I feel that the teaching experience I have been engaged in is still pretty complex to share. It began in September and has not finished yet. I started from teaching English at a junior high-school. I found myself striving for the students' liking for the subject and myself. I felt great sympathy and empathy towards the weakest learners. I didn't want them to miss out. I wished they could see and understand how easy English is. I felt not detached from their experience as learners, from their struggles. I was their teacher, but I did not fully feel like one. I rather felt their companion in learning; someone to assist them - share the little more I know with them. I really wanted them to enjoy the classes. I can only hope they did.
Teaching French followed. Here the quote matches perfectly: "To teach is to learn twice" (Joseph Joubert, Pensées, 1842). It was a bit easier with the first grade primary pupils. Our mother tongue was often in use. Yet it was so amusing when a girl asked me at the end of our last class if I was going back to France :-) Well, I did not, but I started teaching at a bilingual (junior) high-school. I had to speak French much more often, and I really did not feel I was competent enough to teach this language. It was tough, and I really sighed with relief eventually leaving the gates of the building which traumatically reminded me of my old high school. Another chapter finished.
Teaching English to primary and secondary students was still ahead. Teaching young learners was the highlight of my training. I found it a nice combination of my former culture animation-acting experience, English and - most of all - love for children. I think I can say that I loved the pupils I worked with. (Probably the more, that I know I will not have my own children.) It's amazing that as my rapport with a more naughty group developed, and my knowledge of the young learners' profile broadened due to my BA paper, the class discipline improved tremendously. I proved that sincerity of feelings, and even being able to admit one's mistakes in front of young children can do a lot of good to the T-Ls relationship. And again, so funny when a girl from one group asked me at the end: "Czy pani jest z Angiel?" :-) It was because, even though I happened to use L1, L2 was pretty much in use.
Now, I'm teaching at the International School of Poznań. It's surely challenging linguistically. One time we had a lesson about what makes a good teacher. Preparing for it, I browsed the net for some quotes. Here are my favorites:
* What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. ~Karl Menninger
* I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"
And one more, so true about my Teacher:
*A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Author Unknown
http://www.quotegarden.com/teachers.html
Teaching French followed. Here the quote matches perfectly: "To teach is to learn twice" (Joseph Joubert, Pensées, 1842). It was a bit easier with the first grade primary pupils. Our mother tongue was often in use. Yet it was so amusing when a girl asked me at the end of our last class if I was going back to France :-) Well, I did not, but I started teaching at a bilingual (junior) high-school. I had to speak French much more often, and I really did not feel I was competent enough to teach this language. It was tough, and I really sighed with relief eventually leaving the gates of the building which traumatically reminded me of my old high school. Another chapter finished.
Teaching English to primary and secondary students was still ahead. Teaching young learners was the highlight of my training. I found it a nice combination of my former culture animation-acting experience, English and - most of all - love for children. I think I can say that I loved the pupils I worked with. (Probably the more, that I know I will not have my own children.) It's amazing that as my rapport with a more naughty group developed, and my knowledge of the young learners' profile broadened due to my BA paper, the class discipline improved tremendously. I proved that sincerity of feelings, and even being able to admit one's mistakes in front of young children can do a lot of good to the T-Ls relationship. And again, so funny when a girl from one group asked me at the end: "Czy pani jest z Angiel?" :-) It was because, even though I happened to use L1, L2 was pretty much in use.
Now, I'm teaching at the International School of Poznań. It's surely challenging linguistically. One time we had a lesson about what makes a good teacher. Preparing for it, I browsed the net for some quotes. Here are my favorites:
* What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. ~Karl Menninger
* I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"
And one more, so true about my Teacher:
*A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Author Unknown
http://www.quotegarden.com/teachers.html
No comments:
Post a Comment