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Teachers' challenges worldwide
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Fri, 03/13/2009 - 16:05
Why don't we discuss the challenges we encounter and the solutions we have? Maybe we will learn a lot from others' difficulties
Thu, 04/16/2009 - 17:15
#2
Hi Su:
My suggestion to you is this: seek an opportunity to give school-wide lectures on your teaching techniques - either at your school or at other schools. A lecture that is well supported by judicious references to published research articles may earn you respect among your colleagues. Perhaps you can also invite parents to attend a lecture just for parents in which you present your teaching techniques. Other things that you can do include publishing articles in a professional journal such as TESOL Quarterly and presenting papers at conferences. Eventually, you may find yourself being hired by a school specifically because of the teaching techniques that you use. Personally, I think that there are any number of school Deans out there looking for someone like you, but they don't know you exist. Good luck!
Dan Jenkins (Foriegn Expert, English Department, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China)
Sat, 03/14/2009 - 16:39
#3
Hi Su,
It is really difficult to find a common-ground when the roles are so fixed, but may be designing one or two projects with your students and taking these projects out of the classroom and having the school community see what you are doing, may make the trick.
Sat, 03/14/2009 - 23:22
#4
Thanks for your suggestion. I think I did design and practice projects with my students from time to time whenever I think there is a need. But I have no idea about how to take these projects out of the classroom in a "proper way," the way they want it. They blind themselves to me most of the time.
Sun, 03/15/2009 - 02:46
#5
Dear Su and Marya (?),
I think Marya's suggestion is a good one, and teachers need to THINK about how to unblind their students in the shortest way. I think different people will have different approach on this, but I believe Su, when you place your students at the center of all activities, it will surely give off positive signals.
It seems to me you also have problem communicating with your colleagues. Is it simply because what you believe is different from them? I think I sometimes share the same feelings here in Hue. I understand that a teacher will be so blessed to work in a community where help is always available and sharing is an act of courtesy. I'm trying to overcome this by starting to share in a small group, two or three people who understand each other and are willing to work together. Maybe if this group work well, we can persuade more people to come with us.
Sun, 03/15/2009 - 04:48
#6
Hi Victor, Hi Su,
I think that may be having an open class, invite parents to see what kids are doing, invite one or two colleagues to join in, may give you the support you are asking for. I also believe that having a parent´s meeting at the beginning of the school year to tell parents what your objectives may help to build your own space in the school.
Sun, 03/15/2009 - 07:39
#7
Thanks for your answers.
Yeah...It's either they have trouble to accept me or I have trouble to get along with them. In the beginning of the semester, they even invited a parent presenter to the teachers' meeting to say something to set me up. I guess some people in the school really don't like me. I don't do social with others, the principal especially, after school. Well, do social is actually a huge tradition in my country. I know that. But I am really not into it. Some people don't like it just like me, but they still do it in order to keep their job well. But I always "believe" that as long as I do my job, "god" or someone with a clear mind will see it, or accept me fairly at least. I think I haven't built my own space in the school yet.
Sat, 03/21/2009 - 19:15
#8
Hi Su,
How old are your students and what country do you teach in? I think it would be easier to get useful advice if you could give a little more information about your students.
I live and work in China. I teach grades 3, 4 and 5 at the moment, but I have taught all levels - from kindergarden to university. I have worked on several projects while I was teaching in Europe and on three while I have been in China. In my personal experience, it is very difficult to promote working on projects in a normal Chinese school. Firstly, because the only important thing for the school authorities is the test results and how they qualify the school among the schools in the city. Secondly, because the students are too busy - literally. They attend classes from 7:30 AM to 9:30PM with lunch and dinner breaks Monday through Saturday and on Sunday most of them attend private lessons. Finally, because the Chinese -English teachers have absolutely no motivation to participate in such projects since the school administration takes notice of the latter only if you win first place at something. Participating in a project for participation's sake is just a waste of time for them. Time that should be spent drilling for the tests. The fact that such projects motivate the students to really study English, that it gives them the opportunity to effectively apply the knowledge they have acquired so far, that it will build self-confidence both in the teacher and in the students and that this will in a way promote the school's image.....none of this is important compared to the test results. So, if you work in China, maybe it's not that they don't like you. It's just that the teachers have so much work already, they don't want to be bothered with things that will only create more work for them and at the same time it will in no way reflect positively on the evaluation they will reaceive at the end of the year.
It doesn't really matter where you teach. What I can suggest is to try and do a little of you own thing every day and at the end of the term or the year if the results are good, then you are on the right tract. If not, then you need to change something.
Good luck, Iskra (moderator for Young Learners)
Sun, 03/22/2009 - 18:43
#9
Hi Su,
I read your posts and I realised that your problem is common everywhere in the world of teaching. However, I do believe that you may overcome this through time. why don't you think of inviting some of your colleagues at home and socialise with them; may be this will be a sort of ice-breaking to debate some educational concerns. Or you may also think of conducting a model lesson in which you would gently invite your colleagues to act as a sort of jury to discuss later your way of teaching:)Good luck;)
Cheerio- Mostafa(LMCS moderator)
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 23:14
#10
Hi Su
You could try establishing rapport and dialogue with your colleagues by asking for 'advice' (whether you need it or not!). People will often open up if they feel 'superior' in some way - and once you have established dialogue, then perhaps you can start sharing materials or doing inter-class competitions or something. This seems like a communication problem.
Best wishes,
Heather
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:21
#11
The challenges I face in the classroom are enormous, ranging from lack of materials to arousing interest in learners who may not see the need for laerning a language they don't use very often. I come from Cameroon which has a very complex linguistic set-up; with over 250 national languages. Most often one is found teaching english to students who speak another language at home and carry out studies in another language, then study english as a subject. What approach does one use? TESL, TEFL,...?
Over the years, I have tried a number of things such as associating language teaching to their daily experiences, making use of local materials, creating situations for use of authentic language etc. These have worked out but it makes teaching very strenous for the teacher.
I am different from my colleagues that when taking things into consideration for a dissision making, I am student-oriented. But my colleagues are all teacher-oriented. It's really difficult to comnunicate with them. I don't get surport most of the time. I haven't found a solution yet.