CELTA - Assignment 4

  Going into CELTA, I expected a rigid intensive course that had no room for imagination or emotion. Fortunately, I'm a bad fortune teller; I found a course that values student-centeredness, building rapport with students, compassion and creativity. I found joyful trainers who gave constructive feedback and encouraged me in every step of the way. More important, I found myself. Now I know what I'll do for the rest of my life. Years from now, as I listen to an emotional orchestra, my eyes will water as I remember this - my first step toward being a great teacher.

 As a teacher, I have a few areas of strength. First, I monitor students effectively to support them as they work on tasks. In my fifth TP (teaching practice), after having set up a speaking task, the students were able to do the activity well, as I re-modeled the task and gave assistance, encouragement and praise. Second, I convey meaning efficiently. In my fifth TP, I used TPR (Total Physical Response) to convey the meaning of the words 'near' and 'opposite'; in my sixth TP, I used visuals to convey the meaning of words related to houses and pubs. In both TPs, as I checked meaning, I found that students had completely understood. Third, I drill words effectively. In my sixth TP, in the free oral practice, the students used words that I had drilled earlier, with improved pronunciation.

 I’m not a great teacher but I intend to be one. There are many areas in which I’d like to develop. First, I need to use the whiteboard more effectively. In my sixth TP, a few students couldn’t recognize some of the words on the board; one student even copied ‘agent’ as ‘sgent’. Second, I need to exploit context more efficiently by having an OHT or bigger pictures of the characters/scene. In my fifth and sixth TP, I was too verbal so students were not really engaged; proper visuals/OHT could’ve helped. Third, I talk in lessons more than I should. In my fourth TP, in the feedback of a listening task, it was mostly teacher talk with little elicitation; I tend to increase my teacher profile when students don’t respond immediately.

 In the teaching of my colleagues, I was impressed by a few things. In the first TP, Muhammad had the cleanest, most organized board that I had seen. This helped the students understand, and no one had trouble copying language from the board. His board work is something to emulate. In the fourth TP, I was impressed by Asmaa’s composure and professional manner. Her voice was clear, loud and her language was graded to suit the elementary learners. The lesson was clearly staged and the transitions were smooth. In the sixth TP, while drilling, Ramy encouraged the students by cheering, ‘I don’t think the people in the other class can hear you. Louder!’ after which the students repeated the words confidently, loudly. Encouragement motivates the students.

 I learned a lot from my observation of experienced teachers. In Helen’s lesson, she kept students engaged through competitive games and creating information gaps by having students read different parts of the same text. After the lesson, she explained that Egyptians tend to talk in Arabic when they’re divided in pairs – which is why she divided students into groups of three or more; if two spoke Arabic, the third would often bring them back. I also noticed that she grouped reserved Egyptian girls together because they wouldn’t talk as much if grouped with boys. All this goes to show excellent classroom and culture awareness, something I should have as I teach different classrooms around the world.

 In Darren’s lesson, he personalized Business English by discussing the Egyptian economy and recent events in Sinai. This shows that he purposefully picked a topic suitable for Egyptian students to make a more engaging lesson. I should also have my students at the forefront of my mind as I choose a topic. In Melissa’s lesson (DVD), she created a relaxing atmosphere by having students sit on the floor, take deep breaths and remember recent experiences. This made a very effective brainstorming session. She also re-paired students frequently to make more effective communication activities and to refresh their minds. I want to produce the same comfortable, engaging environment in my classroom.

 A teacher never stops learning. Beyond the course, I plan to read about education and different teaching methodologies, and to attend different ELT courses and seminars. The following table outlines my top three priorities for future development:

Area to work on:	Action plan:
Decreasing teacher talk	1. Be more patient in elicitation. 2. Observe more experienced teachers and how they maximize STT. 3. Read ‘Talk less. Teach more!' by Pearl Nitsche.
Using the whiteboard more effectively	1. Use more visuals and an OHT where appropriate to reduce the amount I need to write on the board. 2. Read ‘Using The Board in the Language Classroom’ by Jeannine Dobb. 3. Find an empty classroom and practise, preferably with a colleague.
Improving body language in the classroom	1. Record videos of a few of my lessons and watch them to be more aware of my body language. 2. Read 'The Classroom X-Factor: The Power of Body Language and Non-verbal Communication in Teaching' by John White and John Gardner

Sargasso Sea: The Only Sea Without Shores

Sargasso Sea surrounded by currents

Floating Seaweed (Sargassum)

 Sargasso Sea is a unique and mysterious area in the North Atlantic Ocean. It's defined by the boundary currents that surround it: the Gulf Stream in the west, the North Atlantic Current in the north, the Canary Current in the east, the North Atlantic Equatorial Current in the south. It stretches from 20 degrees N to 35 degrees N, and 40 degrees W to 70 degrees W. It is strewn with free-floating seaweed of the genus Sargassum, after which it was named by Portuguese sailors in the 15th century.

Weaker horses were thrown overboard to save water
for better ones

 The sea is a warm lens-shaped body of water sitting on top of cooler water, and is higher by a meter in its middle than around its edges. It is a biological desert with low nutrients; the floating seaweed actually grows in near-shore areas before being carried out by currents to the Sargasso. The sea's dangerous reputation comes from its location in the almost windless Horse latitudes between 30 and 35 degrees N; the air in this region is often so still that sailing ships were becalmed and stranded there for months at a time, thus prolonging the voyage and resulting in water shortages. Weaker horses were thrown overboard to save water for better ones or even slaughtered for fresh meat.

  Sailors mistakenly thought that sailing ships drifted endlessly because they were entangled in the weeds. Adding to their fears, small shipworms in tropical waters sometimes turned the sides of a becalmed ship into a rotted mass. The shipworm's ability to digest cellulose enabled it to bore into submerged wood faster than kids ate candy. Over time, the seaweed and its fauna were transformed in stories into monsters and giant squid that could take down any ship. At present, even though ships travel frequently through Sargasso Sea and people even go diving there, the stories made up by long dead superstitious sailors still live on. What can I say, the public loves a mystery. On the bright side, these stories inspired a lot of great fictitious plots and novels that many enjoy.


 GOBI (Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative) recently proposed Sargasso Sea as an EBSA (Environmentally and Biologically Significant Area) because of its following properties:

• Unique in the world as the only area that is a center of distribution for a self-sustaining community of holopelagic drift algae.
• Provides a structured habitat for a wide range of fauna, including endemic, threatened, and commercially important species.
• Spawning site and migratory route for several species (eels, marlin, tuna, loggerhead sea turtles, humpback whales)

 My favorite species in the sargassum's fauna is the Histrio histrio because it's a perfect example of symbiosis. It's an ambush predator that mimics the color and texture of the seaweed to avoid being seen; thank god they're much smaller than us!

Histrio histrio (Sargassumfish)

Should Women Work?

 

'Should women work?' is a question often asked – even though the answer is clearer than the morning sun on a cloudless Friday. It's a resounding YES. In our day and age, such questions are similar to questioning the roundness of the earth: redundant contemplations that shift our focus away from important issues. But, apparently, there are people from the Stone Age living among us today who argue that women must stay at home to uphold their sacred duties of cooking, cleaning, raising kids and such. How ridiculous.

  Simply put, both men and women have a head on their shoulders. Females actually get better grades than males; the yearly results at my university testify to this consistently. Moreover, women are half of the world's population. Therefore, entirely excluding them from the workforce will decrease production dramatically. In the past few decades, the increase in female employment in the first world has been the main cause of growth. Over the coming years, prejudices will slowly disappear giving women a chance to increase their productivity and income even more.

  Throughout history, many prominent women have impacted the world: visionaries, warriors, humanitarians and leaders. Names such as Florence Nightingale, Benazir Bhutto, Rosa Parks and Margaret Thatcher are instantly recognizable to most people. Dorothy Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for confirming the structure of penicillin, and then the structure of vitamin B12, which improved healthcare by a milestone. Joan of Arc led the French to victory against the English at Orleans - at the tender age of seventeen. Yes, that's right, only seventeen.

  An issue of The Economist mentions that some people think that if more women work rather than mind their children, this will cause lower birth rate among other negative social phenomena. Yet developed countries where more women work have higher birth rates than other countries where women stay at home. Lois Hoffman, a professor of psychology in the University of Michigan, published a study called The Effects of the Mother's Employment on the Family and the Child with very interesting conclusions, most of which are positive: 'the higher academic outcomes for children, benefits in their behavioral conduct and social adjustment, and the higher sense of competence and effectiveness in daughters'.

  Women should have the right to choose the way they would like to live their life, without pressure from others. It's also necessary to create a balance between family and work; being a workaholic is an extreme that's wrong for both men and women. In closing, life is not a war between both sexes, but a cooperation for a better future.

Ups 'N' Downs Crew Interview

Don't call it breakdancing. Though the term is popular, it is looked down upon by those involved in the hip hop culture. This popular style of street dance is properly known as b-boying. I met with Ups 'N' Downs, the most successful b-boying crew in Egypt, to find out more.

So what is b-boying?

B-boying is one of the four pillars of hip hop, which are MCing, DJing, b-boying, and graffiti writing. It is a relatively new style of street dance that was developed in the 70s and it consists of four primary elements: toprock, footwork, power moves and freezes/suicides. B-boy, B-girl, or breaker is the name given to the practitioner of this dance.

Why is the concept of crews and teamwork important in b-boying?

Your crewmates can pinpoint your mistakes and give you constructive feedback. In a crew, one's weakness is covered by another's strength; therefore you complete each other. Also, harmonious teamwork results in the greatest performances, which may or may not follow a storyline. Moreover, many international competitions are between crews, so you have to be in a crew to be able to compete.

Who are the members of 'Ups 'N' Downs' crew?

B-boys CHB, Heat, Trix, and Alex.

What are your achievements so far?

We're the only b-boying crew in Egypt that works with 'Red Bull'. We're sponsored by 'Street Scientists', an international street wear brand. One of our members works as a moderator for BBoyWorld.com, the number one b-boy site. We toured with world class B-Boy Roxrite (from USA) and performed with him in Virgin Megastores, AUC, etc. We're also actively organizing many b-boying events in Egypt.

Has b-boying helped you grow as a person?
   
Of course. It's a way of life. Learning new moves could sometimes be challenging and we keep pushing the boundaries of the body which helped us lose our fear and become more confident in life. We also learnt that we should never give up because if you crash (fall) while executing a certain move, you stand up and try again and again until you get it right.

How is the b-boying scene here in Egypt? And what are the changes that you would like to see here?

Firstly, some audiences are too calm while we perform - even though they sneak backstage to congratulate us on our amazing job after we're done. We do appreciate their compliments but we'd also like to see more energy from them during the performance itself.

 Secondly, b-boys with bad mentality perform only gymnastics-oriented power moves – to please and impress the crowd – and ignore other elements of b-boying like footwork, toprock, and freezes/suicides; their style is poor. This results in the misconception that b-boying is all about gymnastics-oriented power moves rather than a complete street dance that has much more to offer.

How do you stay motivated?

We stay motivated by constant practice, improvement, and accomplishing things. And we work as a crew so we help and inspire each other.


(Published in October/November 2011 issue of 'Cilantro Central' in Egypt)