CLASSROOM GOALS
As an educator and leader, it’s important that I solidify my vision. This means that I will develop, verbalize, and put in writing my goals. I’ve been a teacher for nine years and I’ve had goals, but this is the first time that I’ve spelled them out. Here are 5 goals for my class, followed by an explanation: 1. Provide a teaching environment that is welcoming, fun, and interactive. Adult School is not like K-12. If the students don’t think the class meets their needs, it is very easy for them to switch classes or never come back. I learned early on that Adult School should be fun as well as educational. 2. Help improve their English writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills. In my Level 0 - 3 ESL class, students have a wide range of needs. Some speak well, but have trouble reading. Some read well, but have trouble speaking. Some have been in school before, some have not. My objective is to see where they are and help them move up the ladder. 3. Expose and teach students about U.S. culture, while learning about their cultures. The large majority of my students are refugees from Iraq and are new to the country. Often, I am the first American that they get to know. In the midst of a lesson, I’ll ask them “Is this the same in your country?” and it develops into rich cultural compare and contrast discussions. 4. Teach students life skills. We have a lot of freedom to meet students needs in this area. So, after, I do a survey and see where interests lie, we do lessons on: citizenship, job skills, making doctor appointments, building credit, driving, domestic violence prevention, etc. 5. Give students confidence to try new things outside of their comfort zone. My students live in El Cajon - "the box"; and some never leave the box. This is because they don’t drive on the freeway or they are afraid to go outside of their comfort zone. Having lived overseas for 10 years, I have trouble wrapping my mind around this. I am always pushing them to do something they have not done before - use technology, visit the library regularly, make friends with their English speaking neighbor, and take advantage of learning opportunities. ESL students at this level tend to lack confidence in their skills. My job is to build them up. PROFESSIONAL GOALS My short-term career goals are: 1. improve upon my leadership of the PLC group I facilitate, 2. get more organized to be more effective in my day-to-day work, 3. look for and engage in opportunities to strengthen my leadership skills, 4. continue shadowing Principals and learning from accessible experts 5. share what I learn with my colleagues or anyone in my circle of influence. My long-term goal is to obtain a full-time Admin position in San Diego. COACHING SESSION Today, I got a written and verbal report from my colleague on how she implemented her “Reactive and Proactive” fitness goals. Then, I taught her Habit 2: having an end goal. She identified an art show that she would like to enter and explained the steps involved. Next week, we’ll meet to discuss her progress.
4 Comments
Bill Robinson
9/12/2015 01:25:05 pm
Sheila,
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Sheila
9/15/2015 10:34:43 pm
Prof. Bill, Thank you for your affirmation. The majority of my students are refugees who have suffered trauma. There's so much to teaching them, than just teaching. I consider it an honor to work with these students.
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David
9/13/2015 04:46:35 pm
Wow! What an awesome opportunity for a rich cultural exchanged. It seems like you get to interact very interesting adults as a teacher. I can only imagine how important the language and life skills are to your students' successful integration into the U.S.
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Sheila
9/15/2015 11:34:47 pm
David, the Iraqi population in El Cajon is largely Chaldean (Catholic). They fled their country because of war and religious persecution. Some students told me they had literally 10 minutes to grab what they needed and run. I'm sure they want to maintain their cultural heritage and it is comforting to be around familiar surroundings/people. Also, St. Michael's Chaldean Church is an established religious institution that ties this community together.
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Sheila L. DavisPassionate Adult ESL Instructor at Grossmont Adult School. Seeking to learn new habits and unlearn bad ones. ArchivesCategories |