Questions! after reflection!

Why was it important to explore and be aware of your beliefs about teaching a L2?

Throughout years, one’s way of thinking changes every single day, and thinking a bit of our beliefs about teaching is a matter that should be keeping us aware, one thing is true, one as a single person, a human, is programmed genetically to develop a nature, a very unique nature, and that is what is hard to change, it will be present every day you teach and every day you live. But no matter what is our nature, one should transmit what we think is the best for others, what should we transmit and for the good of our people and country, do it in the best way possible. That is why exploring ones beliefs about teaching is very important to see if you’re doing it right or wrong, it is important as well what others think about my beliefs and know what are my partners beliefs.

After your decisions today about teachers and students beliefs, ask yourself a question… and answer analytically.

From your point of view, how would be the ideal teacher according to the models seen in class?

A teacher is a compound, a recipe of many ingredients, and from my point of view, the first step to the ideal one; autocratic, because looking like a dictator makes think your students believe in what you’re saying, at least to be quiet, by the way, the fact of being a dictator makes your students a “sponge”, or a ball of clay to be shaped; next, and what  contradicts that part of the dictator is the democratic, well, one must be aware of the students beliefs of the class, something has to be done if the class sucks, and that’s one as a teacher must let know the class that they have that right, of putting forward their rights. And the last part, the laissez-faire, once you know your students, you let them fly little by little, focusing on their abilities as the multiple intelligences, critical thinking, without letting the anarchy get to our classrooms! 

Reflection!!!

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Enseñanza L2
Reflection questions
By: Brian Martin

1. What are your beliefs about the role and importance of the skills (Reading, listening, speaking, writing), in L2 teaching and learning.

- It’s very important not to know all the structure and the whole thing, but at least to know what are you saying, and think about it, these skills are the whole language, if you know how to do it well, you got it, you can listen, read, write and most important, communicate in a spoken way; I mean, how we consider a person analphabet?, because doesn’t have the ability to read or write, but he can speak and listen to what others say, there is where one say, a person is involved totally in the language, no matter if he can write or read, but he understands.

2. What are your beliefs about the role of grammar in L2 teaching and learning.

- As when we were learning the grammar of our L1, in real life we use a 60% of what we were taught; at least for once in your life one’s got to use the grammar to teach, your children for example; but we were talking about grammar theory, that progressively will turn into applied grammar in real life; that is important, but talking seriously one has a grammar code inside that won’t let you fail while you’re talking, one does not ever say “hey, there it goes, the subject, the past tense, the blah!”

3. What are your beliefs about the role of culture in the L2 classroom?

- Learning a language is to get to know the whole thing, that involves, culture, or why are we learning a L2? To talk with Colombians? no! We must learn everything related to the language to not to have cultural shocks when communicating with native people; once we speak in L2, we shall be as a native, we transfer into other personality, one must think in L2, forget the L1!

4. Have your beliefs as a student affected your learning of a foreign language?

- in the first sight, the first impression of a class when beginning, I see how it will be, and I have no beliefs as a student, of course learning a language in the country it is spoken is better, but I’ve found teachers, Colombians, that give a class as a native speaker, that doesn’t mean that I prefer that rather than being in the original country; I just trust on somebody who has spent at least 20 years in the L2 country, otherwise I will not believe everything.

5. How can your beliefs as a teacher affect the learning of your students, keeping in mind that they may have different beliefs?

- in my way of seeing the world, ones may believe in what I say, others may not, but I teach with a belief, and that is very different compared with the regular teachers that just want to follow a written guide that the school give them.

6. Does this reflection boost any attitudinal/emotional cognitive changes in you?

- It made me think that I should teach more grammar from the book than the one I learned throughout the years and experience, while being in the states, but from my point of view, I believe much more on a teacher who says “close your books, you’ll not use that grammar in real life”- I mean, the grammar from the books, the formal and boring one. Once I said to my class, do not believe on everything is written here, if you use it that way, you’ll look as a alien, there’s nothing more comfy than going unnoticed.

Now, this is a real teacher!

Again, everyone in, the class has begun, Carolina says "Brian, i have to get back these keys to the office, you entertain them"; oh god! that was it, i'm a teacher!.

I remembered I had check the notebooks from last class, i told students, well, do you have any doubt about simple present?--- everybody quiet--- no doubts?? really??, well i'll make a quizz then!! I believe the whole school heard the very loud answer "NOOOO", I laughed and the started explaining some thing about the mistakes they made in the notebook, after 10 minutes and making exercises with all the class, I said, "ready for the quizz??" then they answered the same way, no matter what happened the teacher took very serious my quizz and said, "everybody please take out a sheet of paper". I was happy, she authorized me to make a quizz!.

A half an hour later, i was correcting them, and again about 8 kids made it!! out of 42!! this is awkward!... Carolina was aware of that too, she throws some exercises sometimes but she has to follow the program. Sad thing!

First experience as a real teacher!

I was a bit tired of seating there and doing nothing. The teacher put an exercise about simple present to be developed in the notebook; I know Carolina read my mind when she said, "could you please check everybody's work", I was as happy as a fat kid with a cake. I began solving doubts, explaining one thing and translating others; time to pick the notebooks and grade them with a seal.

42 students! well , lets do this!. It  took an eternity to grade and correct them, only 10 minutes left for the class to finish, and I wasn't even in the half of the job. I saw many many mistakes, just six or seven students out of the 42 could make it!

I finished my job at the teacher's room, Carolina was very thankful for that! ... you know just earning some points, she's a good teacher, and I'd like to be with her when I do my assistance.

And then get back to reality!

After Carolina's class, I went again to this tough class, 7th grade; that day was special, they had "Dirección de grupo", the home teacher as any other formal meeting, she wrote on the board the program of the meeting, there were some issues not very important, but other that I consider very serious, like they're stealing each other's cell phones, or less serious but not less important that they're leaving the classrooms very dirty. 

Well, they didn't get to any part, jokes, screaming, laughing, yelling everywhere. Sometimes the teacher feels stressed and do not know what to do, but as the rest of the classes on a high school, threats work very well!

Now the HELL is turning into HEAVEN

Another day, a Wendsday prepared to go on with my observations; that day I had to be with a new teacher that was assigned to me, her name Carolina, a teacher that changed the way I thought classes should be given. 

The first impression was not good, when I entered, she just said "hi" and "take a seat", I was expecting the worse, not to like her and not to get on well with her. She didn't even introduce me to the class, none of the kids knew who in world I was, but well, i was just observing.

On the other hand, leaving behind all the protocol, I was just surprised with Carolina, she has a total control of the class, she rises her hand with her hand closed, and everybody magically stops talking!, really? with sixth graders!?? Well this is real, and I liked that class, I congratulated her after the class for such a nice job, I haven't seen that in my whole life, not even when I was at school. 

Again, i wasn't doing anything, just taking notes, resisting and holding myself to not to push the teacher to jump and give the class or just do anything!

The class was over, totally in order, nothing similar to what it is with Liliana, it is not Liliana's fault, I do know the kind of people that are in her classroom, but this is, Carolina has a system that makes people be controlled, she decides the performance in class at the end, and gives the class a face, could be happy, a long face or a sad face, it's a kind of threat, but it do works, and depending on the number of happy faces, their grades may increase or decrease. Totally worth it!!! 

 

2nd Day, The Hell!!!

The second day I went to observe, the same mood as the first day, but standing to not leave a bad reputation to my University, I must do my best, so walk into that office and pick your schedule. Once again, Edwin wasn't nor my schedule, no idea what I was doing there, and Marisela was already at Haidy's classroom, so I took a sit for more than 2 hours in the second floor, Edwin didn't even looked for me knowing that I was looking for him several times that day. Well, something, a feeling, and went to the office, and there he was, happy and busy as ever. 

Finally I could talk to him, fix my schedule and I began that day, the last unit of class. Other lunch as long as those nights when one cannot sleep. 1:30, arrived to class and as the first day, kids never stopped getting in, different from the one I observed first, there were kids older and taller, people who repeated the course and as they were getting into the room, the noisy was increasing, like one of those nightmare classes in The Simpsons where everybody is yelling, fighting, eating, crying, etc. 

I entered with the home-teacher, Liliana, and as she was walking into the middle of the class, she yelled that hard that everybody stopped, and looked at me as E.T would have arrived to Earth. Liliana presented me in front of the class, she told the class I was a "teacher" not an observant, a "teacher" from Universidad Javeriana. I couldn't hide that smile from my face, but then I introduced myself, "I'm here to help, any question, any doubt, just come at me".

I took a seat again, and watched the class, I saw that is divided into rebels, the ones who do want to study, and some who do not care about it at all. When the teacher was checking homework, the half of the class was sleeping, in 7th grade I thought there were more level than 6th graders, but there's not! Simple present in 7th grade?, 6th grade is also in that topic!!. The hell was still going on, yelling, screaming, laughing, and the teacher again yelling back. I had one of the worst headaches of all times that day, again at 3 pm I run to get my rope and got out of hell, I was convinced that this will be short, but painful, will be the last time I step on a school until I go to get my children's grades.