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[InTime]

(from Humanistic Language Teaching Magazine)
http://www.hltmag.co.uk/mar06/mart03.htm

Teacher's Self-Reflection Questionnaire

ARE WE A HAPPY FAMILY?

1) DO I SHARE MYSELF WITH MY STUDENTS?
2) AM I FRANK AND SENSITIVE?
3) DO I ENCOURAGE AND TEACH MY STUDENTS TO PERSONALISE THE CONTENT OF THE LESSON?
4) DO I FIND OUT FROM MY STUDENTS WHAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN?
5) DO I TEACH ACROSS THE CURRICULUM TO GET THROUGH TO THOSE WHO HAVE A FLAIR FOR MATHS, BIOLOGY, LITERATURE?
6) DO I LET MY STUDENTS SUGGEST LESSON TOPICS/ HOMEWORK/ ETC.?
7) DO I LISTEN TO MY STUDENTS ATTENTIVELY?
IS THERE AN EYE CONTACT BETWEEN ME AND THE SPEAKER?
9) DO I AVOID WRITING ON THE BOARD/ FIXING THE EQUIPMENT/ ETC. WHEN A STUDENT IS SPEAKING?
10) DON'T I MANIFEST IMPATIENCE?
11) IF THERE IS A NEED TO INTERRUPT DO I DO IT TACTFULLY?
12) DO I ENCOURAGE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, EXPERIENCE, STRATEGIES?
13) DO I DEAL WITH TERRITORIALISM IN MY CLASS?

AM I A GOOD PARENT?

14) WHAT DO I DO FOR MY OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
15) ARE MY CLASSES INTERESTING/ VARIED ? AM I CREATIVE?
16) DO I TREAT ALL MY STUDENTS EQUALLY?
17) DO I GIVE EACH OF THEM THE SAME NUMBER OF TURNS/ AMOUNT OF APPROVAL/ OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-CORRECTION/ RESPECT/ PATIENCE?
1 DO I REARRANGE THE CLASSROOM/ AM I ON THE MOVE TO BE IN EQUAL EYE CONTACT WITH ALL THE STUDENTS?
19) DON'T I HAVE A TENDENCY TO ALWAYS TURN TO THE SAME PEOPLE WHILE ASKING QUESTIONS/ TELLING ANECDOTES?
20) DO I INFORM MY STUDENTS ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE?
21) DO I ENCOURAGE MY STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT WHAT/ HOW/ WHEN/ WHERE THEY LEARN BEST?
22) DO I SHARE CLASSROOM RESPONSIBILITY WITH MY STUDENTS?
23) HOW DO I CORRECT MY STUDENTS?
24) HOW DO I EXPLAIN?

IS OUR HOME A NICE PLACE TO BE AT?

25) HOW CAN I MAKE MY STUDENTS FEEL THAT THE CLASSROOM BELONGS TO THEM?

[Sinobear]

DO I HAVE TO REPOST EVERYTHING IN CAPS?
HOW ABOUT CAPS AND BOLD?
DO I HAVE A NEED TO SEARCH FOR (what should be) COMMON SENSE TEACHING METHODS AND MAKE A THREAD ABOUT THEM?
DO I HAVE ANY INCLINATION OF WHAT TEACHING IS REALLY ABOUT, OR SHOULD I LET THE STUDENTS AND PARENTS DICTATE WHAT IS TAUGHT?
DOES THIS HURT YOUR EYES AS MUCH AS IT DOES MINE?
Is ThIs AnY bEtTeR?
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOUR STUDENTS GIVE A RAT'S @SS ABOUT YOUR FRICKIN' THEORIES AND JUST WANT TO BURN THE TIME TO GET THE HECK OUT OF YOUR VICINITY?

Really, now, InTime, you're not really taking into consideration the REAL reason that students are in English classes in the first place. My students MUST learn English in order to graduate...for their line of work, the better their English, the better the position they'll get upon (if not before) graduation. The vast majority (I'd say 98%) couldn't be bothered. Singing, dancing, movies, yes - even STUDENT-CENTERED (and chosen) TOPICS do not change the numbers. It is not a game, it is a business, and most of the students know the rules better than us.
I think you need a good two-hour session with my friend Oliver North. He'll learn ya that you can learn a lot more from the youngest Chinese student than you'll EVER teach them.

Cheers!

[Bayden]

Teacher's Self-Reflection Questionnaire

ARE WE A HAPPY FAMILY?

1) DO I SHARE MYSELF WITH MY STUDENTS?
NO, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TO GO AROUND.

2) AM I FRANK AND SENSITIVE?
NO, I'M BRUCE AND IM NOT THEIR MOTHER.

3) DO I ENCOURAGE AND TEACH MY STUDENTS TO PERSONALISE THE CONTENT OF THE LESSON?
THEY BETTER NOT.

4) DO I FIND OUT FROM MY STUDENTS WHAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN?
DO I CARE?

5) DO I TEACH ACROSS THE CURRICULUM TO GET THROUGH TO THOSE WHO HAVE A FLAIR FOR MATHS, BIOLOGY, LITERATURE?
NO, I'M AN ENGLISH TEACHER, I DON'T GET PAID ENOUGH TO TEACH ACROSS THE CURRICULUM.

6) DO I LET MY STUDENTS SUGGEST LESSON TOPICS/ HOMEWORK/ ETC.?
ARE YOU JOKING, WHO'S RUNNING THIS SHOW?

7) DO I LISTEN TO MY STUDENTS ATTENTIVELY?
WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

IS THERE AN EYE CONTACT BETWEEN ME AND THE SPEAKER?
THERE BETTER BE.

9) DO I AVOID WRITING ON THE BOARD/ FIXING THE EQUIPMENT/ ETC. WHEN A STUDENT IS SPEAKING?
IS THE STUDENT SPEAKING TO ME?

10) DON'T I MANIFEST IMPATIENCE?
DON'T I OR DO I ?

11) IF THERE IS A NEED TO INTERRUPT DO I DO IT TACTFULLY?
IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?

12) DO I ENCOURAGE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, EXPERIENCE,
STRATEGIES?
YES ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M HUNGOVER.

13) DO I DEAL WITH TERRITORIALISM IN MY CLASS?
NO, I'M AN ENGLISH TEACHER.

AM I A GOOD PARENT?
NOT YET.

14) WHAT DO I DO FOR MY OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
DRINK BEER WITH MY FELLOW TEACHERS AT THE BAR EVERY EVENING AND EXCHANGE TIPS.

15) ARE MY CLASSES INTERESTING/ VARIED ? AM I CREATIVE?
I CAN SLEEP IN CLASS 5 DIFFERENT WAYS.

16) DO I TREAT ALL MY STUDENTS EQUALLY?
YES, BUT SOME MORE EQUALLY THAN OTHERS.

17) DO I GIVE EACH OF THEM THE SAME NUMBER OF TURNS/ AMOUNT OF APPROVAL/ OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-CORRECTION/ RESPECT/ PATIENCE?
NO, THE PRETTY GIRLS GET FAVOURED
18 DO I REARRANGE THE CLASSROOM/ AM I ON THE MOVE TO BE IN EQUAL EYE CONTACT WITH ALL THE STUDENTS?
IM UNDER THE DESK SLEEPING OF MY HANGOVER.

19) DON'T I HAVE A TENDENCY TO ALWAYS TURN TO THE SAME PEOPLE WHILE ASKING QUESTIONS/ TELLING ANECDOTES?
DON'T I OR DO I?

20) DO I INFORM MY STUDENTS ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE?
AND OF EXTRA TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE TOO.

21) DO I ENCOURAGE MY STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT WHAT/ HOW/ WHEN/ WHERE THEY LEARN BEST?
I TELL THEM THE BEST PLACE THEY LEARN IS IN MY CLASS.

22) DO I SHARE CLASSROOM RESPONSIBILITY WITH MY STUDENTS?
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

23) HOW DO I CORRECT MY STUDENTS?
WITH A CORRECTIVE.

24) HOW DO I EXPLAIN?
EXPLAIN WHAT?

IS OUR HOME A NICE PLACE TO BE AT?
iF THEY FOLLOWED ME HOME THERE'LL BE TROUBLE.

25) HOW CAN I MAKE MY STUDENTS FEEL THAT THE CLASSROOM BELONGS TO THEM?
IT DOESN'T, IT BELONGS TO ME.

[mondrian]

I am not usually suckered into an InTime post, but I can't resist this one; as I am waiting for the coffee to perc.
Not all of the 25 points are hypothetical garbage on the philosphy of life; in fact I actually find myself in sympathy with the OP if these worries are genuine.
So here goes � la Bayden:

ARE WE A HAPPY FAMILY?
student/teacher community? impossible - conflicting goals where I teach

1) DO I SHARE MYSELF WITH MY STUDENTS?
All the time, with little personal and cultural anecdotes in Living Language English that all goes completely over their heads. But I enjoy giving them

2) AM I FRANK AND SENSITIVE?
Yes, if my student is ugly I tell her so. She will then tell her friends that I am nice teacher as no one has ever noticed her ugliness before

3) DO I ENCOURAGE AND TEACH MY STUDENTS TO PERSONALISE THE CONTENT OF THE LESSON?
That is what my oral English classes are all about. Unfortunately they do it in Chinese, which I can't understand

4) DO I FIND OUT FROM MY STUDENTS WHAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN?
I know what they are interested in. In order: sex; basketball (males); this week's fad - tapestry (females)

5) DO I TEACH ACROSS THE CURRICULUM TO GET THROUGH TO THOSE WHO HAVE A FLAIR FOR MATHS, BIOLOGY, LITERATURE?
Very funny! I teach non-English majors some of the time and talk to them in their "language" - total failure, as they have the grasp of a K10 grade science student. Their math is OK but that is not English language, it is universal language

6) DO I LET MY STUDENTS SUGGEST LESSON TOPICS/ HOMEWORK/ ETC.?
I have tried both orally and in the form of written questionnaires - blank looks or blank papers apart from: games, songs or movies

7) DO I LISTEN TO MY STUDENTS ATTENTIVELY?
If they are speaking in English. Because I am so surprised, my "radar" ears tune in very attentively

8) IS THERE AN EYE CONTACT BETWEEN ME AND THE SPEAKER?
"THERE BETTER BE". I agree

9) DO I AVOID WRITING ON THE BOARD/ FIXING THE EQUIPMENT/ ETC. WHEN A STUDENT IS SPEAKING?
If I waited for a student to speak nothing would get written ......

10) DON'T I MANIFEST IMPATIENCE?
I practice karmic mantras throughout my lessons

11) IF THERE IS A NEED TO INTERRUPT DO I DO IT TACTFULLY?
I don't throw anything at the students in China

12) DO I ENCOURAGE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, EXPERIENCE,
STRATEGIES?
All the time; if two students are fighting I ask them if they are lovers. Calms the situation, and promotes exchange of ideas both personal and cultural

13) DO I DEAL WITH TERRITORIALISM IN MY CLASS?
Yes, me and them; or is it them and me?

AM I A GOOD PARENT?
my children haven't spoken to me for years

14) WHAT DO I DO FOR MY OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
I can be smug with this one: avidly read Dave's Site!

15) ARE MY CLASSES INTERESTING/ VARIED ? AM I CREATIVE?
I create all the time: "Wakey! Wakey!". My compulsory text-book gets in the way though, if the students bring it to the class

16) DO I TREAT ALL MY STUDENTS EQUALLY?
"YES, BUT SOME MORE EQUALLY THAN OTHERS". I disagree; most of my attention is paid on what is going on at the back of the classroom and those students receive advanced English: sarcasm (irony is wasted)

17) DO I GIVE EACH OF THEM THE SAME NUMBER OF TURNS/ AMOUNT OF APPROVAL/ OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-CORRECTION/ RESPECT/ PATIENCE?
of course; each student gets a 2 second sound bite. If they can make one sentence I encourage them to make a second, and am pleasantly surprised if they do so.

18) DO I REARRANGE THE CLASSROOM/ AM I ON THE MOVE TO BE IN EQUAL EYE CONTACT WITH ALL THE STUDENTS?
Always on the move to keep the students awake and focussed on their English and not their SMS. Eye contact? The pretty females know all about that and I'm not about to get involved with their sexual fantasies

19) DON'T I HAVE A TENDENCY TO ALWAYS TURN TO THE SAME PEOPLE WHILE ASKING QUESTIONS/ TELLING ANECDOTES?
The students sitting on the front row expect that - and as they are the paying public, I oblige.

20) DO I INFORM MY STUDENTS ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE?
Yes - they are very interested when I translate the English into French or German. For example: "Je t'adore ou je t'aime" - what is the difference?

21) DO I ENCOURAGE MY STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT WHAT/ HOW/ WHEN/ WHERE THEY LEARN BEST?
How I've tried!

22) DO I SHARE CLASSROOM RESPONSIBILITY WITH MY STUDENTS?
Yes, I tell them that breaking up the classroom furniture is their responsibilty; mine is the reporting of the same.

23) HOW DO I CORRECT MY STUDENTS?
politely and then laugh

24) HOW DO I EXPLAIN?
"See page ............ " (compulsory textbook; written by Chinese English "experts" and full of mistakes. Even has the gall to include a chapter on the differences beteen American and English English)

IS OUR HOME A NICE PLACE TO BE AT?
Hidden and secure. Only fee paying pupils allowed in. Same with the phone number, same with the e-mail address

25) HOW CAN I MAKE MY STUDENTS FEEL THAT THE CLASSROOM BELONGS TO THEM?
It already does, even before I enter the room. That is why every day the floor is littered in rubbish. It is amusing to watch them try to speak and eat at the same time though. The person in front invariably gets covered!

[saint57]

The "man" who probably created your little reflection quiz came to speak to my conflict resolution class. I never saw a "man" get mocked so badly in my life. It was the most interesting lesson I ever attended. This is the kind of crap a Ph.D who has never taught real students dreams up. It has no relevance. Students couldn't give a KCUF!!! if you stayed up all night caring about them. It's academic nonsense.

Passion, humour and knowledge are all you need. If a student is an a-hole you nail him. You don't search for psychological damage his father may have inflicted.

[Henry_Cowell]

[lollercauster]

Hahahaha. Bravvisimo.

[InTime]

Sinobear:

The questions were from HLT magazine...in CAPs

RE: