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