Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Chapter 6 - Describing Teachers
You already wrote about what kind of teacher you are. Now, read Chapter 6 and choose your 'richest line.' The richest line can be any sentence or two that meant the most to you when you read this chapter. Post your richest line on this blog. You only have to post one or two sentences.
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34 comments:
The following shed some light on the question, whose answer I have long groped for when I find myself totally different in class from my usual self:
"We need to make some kind of distinction between who we are, and who we are as teachers. This does not mean that we should somehow be dishonest about who we are when we face students. There will always be a need to be 'congruent'(Rogers, 1961), that is being honest to oneself and appropriatey honest with our students. But it does mean thinking about presenting a professional face to the students which they find both interesting and effective."
...the value of a teacher depends not just on their ability to use a language, but also on their knowledge about the language and their understanding of how to facilitate both that ability and that knowledge in the minds of their students.
My favorite line is that Yet others feel like gardeners because they plant the seeds and they watch them grow.
"We need to have the courage to say I don't know the answer to that right now, but I'll tell you tomorrow.
When students asked questions which I had no idea, I felt shame and embarrased in front of them. Now I can feel more confident and say like above. And I will surely give them the information the next day.
Students want their teachers to know who they are. They would like their teachers to know their names, of course, but they also appreciate it when teachers have some understanding of their characters.
Whether or not we are more autocratic or democratic as teachers, we are called upon to play mady different roles in a language learning classroom. Our ability to carry these out effectively will depend to a large extent on the rapport we establish with our students, and on our own level of knowledge and skill.
I'm Miseon.
"Knowing students' names also involves knowing about students. At any age, they will be pleased when they realise that their teacher has remembered things about them, and has some understanding of who they are."
Whichever method of correction we choose, and whoever we are working with, students need to know that we are treating them with respect, and not using mockery or sarcasm - or expressing despair at their efforts!
Nothing demotivates a student more than when the teacher is dismissive or uninterested in what they have to say.
Teachers who respect students do their best to see them in a positive light. They are not negative about their learners or in the way they deal with them in class. They do not react with anger or ridicule when students do unplanned things, but instead use a respectful professionalism to solve the problem.
1. A good teacher should try to draw out the quiet ones and control the more talkative ones.
2. Students can pick up much from the way their teacher walks into the room at the start of that first lesson. In this sense we need to make some kind of distinction between who we are and who we are as teachers. We want students look to see someone who looks like a teacher whatever else they look like. We should be able to adopt a variety of roles within the classroom which facilitate learning.
3. Listening is not just done with the ears! We need to show that we are listening and paying attention to our students, and this will mean approaching them, making eye contact and generally looking interested.
I am ANN
Treating all students equally not ony helps to establish and maintain rapport , but is also a mark of professionalism.
Teachers say they are like actors because they feel as if they are always on the stage.
I am Jody.
If, when teachers come to the class, students can see that they are well-organised and well-prepared (that is, they have thought about what they are going to do in the lesson), they are likely to have confidence in their teacher. Such confidence is an essential component in the suceeessful relationship between students and their teachers.
As one of the non-native-speaker teachers, I think that I should admit that I can not be a native speaker. Reading the following sentences, I am definitely ready to learn how to take advantage of being a non-native-speaker teacher through this Humber TESOL course.
"Non-native-speaker teachers have many advantages that their 'native' colleagues do not. In the first place, they had often had the same experience of learning English ad their students are now having. They are able to maximise the benefits of L1 and L2 use. Non-native-speaker teachers are frequently considerably more familiar with local mores and learning styles than visiting native speakers are."
We should point out that listening is not just done with the ears. We need to snow that we are listening and paying attention to our students , and this will mean approching them, making eyes contact and generally looking interested.
When teachers and groups fist meet each other, they suggest, students expect leadership and direction. This gives them a clear focus and makes them feel secure at the same time. But as groups develop their group identity, teachers will want to relax their grip and foster more democratic class practies where students are involved in the process of decision-making and direction-finding.
We want students look to see someone who looks like a teacher whatever else they look like. We should be able to adopt a variety of roles within the classroom which facilitate learning
In part, successful rapport derives from the student's perception of the teacher as a good leader and a successful professional. If, when teachers come to class, students can see that they are well-organised and well-prepared, they are likely to have confidence in their teacher.
Teaches who respect students do their best to see them in a positive light. They do not react with anger or ridicule when students do unplanned things, but instead use a respectful professionalism to solve the problem
In the end, provided teachers can use the language(and know about it), it is the quality of their teaching that counts, not where they come from or how they learnt or acquired English.
Whether or not we are autocratic or democratic as teachers, we are called upon to play many different roles in a language learning classroom. Our ability to carry these out effectively will depend to a large extent on the rapport we establish with our students, and on our own level of knowlege and skill.
While I was reading this following part, I hope that my students have confidence in me. :)
Successful rapport derives from the students' perception of the teacher as a good leader and a successful professional. If when the teachers come to the class, students can see that they are well-organized and well-prepared, they are likely to have confidence in their teacher. Such confidence is an essential component in the successful relationship between students and their teachers.
The value of a teacher depends not just on their ability to use a language, but also on their knowledge about that language and their understanding of how to facilitate both that aability and that knowldge in the minds of their students.
You have all chosen some poignant and insightful quotes from the text. I can definitely relate to all of your observations.
I think we can all agree that the role of a teacher is a complex role, a "performance" of sorts, which demands professionalism, respect and honesty, and the recognition that all students are equal and should be treated as such.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
It has been a long time since I read this chapter...before the trip. I'd like to be a teacher who is aware of students' reactions and tries to do better day by day.
"As far as possible, we also need to listen to the students' comments on how they are getting on, and which activities and techniques they respond well or badly to. If we just go on teaching the same thing day after day without being aware of our students' reactions, it will be more and more difficult to maintain the rapport that is so important for successful classes."
Successful rapport derives from the students' perception of the teacher as a good leader and successful professional. If, when teachers come to the class, students cansee that they are well-organised and well-prepared(that is, they have thought about what they are going to do in the lesson). they are likely to have confidence in their teacher. Such confidence is an essential component in the successful relationship between studnets and their teachers. It extends as well to the teachers' demonstratable knowledge of the subject they are teaching and to their familiarity with classroom materials and equipment. All of these things tell the students that they are 'in good hands.'
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