Job Discussion Forums

[nomadder]

So which style applies more to you? The easy answer would be a little of both but you have to pick one.

I knew a teacher who was completely guided by the methods learned in her CELTA. I am much more of a "feel out the situation and gain a sense of how to proceed" kind of person.

Does one way work better or does it just come down to personality types and how much if at all can one change? Right brain vs. left brain. Male communication style vs. female. Which is better?

Some love rules and plans. Some like a loose framework. Does one really work better than another? Do we really learn anything useful in these degrees, certs, diplomas or is it just a concrete way of demonstrating learning? Can they make us better teachers or just "look" like better teachers?



I pick art but know that "the piece of paper" can help you get better jobs.

[denise]

Art vs. science--so the distinction would be right-brained, creative, not necessarily having a concrete lesson plan, etc. vs left-brained, organized, step-by-step plans, etc.?

I do a bit of both. Oh, wait, we're not allowed to say both, right? !Ay! I think, then, despite my tendency to plan ahead and freak out about last-minute changes, I would go with the "art" side. My lesson plans, while they do follow a sequence and I usually do everything in the sequence, are usually nothing more than some notes scrawled on a post-it or on the back of a worksheet. And once I have a sequence laid out in writing, I feel very comfortable ditching it and changing the flow of the lesson halfway through the class. (It's only when I don't have a skeletal plan written out that I freak out--I guess I just need to have a safety net or something, and once it's there I can choose to disregard it.)

And speaking of right-vs-left-brained--there's a great little test that I downloaded from the internet that will tell you not only which hemisphere dominates you (hmmm, that doesn't sound quite right...), but also whether you are a visual or aural learner. I've taken the test about a bazillion times, and, although there are the occasional variations, I am usually right in the middle. We Libras are balanced folks, I guess!

d

[nomadder]

Denise-your style sounds very similar to mine. Love the safety net even if I don't look at my notes.

[Snoopy]

It's a skill.

[roadrunner]

[Roger]

While linguistics may be called a science, teaching combines linguistic theory and practical skills. A teacher should have abilities that come naturally.
It's akin to psychotherapy.

[nomadder]

So does this mean that great teachers are born not made? Obviously personality plays a role too.

Maybe it starts out as science(rote learning of basics) and evolves into an art.

[shmooj]

It's a very Greek approach to see learning in terms of either/or Science or Art.

I for one am glad that TESOL muddies that artificial distinction.

[nomadder]

Actually I was trying to see if it people had a tendency one way or the other.

Anyway I'm outta here. Tropics here I come!