Organization

Do you begin and end classes on time?

I virtually always begin class on time. I ask my students to show up a few minutes early, so we can begin exactly on the minute. Rationale: We have limited time in class and I don’t want to waste any; and punctuality is an important academic skill.

Ending: I keep a close eye on the clock throughout class, and start to wrap things up a few minutes before the end of class. When I go past the time it’s because I’ve underestimated how many questions students will have about a homework assignment. With a 50-minute class it’s difficult to hit the time just right, but I think I’m pretty good at it. Why is ending on time important to me? Ending late has a negative ripple effect. For example, recently I subbed for a class that always begins five or ten minutes late, because the class before always ends late. That’s not fair to anyone.

Do you have specific objectives for each class? Are students aware of them?

It depends. I rarely have objectives in the most formal sense of the word (referring to specific outcome: Students will be able to ask a question in the simple present. But I almost always have informal objectives, and tell students what I have planned: We will practice verb tenses for interrupted actions in the past. For grammar classes, in which content is very concrete, I usually write the day’s agenda on the board. With the other classes, I often give students a verbal intro to what we’re doing.

I am not comfortable teaching a class without a clear lesson plan, and I spend a lot of time on them, making sure they are pedagogically sound and logical. However, once I step into the classroom, I rarely glance at the plan. It’s safe to say that I have never taught a class in which I stuck entirely to my lesson plan. In fact, my favorite part of teaching is paying attention to what’s really happening and seizing those unexpected opportunities. Therefore, my class objectives will sometimes deviate from whatever I’ve promised my students for that day.

I think students really need to know the why of what we’re doing: what is it, and why does it matter. That’s harder to explain to lower-level students. Since I try to keep my yacking to a minimum, I often choose not to explain the rationale to these students.

Are you meeting overall objectives of the level, or do you adjust objectives to meet the class?

The latter. A great thing about ELI is that we don’t have a rigid curriculum to adhere to. Though I’m sometimes frustrated that I can’t cover more material during a semester, to do so would be a disservice. Instead, I shift plans and sometimes take more time to make sure they comprehend the material. This is far more rewarding for all of us than plowing forward in the dark.

Classroom Management & Participation

What is the ratio of instructor-student participation?

It’s not as good as I’d like. I wish I could average  25% me-time and 75% the students, but in some classes it’s the opposite. On average I think it’s about 50-50, and I always look for ways to make it better. As I write lesson plans, I always comb through to maximize ways to pull the students to the forefront. In Level 3 and 4, that’s not so hard. For Level 2,  who need so much explanation in various forms, it’s more of a challenge.

How often are students actively engaged in learning?

I’m hoping about 75 percent, but I don’t know. When I talk to the whole class, I am either:

• Explaining a language point, as simply and briefly as possible/
• Answering a question.
• Making small talk with them.
• Joking with them.
• Telling them a pertinent story from my own life.
• Introducing an exercise.

I intertwine these various forms of communication into a thread that ties together the various activities and objectives.

At the end of each class, has each student had a chance to participate?

Yes.

Do you try to use a variety of learning activities (whole class, group learning, dyads, interviews)?

Yes, always.  I mix up groups and seating patterns, too.

How often do you take into account different learning styles?

I am highly aware of learning styles and attentive to them in an informal way. That is, I try to use different methods of instruction when I notice there’s a block to comprehension. I’m attuned to my students’ characters, and I tailor my teaching to that. For example, I know that Student Z is logical. If he’s stuck on a point, I’ll make sure he gets a rule-based answer. If he’s not stuck, I won’t.

However, I rarely use learning theory in a premeditated, measured way, by building it consciously right into my lesson plans from the outset. I think I should do that more often.

What is your approach for correcting student errors in class?

Error correction is, of course, a delicate art. In any situation I weigh the pros and cons of correction in that moment. I decide when it’s appropriate to inject some humor to lighten up a correction. I try to be gently encouraging while still pushing them to think and get it right. Mostly, I use tried-and-true methods:

• Repeat the sentence correctly and ask them to say it again, corrected.
• Repeat the erroneous sentence with a questioning tone, prompting them to figure out how to fix it.
• Call attention to it and ask the other students if they can help.

The errors I choose to correct are those that either interfere with comprehension of what a student is saying, or that are common enough to warrant class-wide attention (ee vs. ih in pronunciation, subject-verb agreement in grammar, etc.).

Note: At the beginning of the semester, I’m more concerned with building students’ confidence and willingness to speak than with error correction. I think error correction is effective only after we have that foundation.

How and how often do you use the text as a learning resource to accomplish learning objectives?

I’m not exactly sure what the question means. Never at a loss for words, I’ll take a stab:

I have yet to find a textbook I really like, but there’s something redeeming inside most of them. Some have good explanations but stupid exercises, some have sound theory but don’t express ideas well, and so on. I find what I like in a book and toss the rest. The scope and sequence is often really useful, as are many of their goals and objectives. I borrow core principles and build lessons on them.

How do you enhance the key points and activities of the text?

This is one of my favorite parts of teaching: using texts as a springboard for my own instructional creativity. As I read a unit, I think about who my students are, who I am, what’s happening in the world, what my students are interested in, and what they need to know linguistically and culturally. Then I whip that into something that potentially has meaning for them. A book is extremely helpful in identifying key topics to explore and skills to develop, while making them meaningful to my students is my job.

Assessment & Student Progress

How do you know that students are understanding and assimilating the material?

I want to learn more about assessment.

After students have worked with new material, I assess by asking them to explain and/or use what they know via conversations, projects, problem-solving, etc. Through this, I can see what’s in short-term memory, and determine their level of comprehension.

I also use  “medium-term” assessments (mostly tests) and long-term assessments (evaluation of students’ performance weeks or months later via recycling, review, etc.). This is a different topic, but I’d like to know more about making material “sticky”; frequently, a student will seem to have understood material shortly after learning it, and do okay on a test, but soon revert to using a the form incorrectly, or forget the material entirely.

Do you distinguish between “learn about” and “learn to do”?

Yes. Learn about = Ginna talking. Learn to do = Students actively engaged in figuring something out, often using a foundation of info from the teacher along with critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, etc.

How do you positively reinforce students?

Every way I can. I give verbal recognition when we’re alone or in front of the whole the class. I ask them to demonstrate what they know as a way to help other students. Grades, of course, positively reinforce. In addition to pointing out that a student has accomplished something, I will point out why it’s important. If they make a constructive comment that shows engagement and thought, I fold their idea into our discussion. I’ll even put shiny stickers on a paper.

How do you address students who are not performing and/or participating?

I start a semester by doing activities that help students understand classroom principles and the ways that they can be successful in my class: doing homework, attending class, being on time, getting involved, etc. They understand in theory, but seem to forget the rules as soon as theory moves into practice. So the first month is bumpy, as students come to realize that I’m serious about my expectations.

Early in the semester, I often show them their record in my grade book. My goal is to get them to understand concretely how their actions convert into grades. The spreadsheet shows each assignment, test, etc., as well as attendance, and the grade. Seeing this data prepares them for our first interim report.

At different times in the semester, I arrange to talk with students who are not working up to par. I tell them exactly where they are falling short, and we figure out what they can do to improve. I point out the things that they’ve done well, so they can model their own successes, and, for most of the semester, I stress that it’s not too late to bring the grade up.

How often do you assign homework? How do students feel about the amount or quality of homework?

I assign homework almost every day. I give the most homework in my grammar classes, a fair amount in reading and vocab, and least in listening and speaking. Regardless of the class, students always complain about having to do homework. I discuss with students the educational benefits of homework, and stress its importance to their grade. But still they whine. I generally don’t ask my students how they feel about the quality of the homework. That’s a good idea, maybe.

Do you give students regular and ongoing indications of their progress?

See above. No, I don’t. I give them the tools to stay aware themselves, and update them only when they’re in trouble. I don’t know if students need to be updated more often. Our students have a propensity to obsess about the grade. I want to be more learning-oriented than grade-centric.

Personal Style & Approach

What are your strengths (natural or developed) as an instructor and how do you bring these into the classroom on a regular basis?

• Creativity. It is fun to convert a prosaic lesson in a textbook to a lively one. Even more enjoyable, I often identify an academic or language deficiency in my class and develop an original activity that directly targets that area of weakness. For example, a few weeks ago I asked my students to answer comprehension questions about a video. I was stunned by what they wrote: an ocean of assumptions, bias, guesses, and off-topic meanderings. “Her skin is black because she is in teh sun all day.” These are problems that will haunt them as degree students, so I took an unexpected detour from the book. Using examples from their papers, I categorized and developed exercises to help them recognize these errors. I’ll attach the document. The students were really surprised to realize what they’d done, and were engaged in solving the “mystery” I’d set up for them.
• Perceptiveness and adaptability. As above, I seize opportunities when I see them, and veer off the lesson plan when the “live” situation warrants.
• Sensitivity. I am attuned to my students’ moods and attitudes. The main benefit of that is that I can create a classroom environment in which students feel emotionally safe.
• Sense of humor: Priceless.

What is the “value-add” that you provide, and are students aware that there is an added value to attending your class?

I honestly don’t know if students are aware of a value-add in my teaching. I think they recognize the strengths I listed above. They know that I am teaching directly to them, and not following a standard script. I point out to them that I am here not only to teach them English, but to help them understand American culture so that they can navigate comfortably and safely. Last week a male student was harassing a female in class he had a crush on. I helped him understand that American norms are different from his own. I pointed out that both are correct, but when he’s in the U.S. he needs to adhere to local standards. He understood my message, and so far he has done well at adjusting his behavior.

What are you doing well this semester?

I think I’ve done well at creating a classroom environment in which students feel relatively comfortable learning in the presence of others, and that allows their spirited characters to emerge but without completely disrupting the learning environment. I think it’s clear to them that I really care about them and their educational success; I believe we have a good rapport. In each class I think I’ve discovered one or two significant “weaknesses” that I’ve been able to strengthen. These aren’t things I’ve found in a textbook, but have spotted along the way. For example, one student expressed a desire to learn more about how to remember new vocabulary. I took advantage of subbing in Bill’s R&V class to explore the topic. In doing so, I found that they didn’t know what parts of speech were. So I’ve been using this weekly slot of time to build their awareness of word functions and how they can help with vocabulary acquisition. When they get to Level 3, they’ll be a tiny bit better prepared in this one specific area.

What adjustments might you make for the remainder of the session?

I’m not really making any adjustments. I’m building plans to give students a chance to synthesize what they’ve learned earlier in the semester. For example, there will be a final project in which they will practice collaboration, preparation and speaking techniques we’ve practiced. Also, they will watch a video and use what they’ve learned to give high-quality answers to comprehension questions.

An adjustment I’d like to make for the next semester is to figure out ways to have longer-term, ongoing projects and more task-based learning in the curriculum.

What do you do to deepen and broaden your knowledge and experience in ESL?

I read a fair number of books about ESL pedagogy, case studies and theory. I try to keep a reflective journal, which I don’t do as often as I should. Even though I think conferences are largely a waste of time, I think they’re an important way to get a glimpse of the world beyond my own. I’d like to go to this year’s TESOL in the spring. And I love discussing ideas, problems and solutions with other teachers. I really want to start a grammar club with the teachers, in which we choose a gnarly grammar point and play with it, but I don’t think anyone’s got the time.

How do you know when you’ve had a good class? How often have you had that feeling this session?

When the students are surprised that class is over already because they were so engaged, when they’re attentive, when there’s that certain kind of laughter that indicates camaraderie, when many people volunteer during group discussion, when small group discussions are animated, when they have a lot of questions, when they make particularly deeply thoughtful comments. That is to say, I usually look to external indicators to judge a class’s effectiveness, rather than to turn inward. Sometimes I’ve felt like I was really “on”: perceptive, articulate, lively. But I don’t believe these are indicators of success as much as the looks on their faces are.

How many times this semester? I honestly don’t know. Each week there have been classes that have had successful segments. But those truly magical classes where every second flowed steadily and with lots of twists and turns—I’d say five a semester is an admirable goal, and I think I probably hit that. What’s great about them is that they are rare.

Work Environment

How closely and well do you work with administration?

In my humble opinion, I think we work very well together. I enjoy learning from other administrators about the larger process of which I’m one piece, and I am gratified when they equally respect my work. I do admit to getting frustrated by unnecessary or arbitrary hurdles in interpersonal processes.

Do you handle administrative tasks in a timely manner?

I sure do try. Yes, I think I do.

Do you work cooperatively with peers and colleagues?

Yes. I really enjoy meetings of the minds, and love the ideas and progress that spring from that. I respect my colleagues. I learn things every day about how this educational institution works, and how their own experience shapes how they tackle their jobs. I’m also interested in the quirks of human behavior in a bureaucracy. My only negative thought is that I wish there were more time to work with colleagues. Often we’re on-the-run, keeping things on track, so we don’t have time for the various exciting projects awaiting us in the wings: curriculum, video marketing, program review.