DIRECTIONS: On an individual basis, read carefully the metaphor narrative, the four journal entries and the autobiography you posted on your personal blog. In a new blog entry, respond to the following questions:
1. What beliefs or assumptions about language learning and language teaching have you held throughout your English language development and your teaching career? (You are expcted to support those assumptions with references taken from your journal, metaphor narrative and autobiography)
h BELIEFS ABOUT LANGUAGE LEARNING
English learning conveys
cooperative learning, active participation, and creativity.
-I
decided to challenge my students to create a debate. (journal 2)
-Everyone
was active and their participation was fruitful. (journal 2)
-one
of my students asked me if she could help me with the attendance list… It was
funny but also it was fantastic to see my students are taking active roles in
the classroom. (journal 3)
-I
asked the students to communicate their daily routines but in a creative way.
Thus, I displayed some options such as an explanation through a drawing, a
song, a guessing game, a role play, in a written form etc. I thought it was a
good start to work with different learning styles. (journal 3)
-I
hoped to obtain their active participation in class. (Journal 4)
English Learning is developed
when is purposeful and matches real life.
-My third pillar is to teach English as a foreign language for a real
purpose. So that I wish my students could express their feelings and interact
socially using the target language. In this way, students have opportunities to
reflect on their community problems and necessities (my metaphor)
-This teacher decided to interact with the students in English and made
us use it for real purposes. (autobiography)
English learning is an ongoing
process that passes through different stages that are embellished along with motivation,
commitment and values.
-My class must be surrounded by moral principles. Values such as respect,
responsibility, love, cooperation and honesty are practiced in every single
class (My Metaphor)
-students seemed to be enthusiastic and willing to
learn new things (journal 1)
-I raised their motivation by giving them some extra
points. (journal 1)
-My students told me I was a clown and had a lot of fun
indeed. They imitated the same gestures and understood the message correctly.
(journal 3)
-there were some of them who were willing to learn from
their mistakes. (journal 3)
-Moreover students were excited and eager to learn.
(journal 3)
-they showed interest and were keen to carry out the
activity in English. (journal 4)
-I realized when students are motivated they are
capable and eager to do many things in order to learn this foreign language.
For this reason I passed to listen to them and felt the necessity to reward
then with some extra positive points. Of course, they felt more committed and
earnest in English class. (journal 4)
-English was my favorite class (autobiography)
I really enjoyed teaching them because they were
open-minded, joyful, fun and willing to do whatever to learn such as playing
games, singing songs, making role plays and so on. (autobiography)
English learning is embellished by practice
-your students must
love your classes because you find the balance between having fun and making
the learn by practice. (Sergio Garcia's comment, journal 2)
-After that brief explanation, I
said “without practice no knowledge” So it’s time to use this! (journal 4)
-when they switched turns and
continue interviewing other classmates, they learnt the pronunciation, and the
questions and answers where more fluid. (journal 4)
-I used to learn vocabulary every
day. Hence, I just needed an opportunity to interact, communicate and share my
knowledge with others. (autobiography)
Learning
English needs the family’s support
-the support from the families play an
important role to develop our careers. (Leidy Diana’s comment in autobiography)
-I had what I needed, my “parents’ support”.
(autobiography)
BELIEFS ABOUT LANGUAGE TEACHING
English teaching enhances
students’ skills to criticize and propose strategies to enhance their learning
process
-I consider my students must be people that are able to analyze, reflect
and propose in their Efl learning process.(my metaphor)
-The next day, when I was going to get into the classroom all the
students arranged the chairs in a circle by themselves. So I was surprised they
took that decision, but at the same time was happy because it seemed they felt
more comfortable studying in such way. (journal 3)
-Sebastian told me he had looked up the words in the dictionary and tried
to write the message in English. (journal 3)
English teachers are
characterized for being decision-makers, creative and resourceful
-I made a deal with them, sometimes I spoke in English and when it was
necessary I spoke in Spanish.(journal 1)
-I told them we were going to play a game but they had to work in groups
and I assigned the people for each team. (journal 1)
-Accordingly, I used some exercises to increase their confidence when
talking. (journal 2)
The previous class I asked my students to work in a circle because the
classroom was too small for them and for me (journal 3)
-Sixth graders are very noisy and talkative, that is why, I prepared a
song called “baby shark” to catch their attention and manage the class since
the beginning of the class. (journal 3)
-I modeled a way to tell a routine with gestures as well. Later, I asked
my students if they had understood but most of them answer “so, so”. Due to
this, I changed the example with one of my students, she told her routine with
my help. (journal 3)
-In the plan it was supposed to be done in the classroom, but when I
realized the school basketball court was empty, I decided to work with the
students there (journal4)
-I learned to be more creative, caring, adaptable, determined, engaging,
joyful and have a good group manage. (autobiography)
Teaching
English involves knowing the learning context and reflection upon social issues
and cultures
-l2 learners must have the opportunity to reflect on
their social environment and have spaces to build their own identities and
ideologies that endorse the improvement of their target language using it in
real life.(my metaphor)
-I met marvelous students and teachers who helped me
comprehend the community was important in the process of teaching and learning… it was time to start a research on social issues that
affect positively or negatively in the English learning. (autobiography)
English teaching involves mutual
support from students and teachers
-extra help, increases the students motivation, and they will
feel more confident when speaking next time. (Natalia's comment, journal 1)
-I realized my students were talented, collaborative and smart people who
are able to solve problem in and out of the classroom. (journal 1)
-I like to listen to my students and attempt to support them when they
have any problem. I try to advise them but correct them as well (comment of my own journals)
-My role was to guide, scaffold and support the students in the
pronunciation of the words. (journal 2)
-When I was observing the students I realized some of them participated
more than others, they were leaders and provided many positive things in the
group. In fact, they cooperated and supported other students with lower levels
(journal 2)
English teacher should be open-minded
-I tend to be creative and
open-minded to tackle the classroom reality. (metaphor)
-therefore, I made a deal with them,
sometimes I spoke in English and when it was necessary I spoke in Spanish.
(journal 1)
-I said to not worry about that and
proposed other ways that could fit their learning style and preferences.
(journal 3)
-I understood I could modify or
change the methodologies according to the learning context. (autobiography)
English teacher attitudes
contribute to make the learning processes enjoyable and easier.
-that humor should be one of the main pillars to achieve a well
environment in the classroom (Hans' comment, metaphor narrative)
-The first thing I feel is necessary when teaching English is “Humor”.
Since the first moment you get into the classroom till the last second of
class. (my methaphor)
-“teacher, you are the more pretty and the more intelligent, good
teacher, thank you” (journal 3)
-In that moment I felt grateful and proud of my job (Journal 3)
-He was well-prepared and had a lot of fun with us. (autobiography)
-Leidy was very creative, friendly and responsible in every class.
(autobiography)
-I’m aware of the difficulties for obtaining quick outcomes, but this is
a process where we as teachers must be patient and persistent. (my metaphor)
English teaching embraces new
challenges to understand needs, beliefs, and differences in the learning
context.
-let me tell you that
these challenges help us to be better teachers… Sometimes, we have to deal with
some situations, taking into account our students' needs and apply the
necessary strategies to engage them into learning (Ana Milena's comment, journal 1)
-you are a very good teacher who deals with new challenges from a
positive perspective. (Ana Cecilia's comment, journal 1)
-I told them I understood it was not easy due to the lack of chances they
had to interact in English, but also I mentioned it was not impossible and that
I was not a “punisher” but I would provide guide and support in their learning.
(journal 3)
English teaching should focus on
learner-centered practices
-I like student-centered classes, because I love when my students are
active and participate to enrich the class. I do not want my students to be
passive and quiet. I do not want “Good pets” that imitate or please their
“owners” (my metaphor)
Teaching English must be purposeful and have a plan
-To begin with, my purpose for
that class was to make my students identify and describe two places: the city
and the country. As they live in a rural area, I wanted to know their beliefs
and thoughts about each one of these places. (journal 1)
-I told my students the main
purpose of the class and the activities we were going to follow. As well as the
challenges they had to tackle, they had to use the foreign language to talk
about the activities that were part of their daily routine (journal 3)
-I told them about the
objectives and the activities planned for this class. (journal 4)
English
teachers can be professional models
-I admired my English teacher and wanted to
be like him. (autobiography)
-All what we do in class would be reflected
in our students and that somehow we are models for the learners. (Leidy Diana’s
comment in autobiography)
2. What
sources have you derived those beliefs or assumptions from?
My assumptions
about language learning and teaching have been constructed mainly through
theory and practice. I think it is essential to have theoretical basis to start
with the action itself.
As time goes by my beliefs change or get strengthened due
to the experience I get when implementing those methods or approaches I learned
at the University. Therefore, the more chances you have to apply those assumptions
the more knowledge and improvements you obtain into your teaching practice.
Additionally,
my beliefs have been also built upon my constant contact with my students who
are the main focus of my work and the principal factor that shape my teaching
practice.
Another source is my peers. Hence, when I see that their strategies
are worthy I attempt to use them or adapt them to the learning context. Finally,
the influence of my professors from University has taken part in the process of
constructing such assumptions or beliefs because they could be models or become
inspiration in my work.
3. How would you challenge some of those beliefs?
In my
opinion, I would challenge those beliefs through the reflective teaching, colleagues,
students and action research.
First of
all, reflective teaching is a good way to assess those assumptions, so that
this helps me to reflect on what works and does not work in my teaching
practice. As Dewey states (1933, as mentioned in Pollard and Tann, 1995) “Reflective
teaching evaluates and revises your own practice continuously”.
Moreover, reflection
goes along with action research because this facilitates to find the main
problem of learning or teaching.
Additionally, my students are the main source
to confirm those beliefs because they display the real results obtained during
the action.
Finally, I think my colleagues could give me some insights,
opinions and also suggestions to improve those assumptions previously
mentioned.
jj