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whatevs
Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45
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 Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:36 am Post subject: Colleagues you learned from? |
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Right away in China I grasped that my usual professional style (a little sarcastic, jolly but maybe a little drill-seargent like) just didn't "read" here the way it did with my kids back in the states. I found myself thinking of this woman I used to work with.
At the time I thought she was ditzy, not too interesting. Pleasant enough though. Wish I had talked to her more because now that I look back on knowing her I realize she had a phenomenal level of interpersonal ease that I didn't appreciate at the time. She had a natural way of being totally "flat" so that she never gave a sense that she was upset, taken aback, agitated, etc. But not in a Data or Spock kind of way, because she had a sweetness and lightheartedness going on big time, too.
Dear Melissa, I salute you!!! Thanks for existing. I have learned from you, just from the memory of you! I thought right away with this group of slightly stern Asian adults, Hmmm how would Melissa handle this? and I was able to step into a new kind of lightness and ease with my students.
Maybe other people can share stories of the Melissas in their professional lives? We could all learn some things from the stories. Good to share : ) |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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As for teaching colleagues I've learned from, I don't think I could choose just one; each had their own unique offerings. However, when I was still a fresh teacher, there were a couple of standouts---master teachers who seemed to work magic in their classrooms. I enjoyed observing them deliver lessons and picked up on some of their techniques for motivating and empowering students. Both of these teachers were quite creative to the point of being quirky and weren't afraid to think outside the box.
I'm always reminded that I'm as much a student myself as I am a teacher. I enjoy learning from my colleagues and at the same time, am thrilled when they tell me they've learned something new from me.
(Yes, edited umpteen times! LOL!)
Last edited by nomad soul on Sat Jul 28, 2012 9:43 am; edited 4 times in total |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| Colleague of mine had worked for GEOS a few years before I met him on my first job (at a culture center). Biggest point he ever taught me was to make lesson plans that could be recycled to any level group (or at least to multiple levels of fluency) and to any number of people, from 1 student to a large group. Keep that in mind, and you can simplify lessons to the point where they work with the least amount of tweaking. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 11:30 am Post subject: |
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One colleague, when I was starting out, taught me to look at lessons from the learners' point of view. All lesson planning stages, lesson aims, all vocab to be taught, all assumptions on schemata, pacing, board work, nearly everything slots into place much more effectively when viewed from this perspective. Also reduces teacher anxiety, and gets you away from the obvious mistakes stemming from inexperience of thinking the lesson revolves around ME ME ME.
Since been confirmed by my own experience and further training courses. |
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whatevs
Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:37 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
As for teaching colleagues I've learned from, I don't think I could choose just one; each had their own unique offerings. However, when I was still a fresh teacher, there were a couple of standouts---master teachers who seemed to work magic in their classrooms. I enjoyed observing them deliver lessons and picked up on some of their techniques for motivating and empowering students. Both of these teachers were quite creative to the point of being quirky and weren't afraid to think outside the box.
I'm always reminded that I'm as much a student myself as I am a teacher. I enjoy learning from my colleagues and at the same time, am thrilled when they tell me they've learned something new from me.
(Yes, edited umpteen times! LOL!) |
I've become quirky over the years too. But in a highly controlled way. Teaching special ed will do that to you.
I wish I could say, like you, that numerous colleagues were inspiring, though. I can't. Hate to say it but public schools in the US does not seem to attract the best and brightest. I'm hoping life abroad will be different.
LOL about the editing. I liked both of your responses that I read. : ) Care to share details about how the master teachers motivated & empowered? |
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whatevs
Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:41 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Colleague of mine had worked for GEOS a few years before I met him on my first job (at a culture center). Biggest point he ever taught me was to make lesson plans that could be recycled to any level group (or at least to multiple levels of fluency) and to any number of people, from 1 student to a large group. Keep that in mind, and you can simplify lessons to the point where they work with the least amount of tweaking. |
Ah yes that is valuable. So you hone in on your objective and pivot from there to make activities for varying levels and situations...? Sounds like a skill that could only come from lots of experience. What's GEOS? I volunteered at a culture center. It was terribly disorganized but the students never seemed to mind. |
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whatevs
Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:43 am Post subject: |
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| Sashadroogie wrote: |
One colleague, when I was starting out, taught me to look at lessons from the learners' point of view. All lesson planning stages, lesson aims, all vocab to be taught, all assumptions on schemata, pacing, board work, nearly everything slots into place much more effectively when viewed from this perspective. Also reduces teacher anxiety, and gets you away from the obvious mistakes stemming from inexperience of thinking the lesson revolves around ME ME ME.
Since been confirmed by my own experience and further training courses. |
I learned something similar in an NLP workshop that I took. Great reminder. If you can do this, it's an indication of really advanced people skills, I think. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:58 am Post subject: |
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| whatevs wrote: |
I've become quirky over the years too. But in a highly controlled way. Teaching special ed will do that to you.
I wish I could say, like you, that numerous colleagues were inspiring, though. I can't. Hate to say it but public schools in the US does not seem to attract the best and brightest. I'm hoping life abroad will be different.
Care to share details about how the master teachers motivated & empowered? |
Here's what I picked up from those master teachers... I make an effort to model the behavior I want my students to emulate. For example, the students see me taking risks and thinking outside the box, which seems to give them "permission" to do so as well. But I essentially determine what the students' motivation buttons are and once pressed, they take ownership in their own learning, allowing me to take a back seat in a more facilitative role. Do an Internet search on motivation commandments dornyei for some great insight into motivating students. |
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Dazai
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Posts: 74
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:17 am Post subject: |
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Good observation...this job has a lot to do, I'm talking 90%, with your demeanor - if you want to be really good. If not any old approach will do.
I know good ESL teachers who could be so much better if they could just smile all the time and be a little more cartoon-like. |
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IvanaShaanxi
Joined: 18 Jun 2012
Posts: 100
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Dazai wrote: |
Good observation...this job has a lot to do, I'm talking 90%, with your demeanor - if you want to be really good. If not any old approach will do.
I know good ESL teachers who could be so much better if they could just smile all the time and be a little more cartoon-like. |
I agree with you 100 %- it has a lot to do with demeanor. But also it seems to be some sort of a gift, too. How far can you go until you make a fool of yourself and feel undignified and students lose respect for you? I think old-fashioned teachers are the ones who most of all want to be respected in classroom. |
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