Hello family and friends (and people I don't know)!
This year, I have not made any NY's resolutions. Mostly because I don't do well at keeping them and if I want to change some behavior, I do better at just doing it any time.
However, the resolutions made by people around me mean that even though I really, really want to bake, I don't think that anyone would eat it. Or if they did they would feel guilty and I'm trying to be supportive. I need to find an outlet for my creativity other than cookies and pies I suppose, or an outlet for my cookies and pies!
Spain is good. I have decided that I will go home after this year and I think it was the right decision. I am fully enjoying teaching now. Faby and I had an excellent conversation about how good teaching is not open the heads of the students and cramming in information. Teaching is more subtle. It's about learning with your students and facilitating interactions between them. I think the ideal classroom seating arrangement is a circle, where we can all learn from each other. I give English class, but I need patience from my students and I've noticed they pay much more attention when I value what they bring to the classroom. I've begun some of my classes with a question about them, Spanish culture, or Spanish in general. When I start this way, they all are silent and listen in rapt attention because it's not often that at teacher asks them for help. I think that's unfortunate because the way children or teenagers or middle schoolers view the world is so much different than how adults do.
So I guess, one of my primary objectives as their teacher is to make them aware that they bring something I need to my class, that they are valuable.
That's not a NY's resolution, but that is a NY's realization.
2 comments:
We should have talked about teaching more the last time we were together. I agree with a lot of your ideas. However, I would warn that some cultures and some age groups prefer the structured authoritative classroom, I'm sure you know what I mean. Also, my favorite classroom setup is a semi-circle, that way I can use the white board or flip chart (it is my favorite!)
Also, the other day when I was having lunch with my dad (before our skype date) he was trying to explain to me some of the things that are happening at his great big insurance company and asked me to imagine co-operatively owning a business and for some not so odd or inexplicable reason I named an imaginary fair trade pastry shop...
Post a Comment