students engaged, rather than to have a free flowing stream of connected activities and assignments for the students to keep busy with. Some of the struggles that I deal with in my current position include a lack of interest on the students part, motivation, and a lackluster textbook. Overcoming these challenges requires a ton of creativity and patience, all of which I am continuing to work on and trying to develop in the pursuit of becoming a more efficient and effective educator.
I think this course will help broaden the scope from which I can plan lessons. The use of more media and online LMS will help me to connect with the class as a whole, and will provide a forum for the students to find assignments and due dates without having to ask a classmate or myself. The keys here are organization and consolidation. I want to integrate an LMS into my curriculum to simplify the dissemination of information to the students and to have a clear record of expected assignments and requirements. I think this course will give me the confidence to implement new things with or without the support of the institution from which I belong.
4 comments:
I agree with you about balancing our interpersonal skills and the integrity of your lesson in the classroom. I remember one of my teachers saying that to be a good educator you also need to be a good actor. I think this holds true but having a sound a concise lesson coupled with this theatrical skill will be a huge asset in the class. This course will undoubtedly help streamline your preparation and make your life and that of your students easier. Thus, freeing up more time for developing creative, engaging, and most of all educational.
I feel for you with regards to the lack of enthusiasm on the students part. I have been here in Korea for over 8 years and I have been through the whole range of students, from those who take your class as a "siesta" time to those who are attentive to every word you say. It's a daunting task for some us because there are a few students we teach, at least in my case, who have little or no interest in the language. Even though we have access to the latest technology and be a great presenter, some students just shut off for some reason. I guess its our responsibility to try and use every kind of teaching methods at our disposal in order to try and capture the students' interest.
I agree that this course will allow us to do a better job at organizing our class as well as making it easier for our students to access. And who knows, perhaps we can learn that "one " magic thing that will engage each and every student in Korea to earn English (I won't hold my breath....)
Zak,
You are on the money with this. Your students should be working harder than you during class, not the other way around. You will have to work hard to create this type of environment for your students.
You comments about stream of connected activities is something I think about as well.
Having a seamless integration of introduction, activities, and ending for each class is something that I need to work on.
Using materials outside the required reading and integrating them into the core teaching materials is a challenge. You are right when you say we need a ton of creativity and patience to make it happen. If you learn of any tools that help you with this please let me know and I'll do likewise.
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