Curriculum and Instruction
I believe that teachers should have ample freedom in selecting effective curriculum and should tailor instruction so that it is most effective for their students. This means that instruction should be done through a variety of methodologies and using a variety of tools. I believe this because I have seen what happens when books are purchased for the school with no input from the teachers. Teachers are expected to utilize books that are not the best teaching tool and end up supplementing with other materials to be effective. Administration can support the learning process by treating teachers as professionals and placing high value on their input regarding instructional material. I am excited that technology is moving us away from textbooks. But, many schools - including my own - will be slower to change. Choosing good core textbooks is still critical and needed in our program. In regards to instruction itself, I know that mentorship is powerful. When I became an Adult Ed instructor there was no formal mentoring program available. I observed seasoned teachers and asked a lot of questions. Teachers now have the benefit of participating in a BTSA program or being assigned a mentor teacher. In summary, most teachers want what’s best for their students. This means that they will want the best tools to do the job. Administration should support this and also support mentorship for new teachers and continued Professional Development for all teachers. This will help ensure that teachers “Sharpen their saws” and are effective at their craft. Community and Family Involvement Having community volunteer tutors has made a huge difference to our program. Our partnership with Laubach Literacy Council of San Diego has benefited our school, teachers, and students. Volunteers are trained through Laubach, then placed with students who need extra help. The volunteers are able to give extra attention to Beginning Literacy students twice a week. Their partnership with our program is invaluable. Since I am in an Adult Ed program, I am substituting “family” for “parent”. I believe that family plays a strong role in how quickly a student progresses in our program. I believe this because I have seen students with supportive families flourish and those without support flounder. This week a concerned husband came to tell me how smart his wife - my new student - is, but that she is shy. I told him that the best thing he can do is speak English at home so she gets extra practice. He nodded in agreement. I explained that we had an additional Distance Learning class that could be beneficial. He thanked me. Families can support the student by: respecting their class time, encouraging their learning, asking what they learned during class, helping them at home with any homework, and speaking English with the student at home. In summary, support from family makes a vital difference in how quickly a student progresses in our program - not only for the reasons listed above, but also for building up students self-confidence. In El Cajon, where it is possible to conduct your day-to-day business in Arabic, a lack of confidence is a major barrier for our EL students. If they don’t feel confident, they won’t step out and try to communicate in English. School Discipline My belief is that most students want to be successful in learning and are respectful of the classroom environment. Therefore, they are less likely to be disruptive or disrespectful. This has been my experience with adult learners in my school and in community college. Adult students recognize the importance of learning English in relation to reaching other goals - college, helping their families, employment, etc. I believe this because in my 9 years of classroom experience, I can count on one hand the number of disciplinary problems I’ve had. In my class, after I’ve addressed the problem and it continues; the student goes to the principal. Depending on the outcome, they may return to class, be transferred to another teacher, or in serious cases expelled from our program. I also believe that a good teacher is a good classroom manager. He or she should be able to take care of most problems before they become serious. If it is not easily fixed by a short meeting; administration should be there to support the best decision for the situation. In summary, as long as Student Expectations are clear and teachers are connecting with and inspiring students, discipline problems should be rare. However, if they arise, there should be set protocol in place to address disciplinary issues. Technology My belief is that all students should become proficient with technology and using technology in their learning is critical. I believe this because well…. look around you. Smart phones are the norm, not the exception. According to one statistic, In 2014, “84% of U.S. households own a computer.” (Census: Computer Ownership, 2015) Technology is embedded in our lives. Technology is also embedded in virtually every job worldwide. If we are preparing our students for employment, they will need to be adept at using technology. Schools are an appropriate place for them to hone their skills. But, our teachers should be qualified to teach with and about technology. If they’re not, administration should provide Professional Development to help build their skills. In summary, technology should be embraced by educators and used in classrooms. Because of my beliefs, I bring my students to the computer lab four hours a week. We do word processing, students learn on ESL websites and YouTube. I maintain a Facebook page for my students and am currently building a website to share resources with them. Additionally, I use the Remind app to communicate with students. I’m only scratching the surface and I’m eager to learn other ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. Resource Census: Computer ownership, internet connection varies widely across U.S. (2014, September 19). Retrieved October 7, 2015.
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Sheila L. DavisPassionate Adult ESL Instructor at Grossmont Adult School. Seeking to learn new habits and unlearn bad ones. ArchivesCategories |