ICC MT Reflection

Unfortunately very little of my teaching was recorded due to a "technical error" on my behalf.  Joel was recording my teaching, and something got lost in translation when handing him my camera, thus only the "isolation stage" of my teaching was recorded. Seeing that we were only supposed to do the presentation stage (which I did do) the 2 minutes of my recorded lesson show nothing that covers ICC lesson of the MT.

Now on to what I remember.  I believe that I  included both  'Big C' and "little c" into my teaching.  I informed the students about the history of the game, Euchre, which was created in my home state of Michigan.  I also informed the class about the basic time line as to when the game was created, and the fact that  it was once considered the national card game of America during the 1800's.  I then went on to describe the 'Big C" aspect of the game, by informing the class that Euchre tends to be most popular amongst high school and college students, since it is cheap in easy to play. During this portion of the MT, I tried to engage the students as much as possible by only speaking twice, and then asking the students to repeat what I had just said, or by having them ask their classmates about the rules, or the Big C/little c elements that I  just presented.

The "KNOWING" stages of the MT could have been covered a bit more thoroughly on my end. I do believe that I covered the "Knowing About" aspects of the lesson, since I gave a history of the games, as well informing the class about who usually plays the game.   I briefly covered the "Knowing Why" aspects as well, since I set the class up in teams to indicate the social setting that the game is played in.  No money is involved, just casual conversation and a bit of competitiveness.  The game is also quick and easy to play, and was designed to be a social game made for enjoyment, as opposed for betting.  Nor is the game designed to be an intellectual game like Chess.  Thus the "Knowing Why" was briefly described.  I must admit that I should have done a better job of explaining the "Knowing How" aspect, however for some reason I was determined to go into the Isolation" stage of the MT (for some unknown reason).  I started to give game instructions during the isolation stage of my teaching, so the  "Knowing How" part of the lesson and I would had taught the "knowing How' if time permitted.  Finally, the "Knowing Oneself" would had been covered in the production stage, since I would had asked the students to describe a Korean game (such as Go Stop) and used the language lesson (Have to/Should/Could) so that they could introduce some of  the rules. Then the class would have discussed why they like the game, as well as describe who tends to play it,(young people, is it a party game, is it a team game), and why they play it.

Again, I am going on memory here, but there were a few things which I didn't like about my MT, and  one of them was the fact that I seemed rushed in my approach.  I also remember thinking that I could had been more organized, seeing that i couldn't find any of the slides that I wanted to use.   Also, I don't really remember covering the grammar lesson of the day, however, I could be mistaken about this since that portion of my teaching wasn't recorded.  The biggest problem in my MT was that I was DETERMINED to do the Isolation portion of the class.  For some reason I thought that we had to do it. Don't ask me why, the brain sometimes gets locked on a decision  and little else matters. I also remember standing  over the students shoulders during the isolation stage, which is a bad approach, since may have raise the affective filter of the class.

After doing the MT, I now have a clearer understanding of how an ICC approach can be easily added to some of my classes, while at the same time maintaining the English objective of the day.  An ICC lesson may not work everyday, however, it can be a valuable tool to use on occasion since it can inform both the students, and myself, about each others cultures.  If done properly, the students will get to learn in an interesting setting, while at the same time gaining knowledge about different cultures.

A Brief History in Time

In all honestly, I never planned on being an ESL instructor, but fate had a different path for me to follow.  After 3 stressful years as a police officer, I decided to finally  quit after a  very troublesome final month.  I wont go into too much detail, but that month involved a drive by shooting, a drunk driving accident which involved a 14 year old girl and a sexual abuse case involving a 12 year old girl and her uncle.  I had enough. The most shocking incident (to me) was how I handled the drive by shooting. It started after I pulled over a vehicle which matched the description of the car which was involved. On approaching the passenger side my senior partner yelled "gun" to indicate that one  of the suspects was holding a gun in hand.  The suspect raised the gun (on 3 separate occasions) and each time we made it very clear that he had to put his hands on his head. I was quite calm as the situation unfolded and in hindsight, i am surprised how effective my police training actualy was.  I remember taking a  a mental inventory of who would be investing the case (we pulled the car over in a neighboring city, thus it wouldn't be my co-workers doing the investigation).  I also mentally prepared how I would write the report if the shooting took place.  Finally I considered my departments protocol, along with laws that  concern the use of deadly force.  Once I decided that my actions were legal, I was quite calm with my decision if I needed to discharge my weapon.  Fortunately, when the the suspect tried to raise his weapon a third time, my partner stepped in front of me and very calmly put the gun next the suspects head and said "I wont miss from this far".  End of story.  I drove home during the morning and I was a bit disturbed of how quickly I decided that I could shoot another human being.  Yes, I had every legal right to fire my weapon, thus that wasn't the moral problem here.  The problem was how would my life changed if I actually  took another persons life. The thoughts were not comforting.  The decision to quit wasn't easy, but I  do not have regrets.

I then went into the mortgage business  and business was booming (God bless predatory loans).  Once the mortgage well started to dry up, I decided  to take a year off and travel with some friends.  Uncertainty about future employment led me to Korea.  I wanted to  stop eating away at  my savings, thus I took a hogwan job  while I researched new business opportunities.  I eventually bought a bar in Thailand and  2 years later, "Poof" just like magic, my savings were gone.  Licking my wounds, I headed back to Korea and looked at International business degrees and International law degrees, seeing that had some familiarity  in each field.  I became quite discouraged when researching schools in Korea. Again, I wont go into detail, but my options were quite limited with the universities and the  programs.  I was not all that impressed with the standards.  So at the ripe young age of 41 (and 10 months) I decided to enroll in STG, the this marked the first real commitment I made to my teaching profession.

There  have been several conflicts throughout my teaching career, most of which came from the lack of organization by administrative departments at the schools I have been employed with. Coming from  a quasi military background, I expect things to be much more organized than what I have experienced with the administrative departments at the colleges AND businesses I have worked at in Korea.  Due to the lack of their organization, it was difficult for me to commit to being an ESL/EFL teacher. I ALWAYS had one foot out the door. To be quite honest, my opinions about teaching were very negative, however, much has changed because of what I learned this past semester at STG, and  as a result, I am eager to learn more. Not to 'brown nose" here, but STG has been THE main influence on  why I am now committed to teaching.  Before starting STG, I never felt challenged in the classroom, nor did I feel as though I was REALLY contributing  much to my students.  Many of the reasons for these feelings were because how my employers have marginalized the English departments. My students are often permitted to miss my class due to projects for other departments and I am never given notice.  I am told to pass every student that has missed less than 5 classes and events, such as Sports Days and Musical Events have taken precedence over English.  All of which has led me to be very unmotivated in my approach.  The only reason I enrolled into SMU was for better job opportunities,  Since I have been teaching for so long, I assumed that I  pretty much knew all that is needed to know about teaching.  I was wrong, and I am glad for being wrong.  Since starting STG, I now have a clearer vision of what ESL/EFL teaching is about, and because of the new techniques I have learned AND NOW USE , I finally feel as though I am contributing to the lives of my students. This course has been a game changer for me, and being enrolled in STG has been the biggest turning point in my professional career. My personal life hasn't been effected much, seeing that I am not married, nor do I have children, so my decisions have very little effect on those close to me. However, I have changed greatly since living abroad and I tend to view this change as growth as opposed to a conflict of my values.  Empathy is very important to me, and being a teacher has helped me become a more empathetic person, and as a result my approach has changed when dealing with others. 

 This leads me to the question, "what forms of advocacy would be useful in my career?" Which can be very easily answered; I need to continue to educate myself (and my co-teachers) in the field in which we work.  With education and experience both at my disposal, I can speak from a voice of authority when making suggestions.  If my employer chooses not to listen, than I can  do my best to follow the school rules, or look for another job. Yes, I often do feel marginalized by my employer for reasons that Ilisted above,  however, I am of the belief that pursuing an education in  ESL/EFL is the biggest step one can make to be taken seriously.  If you don't take your job seriously, than no one else will, and educating yourself is the biggest way to advocate positive change in a working environment. 

Baby Steps

It was review week this week, with next week being the written exam (during the first half of class), and the following week being the oral exam.  Since the written exam is next week, writing played a huge part in my classes.  At the start of class, I gave the class 5 minutes to review their notes with their classmates to make sure that everything is up to date.  I then showed a series of example exam questions to the class via the classroom projector.  Students were told to write the example questions in their notebooks and when finished I had the students work in groups in order to answer the questions.  I gave the class  25 minutes to complete the task. As they did the GW, I reviewed what the students were writing and wrote some of the mistakes on the WB.   I did however alter the mistakes so that no student felt singled out.  Once the 25 minutes was up, I had the students look at the WB mistakes and  called on volunteers to see if they could spot the mistake and to correct it.    Once corrections were made, I assigned  each individual group member a set of questions to work on and allowed them 5 minutes to complete the task. Once the 5 minutes were up, each member would show their group their answers.  Any mistakes that were made were corrected within the group setting, and not by me.  I gave the class an additional 10 minutes to write a "master copy" of each question.  This led into the 5 minute break time.  During the beak I reviewed the "master copy" from each group with the group leader and I corrected  any mistakes that were made.  When the class returned form their break, I sent the leaders back to their groups and had them explain any mistakes which were made on the "master copy" to their peers.  I then assigned HW in which the students had to rewrite the example test (both the questions and answers) 3 times, using the "master copy" as a guide.  I informed the class that they needed finish the HW by next week in order to take the test.  No HW= No Test.    I will probably have to make exceptions to the "No HW=No Test" rule, so if need be, I will give them an extra week to do the HW.  However, students must have the HW completed before they can take the oral exam the following week.  In doing this, I can ensure that even the less motivated students will do at least SOME studying.

Baby Steps

With the remaining time I informed the students about the affective filter and how  stress plays a role in their learning.  I drew a picture of the brain and elicited answers as to what the picture was.  I explained how amygdala effects their stress levels and how being relaxed will help them with their exams.  I then told the class that they need to be  more concerned about comprehension of questions during the exams as opposed to the grammar, and to be sure to give more than one word answers when taking the exams.  I know that I was a "grammar Nazi" during the semester, however I am trying to change my style and although I believe grammar  is still important, I am also aware that students may be too worried about grammar and as a result, it may hinder their comprehension.  Many of my students are still in the Novice Skill set and as mentioned last week, one must walk before they can run.  Thus I informed my students that comprehension is the first goal, grammar will follow.

Baby Steps.

P.S.  Baby Steps are not acceptable for my teaching skills since that this is wat I am being paid to do, but I also have to realize that teaching IS a skill, and "perfection" takes both time and practice.  It's still a long road ahead, but at least I now have direction.

Numbered heads

This week I started to prepare the students for their oral exams by using a make shift version of the "Number Heads" activity from  MacPherson (which is found in sugarsync).   This was my first attempt at using the activity, and although I thought the exercise went well, there are still some bugs that need to be worked out.  As per MacPherson, I set the class up into groups of 4-5 and had the students practice the conversation topics which we have covered during the semester in their group.  While in GW, the students were allowed to use their notes  to ask and answer questions (for 15 minutes) as to practice their speaking and listening.  After the practice time was over, I had the groups randomly pick another team from a "hat" in which they had to ask a question to.  Each team member wrote their name on a sheet of paper and I secretly assigned each team member a number (or letter).   So for example, if "Team A" picked "Team B" from the hat, a student from Team "A" had to call out a number.  The student from "Team B" whom was assigned that number  was then asked a question by the student  from "Team A" that chose him/her.  If the  "Team B" student answered the question correctly, their team would get a point.  The team with the most points at the end of the game received extra HW credit.  If a student missed a question, I allowed another team to answer the question so that they could receive a game point.  In order for students to practice their listening skills,  questions were only allowed to be asked once (unless the question was not  clear when originally asked).  Only the group that was asking the questions were allowed to use their notes, every other team had to have their books and notebooks closed during the question answer phase.

I felt that the game went fairly well. The students were motivated to learn since they wanted the extra credit, and many of the higher skilled students helped their less skilled team members during the practice stage.  The game was low stress, and the students asked some unique question during the production stage (although there were times when a student was a bit TOO creative with their question, which made some of the question unclear).  Furthermore, the students affective filter seemed to be lowered during the game, and the class didn't have to worry about the "expert" language teacher hovering over them and correcting their grammar during the practice stage.

I learned an interesting thing about myself after watching this video which I must have ignored in the past.  I often tell my class that speaking and understanding  what is being said is the goal of class. As long as a student  can reply to a question by using sentences (as opposed to one word when replying) then we are in the right direction  After watching the video however, I noticed that not only did I require the students to reply in full sentences, I also corrected their grammar when mistakes were made.

I will try this game again next week, although I  I will tweak the point system a bit so that students will get credit for answering a question. regardless of the grammar mistake. However, I will write any grammar mistakes in my notes and then write a revised version of the question (as to not pinpoint any particular student) on the WB after this portion of the game is over.  I will then ask students if they see anything wrong with the statement on the WB.  When a WB question is corrected by a student, their team will then earn an extra game point.  With the WB revision added to the game, I can both serve the lower skilled students (by not embarrassing them if they made a mistake) as well as serve the higher skilled students, since they will have identify the mistake and will have a chance to to earn a point for their team by correcting the WB sentence.

This week I used  pronunciation exercise found on page 253 in the Harmer book.  The exercise was quite easy to set up and can be used when teaching students how to pronounce different sounds.  The pronunciation exercise is easy for students to follow as well, which is evident in my attached video.  It is also not very time consuming so the exercise  doesn't require much class time which allows the teacher can move on to different lessons,  The  exercise  focused on  the pronunciation differences between  "ch" and "sh"   (Ship vs Chip/ Wash vs Watch) although, in hindsight, I think that focusing pronunciation difference between "L' and "R" would have served my Korean students much better. Since Harmer's the instructions were quite easy to follow, there seemed to be little trouble when executing this exercise.

As for the rest of the class, my goal this week  was  lowering the affective filter of my students while at the same time trying not to appear as an authority figure in the class.  At the start of the  class I  had the students work in groups, then in pairs, as they reviewed the material which we have covered throughout the semester.  My feelings are quit  mixed on taking this approach, although, I must admit that the students  respond to this style very positively.  There was a lot to like in regards to student participation, as students were quite eager to talk to their classmates without feeling the pressure of having to produce perfect output , in front of class, when addressing the teacher.   As a result, I heard many funny comments, and once the ball started rolling, most of the students participated without having to be coaxed by me.  I also heard a few students correct their classmates when errors were made.  There were other times when a particular group asked me for clarification on a particular word or grammar rule as well.  The students also seemed to give honest replies to their classmates as opposed to just worrying about their grammar, as they do when reply to me.  I often heard questions which I never covered in class, which i found even more encouraging, (one boy asked a girl about her first date).   

Now for the bad...  Since this was the first time I allowed the students to "run the start of the class" the procedure did not flow smoothly (at first).  I had to give many instructions since the students seemed to be unfamiliar with a class being conducted in such a way. I, myself, also had trouble with being so hands-off in my class. I did roam from group to group to both monitor and at times, participate in a conversations when I was invited in.  l had to fight the urge to make immediate corrections when I heard mistakes as well. Once the group and pair work was finished,  I wrote some of the mistakes (i heard) on the board, and as a class we analyzed what the errors were and then corrected them.  I made sure not to pinpoint which student made the mistake, nor did I use an exact quote as to ensure that no one could identify whom made the error, not even the "guilty"party.  None the less, this did not seem like a natural way to begin class for me, since I didn't start the class by activating the student's schema.  And this is where my dilemma lies.  How do I lower the students affective filter by minimizing my role as an "authority figure", while at the same time activating the class's schema at the beginning of class?  I must admit that I was  quite pleased with how eagerly the students spoke with their classmates, however, I feel as though the students output could had been  a bit more accurate if I had done something to activate their schema first.

ICC 2nd Video (Back Off, Man!)

During this class, I used the ""Closing the distance" exercise found on pages 178-179 in our ICC textbook, (Crossing Cultures in the Language Classroom).  The idea behind this exercise is to show students how the concept of "personal space"  and "eye contact" differs between cultures.  I tried this exercise with 3 different classes and unfortunately this is the best example I could conjure in regards to the'eye contact' exercise.

I started by calling on 4 "volunteers" to pair up into 2  teams (an A Team and a  B Team).  One member from  each team had to exit the room with out any instructions, (members A2 and B2)  Once A2 and B2 left,  I informed the  "A1" member that when A2  returned to class, he needed to hold a conversation with him without breaking eye contact.  Although A1 executed the exercise poorly, the results went as predicted in the ICC textbook.  For example, A2 would often look away from A1 by either looking at the class or at the whiteboard.

Team B had a similar exercise, however the focus during this exercise was to focus on personal space.   When B2 returned to class, I had the B1 student invade B2's personal space when he entered the room... The results can be seen in the attached video.

Once the exercise was over I asked both the A2 and B2  students how they felt during the exercise, in which both replied  uncomfortable.  I then asked why they felt uncomfortable, and with the help of the class,  they  informed me about  the rules of personal space and eye contact which are common in Korea.  I then asked  asked A2 and B2 that  if it was a girl (someone of the opposite sex) which invaded their personal space or made such strong eye contact, would they feel different then if it was a boy, to which, of course, they both answered "yes", stating that they would feel "good".  I then informed the class that each country has a different  set of rules regarding eye contact and personal space, and they must be careful not to overreact if they ever find themselves having a conversation with people from different countries.  For example, a woman (from a different country) may not be interested in a man just because she is standing close or has strong eye contact.  If the man interprets the woman's body language incorrectly, many problems may arise.  I also informed the students that eye contact is very important in America, and if eyes contact is avoided, many Americans may think that a person is lying.

Finally I told the class that no one culture is correct in terms of eye contact or personal space, and if they are ever placed in an uncomfortable situation that they should express how they feel, although they need to be tactful when doing so.

Breaking the Law.

As become routine since starting STG, my classes started out with activating  the students' schema, as well as trying to lower their affective filter though casual conversation about topics we have previously covered in class. I am still struggling a bit with corrective feedback when students make grammar mistakes since I realize that there is a risk of raising the effective filter when I correct them.  However I also feel that it is important that students are aware of when they make mistakes,  and this has become a tight rope to walk and I need to further research on the issue.  I spent more time on the isolation stage of my teaching this week  this week, which seemed to help tremendously when student output was required, although there are still plenty of bugs to workout before the process works to my satisfaction.  One of the main problems I am facing is that I am not the same teacher that I was at the beginning of the semester and  many students were allowed not to contribute in class, and often times they lost focus. I have changed my teaching through the use  Exploratory Practice, so most of the students barely have noticed the difference in teaching.  Unfortunately though, there are still problems with students that are still used to coasting through due to my old teaching habits  and these are the students that I am trying to focus on the most via chaining questions.

The unit that was covered this week was "Crime" and I think the students had some fun in the class.  I used the "word circle" exercise in Harmer (pg 235) and wrote the word "crime" on the board.   I then had the students shout out answers to what crimes they may know, such as "fighting",  I then wrote the words 'assault and battery" on the board next to fighting , (there is an actual difference between assault and battery, since battery involves the actual touching, where as assault is just the perceived threat..but the students didn't need to know the difference).  Other crimes were acted out, such as 'drinking and driving' and "bribery".  I then had the students play a game of "have you ever".  I spent more time then usual in the isolation stage during this part of class, and as a result, the student output was much more productive.  After the isolation stage I had the class work in groups, then eventually  came the production phase.  I had to get the ball rolling by listing some of the crimes I may have committed in my youth.   Such as stealing candy when I was 10.  I also mentioned that I 'may have" gotten behind the wheel of a car when I had one to many beers.  Once I confessed my crimes, students were much more open to make confessions of their own.  A couple older ladies admitted to drinking and driving, where as many of the younger students admitted to stealing from their parents when they were younger.  Funny how a "good cop/bad cop" approach can get these criminals to sing. I made it a point not to judge the students, but I found myself laughing a lot when students told me how much they ACTUALLY stole from their parents when they were children.  One of my most innocent looking students confessed to stealing 150,000 won (albeit, not all at once) as well as confessing to fighting (it's always the quiet ones).  The students asked about family assault/battery , and I wrote Domestic Violence on the WB (after the class inquired).  Some students mentioned that they believe that Domestic Violence is  a problem in Korea, however, Drinking and driving, as well as  bribery are the 2 biggest crimes the country faces today, where as Domestic Violence is on the wane. .  

My organizational skills still need much work, and as a result, the classes toward the end of the week went much more smoothly then the classes earlier due to the fact that I was able to practice the routine. i feel as though this is quite unfair to the earlier classes and I will work on a way to make things much less lopsided so that all the classes are equally ran.
     

A day at the ball park.

I feel as though the things I have learned in STG are starting to finally come together.  I started every class (this week) by activating the classes' schema and I approached my students in a very conversational way, as opposed to just looking for their correct usage of grammar.  I also chained questions to ensure that every students was listening.  When I chained a question (such as what did Ji Hoon's  do last weekend), and the new  student (Student A) didn't know the answer, I had the "Student-A"  ask Ji Hoon the question "What did you  do last weekend?"  Once Ji Hoon gave his answer, I once again asked 'Student-A" what did  Ji Hoon's last weekend" and I usually received the appropriate answer.  The entire class was involved in the class discussion due to the chaining technique. Once a student gave a reply, I then engaged them with questions such as "was it fun, where did you go, who did you go with, what did you eat" and so forth.

I started off my presentation stage by having the students ask me what I did last weekend,  and I told them that I watched my hometown baseball team lose in the World Series.  I made an effort to not speak more then 2-3 sentences before I asked a question   I then had the students open their books and we started the daily topic, which was "sports".   The grammar rule for the day was "I used to..... but know I do not" .  I engaged the students with the things they "used to do", and I gave the example that I used to date Kim Tae Hee in 2010,, thus, i used to "kiss" Kim Tae Hee, but Now i do not (Using Kim Tae Hee and the verb kiss  seemed to get the student's attention, and I was often called a liar).  Next  I asked the class to  discuss  different things that they "used to do" but now no longer do. I set the students up in pair so that they could practice the daily lesson, and then we discussed the topic as a class, using chaining, choral repetition, the WB and eliciting techniques.

It was a "hit and miss day" because I sometimes used excessive Ttalk in class.  The class I recorded (see below) is a prime example of EVERYTHING that can go wrong. Half the class was missing due to a recording project for their department, and half of the class that WAS present was "hung over" and even  one student was arrested  for fighting while drunk the week before so i had trouble keeping the class on target with the daily topic.  This is the class which has the highest English Skills 9that I teach), but due to the circumstances involved in the day, as well as me not being as prepared as i should had been, led to the perfect storm when it came to the reading exercise.  I practiced the reading exercise with other classes (before this class) so that i could "perfect it' when it came time to do my recording  with my "best class" however results were awful.  

Since i recorded my listening exercise 2 weeks ago, this is a recording of a  "reading exercise... well it is an attempt to get it started... which I did not. Back to the drawing board.

ICC Corrine/card game

The ICC card game took a LOOOOOOOOG time to set up, so I wouldn't recommend this exercise unless the class has fairly high English skills.  Nor would I recommend that the game be played in a class with a large number of students, because they WILL talk when they move to a different table.  I don't want to embarrass the students by pulling them away from a table, so I was CONSTANTLY having to tell them "No Talking". With that all being said, once the students  understood the game, the results went as expected (and hoped for).  When students moved to a new table, they were confused, and a lot of frustration was being exhibited. It  took me 3 different classes to get this result (this is my smallest class), because all of the other classes  often talked, even when I put a student in the "time out chair", students at other tables would still talk.  This was a very frustrating game to set up.

This video was somewhat of a success, and you can even hear me say 'awesome" (how embarrassing) when things FINALLY went as planned.  After the game ended,  I explained that each table was a different country, and that each country has their own set of rules.  And we should not judge others as being 'right, or wrong" on how they do certain things, but we should just judge them as being "different.  You could see the "light bulb" go off as I explained this, and even a few of the older students clapped, as they seemed to learn something  of value.   I further explained that if they travel, they will face similar situations when they visit different countries (thus the importance of English) and why the NO TALKING rule was important for the game.  Then I went on to give my personal experience in Korea, and how I often misjudged Korean culture because I didn't understand it, thus I made wrong assumptions based on my American cultural rules.  Finally I explained to the students that they must be carefully not to make assumptions about other cultures based on Korean culture.  I would had LOVED to gone over certain things that Koreans do that may be misunderstood by non Koreans, as well as ask them what questions about American culture.  But Time is a friend to no man, and I was unable to press on with the culture lesson.

MT Review

The goal of the lesson was the use of countable and uncountable nouns, the students would have to know when to use "How much" and "How many" as well as how to answer a "How much/How many" question by using "a little/ a lot of/some, or a number" when it was appropriate. My class is college students with English levels between the range of Novice Mid - Intermediate low. There is the random student who is either above or below the listed skill levels, but in general, this is the level of student that I usually teach. The Students were told to watch a video clip then answer questions about the video based on both what they saw and what they heard. A few sample questions from the lesson are:, "How many people wore red?" and "How much hair did an actor (Freddie bender) have?" There were also questions which covered previous topics which were covered in earlier classes (What was the woman's first name?)



I was very unhappy with how my micro-teaching went last week, and I was even less thrilled with it after reviewing the recording.  For one, I didn't like the amount of Ttalk that I did during the presentation.  Usually in my classes, I have the students engage each other more then what I displayed during the MT and I definitely should have showed this during my presentation.    Unfortunately due to the 9 minute time limit, I was more concerned on getting the task at hand accomplished as opposed to demonstrating how I teach.  This should not had been a consideration since Tom repeatedly told us what the goals were for the MT (which is demonstrating skill, not finishing the task).  Another thing that I noticed is that I didn't  use the WB.  Again, I was to hung up on sticking to what I wrote in the LP as opposed to demonstrating what I normally do in class, and in the LP, I made no mention to WB use.   Thus, How can i be  accurately assessed for a grade if I don't demonstrate what I actually do?    I need to DISPLAY that I do INDEED use the WB OFTEN in class, and I need to as well cut down on my Ttalk as well.  Also, the choral repetition I used in the MT was random, their was no planning ahead of when it would be needed and the students may not recognize WHY particular  phrases were repeated. Another thing I noticed is that I could have corrected the student mistakes more efficiently and  I discussed this with  very same issue with Tom after class.  You will notice that I when a student made a mistake I would not correct them, what I did instead was rephrase what they said with the correct English.  My goal in doing this was to ensure that a student's affective filter would not be raised by pointing out their errors, however, after I inquired about the issue with Tom, he informed me that I could had used a chunking technique so that students notice that their was an error as opposed to just rephrasing the student's reply in it's correct form.  When i rephrased  the reply, some students are aware of the error (as you saw Tracie self correct her error) while other may not be aware an error was made.  Finally, I didn't like the fact that I allowed some of the students to give only one word responses. Again, since starting STG i have been very conscious not to allow one word replies from my students when I am actually teaching, but again, how can I be accurately assessed if I don't show this during my Micro-Teaching.

One of the few things I did think went "ok" was how I engaged the students. I wasn't JUST concerned about  looking for the "right grammatical answer" every time a student replied, as I was actually showing that I was interested in what they said, not just HOW they said it.   In turn, the conversations (with the students) seemed more genuine as opposed to having an English lesson.  That being said, I need to find a better balance between keeping the students affective filter lowered, while at the same time making sure that the class is engaged in a productive lesson in which the "i+1" approach is used.  I also feel as though I tried to involve all the students, since there was pair work, and I tried to include as much as the class as possible while still trying to get the listening portion of the lesson started.  One must balance their time, and when 2 minutes is needed for the listening exercise, that only leaves 7 to get other tasks done.

Since the lesson was indeed a Listening practice, perhaps I am being a bit to hard on myself,and again, 9 minutes does not a accurately display a what is actually being done ina 2 our class... however, I can't help but to notice the  many Many areas in which I still need improvement.  I will concede the fact that my teaching style has changed/improved immensely since the beginning of the semester, and I am happy with my progress.  However, with that being said, there is still a long road ahead, and I need to PROVE that I am capable of the teaching abilities that I claim I have, as opposed to just THINKING that I have them.

my First Micro Teaching Vs The Second Micro Teaching... Lets get ready to rumble...


I actually liked how my first Micro Teaching went when compared to the second go round. I elicited answers from my students, I used the WB, every student was involved, and there seemed to be a better understanding from my students as to what I was teaching. Also, the interaction between the students and myself "may have" seemed less conversational in the first Micro Teaching, since I tended to correct students mistakes more often, which in turn may have raised their affective filter, however, I don't feel as though I solely focused on HOW the students used grammar, as I paid attention to what they said, and gave them honest conversational replies when they talked and corrected them when it was needed. Although, I dio have to be careful how I point out mistakes to ensure that the students don't "lose face", which may result in students losing interest in learning English. Finally I feel as though my use of choral repetition was more organized in the first Micro teaching, and there was a purpose when I used choral repetition. However, the main difference between the first Micro Teaching and the second was that the first Micro Teaching was a speaking exercise, where as the second Miro Teaching was a listening exercise. The first Micro Teaching was also the "preview" stage of the lesson, where as the second Micro teaching was the presentation stage. I do feel comfortable with how I set up the preview stage of the day, since I allow the students to interact with their classmates, as well as with me. The negatives from the first Micro teaching are as follows:
TTalk. (to much Ttalk)
Organization (or a lack there of)
A sloppy use of the WB.
I over-corrected my students' mistakes, which in turn raised their affective filter.

I realize that I can improve in many areas and in the second Micro Teaching and I feel as though my teaching ability slipped when compared to the first go round. As you can imagine, this is quite disappointing. In the future I will be mindful to combine the positives from the 2 Micro Teachings, while at the same time I will use Exploratory Practice to form habits which help me cut down on the negatives.

Last second surprises are no longer a surprise.

This week Sports week at my school. I know I know, what does a game of dodge ball have to do with education at a college level. Teacher participation was mandatory for many of my classes and  since many of my students don't have English related majors,  English isn't a priority to the heads of their departments.  Guess who had to join the Sports days exercises as opposed to teaching English for many of his classes.  Now I will admit that I had fun, however,  due to the fact that my "new schedule" was told to me at the last possible moment, AND (again) teacher participation was mandatory (I was payed to practice dodge ball and badminton).  The week wasn't a complete waste, since I did teach my 2 Monday morning classes, however, all my afternoon classes were practicing for sports week Monday through, Wednesday and Thursday and Friday was the actual event. my classroom participation was shall we say, "limited'.

Listen

This week was exam week at my university, but fortunately I was able to get a class to"volunteer" for my video reflection.  The idea behind the this weeks teaching was to activate the student's schema on past tense verbs, as well as discuss what foods that the students like to eat and know  how to cook. I than set up a listening exercise by using the "eavesdropping" technique  that I learned in the STG Methodology class. The audio recording which I played was between a "man" and a woman named 'Rebecca".  The "man" asked Rebecca  about foods from different countries, which of those foods she liked and knows how to make.  I set up the eavesdropping scene by having 2 students play a couple at the airport.    The 'boyfriend" is hungry and asks his girlfriend to buy him some food.  After the "girlfriend" is  gone for an extended period time the, boyfriend goes looking for her, only to find that she is talking to a very handsome man. With the scene set up, I then play the tape.

 *The unit which I am currently teaching is about countries around the world their foods and hobbies, thus the airport backdrop.

After viewing the recording, I noticed quite a few things which were both good and bad.  I noticed where I improved from the methodology techniques that I learned this semester,  and I noticed on areas where I need  to improve.

The first thing that I realized is that I need to SLOW DOWN, everything seemed so rushed.  I was admittedly under a time constrain due to the fact that I had to hand out the exams after the lesson, but this is not a time for excuses.  Another thing that I noticed was that I often didn't allow students to work through problems themselves.  I would often give them the answer, or another student would help the struggling student out.  In addition,  I also  realized that I have to be MORE organized.  This was the first week in which I used an eavesdropping listening technique, so "bugs" need to be worked out, however,there were times in which I could have used the WB more effectively, or I could have spent more time rehearsing the questions AND answers I wanted the students to use via choral repetition. You may also notice that I didn't have the students ask their own questions to classmates.  However I did do that during roll call, so i didn't completely neglect that aspect of the teaching.  Finally, I am a bit concerned with the amount of Ttalk that I did.  Ttalk is an obvious problem that I need to work on, however, I believe being better organized will remedy some of this problem.

The good... I noticed that I am asking students to speak in full sentences as opposed to allowing them to give one word replies.  I also asked follow-up question, as well as chaining the questions as to ensure that the whole class was involved during the lesson.  Since I realized that these issues needed to addressed a few weeks back, I made a conscious effort to improve on them.  After watching this latest recording, I now recognize other areas in which I need to improve, and as before, I will make a conscious effort to improve on these new problems as well.

Lights, Camera....

This week I used some of my old tricks which I was reminded of during this weeks readings from Harmer.  The weekly  topic focused on food and cooking, and opposed to having the students just act out the script that was issued at the beginning of the chapter, I had them first read it to themselves silently and then circle the words that they did not understand.  Once they were finished, the students gave me the list of words which they were having trouble with and I wrote them on the WB.  For example one word was "yolk", and the word "yolk" went up on the WB.  When all the words were listed on the WB, I pulled a "volunteer" from the class and had him "mime" the script as the other students read it aloud.  When we came across a "circled" word which appeared on the WB, I again asked the class what that word meant.  To my delight, I could actually see the "light switch on" when the class saw the student act out mixing the "yolk and the white together" (when making scrambled eggs). When I asked  "What is yolk?", many students said "yellow" or they gave the Korean word for "yolk" .  Now I must admit that I didn't remind the class to use complete sentences, or to say in the words in English.  I  was caught up in the moment and my swelling pride for the students overtook all professionalism.   The class didn't use dictionaries, they learned how to discover the meaning of a word on their own, by looking for clues in the reading.

Seeing "the light switch on" has been rare these days, because I used to just write the definitions on the board and move on with the lesson.  However, teach a man to fish...  I explained to the class that there are "hints" throughout the reading and had the students  define the rest of the WB words in their note notebooks as the "volunteer" finished acting out the script.  When finished, I asked the students what the rest of the words meant and they has no trouble defining them. I then had the students pair up practice the script.  Next I had a few students come to the front of the class and give their performance.

Ttalk for this portion of the class was at a minimum since the Ss did the bulk of the talking, and since the did most of the work, they seemed to grasps the new vocabulary a bit better.

Tell me why...

I dont like Mondays.   - Boomtown Rats

A general consensus is that most people don't like Mondays, and after a long holiday, the dislike for Mondays often morphs in into a general hate.  Unfortunately Mondays are the wake up alarm for the week, and like it or not, both teacher and student must be prepared to work through the the dilemma of Monday mornings together.  If either side of this equation is not pulling fair their share of the load, problems will arise.  Which was the case this past Monday morning, and every Monday morning I have had this semester with my 9:30 Monday morning students (they don't do their fair share). .  What I find odd is that the 11:20 class which I teach (on Mondays) is the polar opposite of the 9:30 class, even though these 2 classes share the same major.  Ying, say hello to Yang.

I have informed the  students (several times) that if they don't have books and note books, then their homework grade suffers, which in turn will hurt their over all grade.  Yet 50% of the 9:30 class just doesn't seem to care.  With this being the situation, I am at my wits end. This is not a problem that I alone share,  When I walk by Korean teachers' classes, I will often see students sleeping in class, talking to peers, or using their cellphones.  I am unsure if this is a cultural norm, or some of the teachers (at my school) care less than the students.  Or are the Korean teachers hoping that the mandatory military service will straightened out some of the male students. I realize that I am the one who has to adjust to rules of the country, and my employer, not vice versa, so I try not to judge too harshly.

To add to the problem,  Mid Terms are this week, and unless these students have an amazing habit of "turning it on" when tests roll around, or resort to cheating, they are going to get very poor grades.    By the way, cheating is a BIG "no no"in my classes.  I do intend on giving a lot of make-up homework for poor grades and late assignments, each student will be given ample opportunity to pass.  But what will these students learn? That they can get by in life putting forth minimal effort? UGGGH. Perhaps it's time to lower the boom.  A student is not allowed in class unless he/she has a text book, a notebook and a pen. Which means they will have minus 3 points for an absence. Many of these students are more concerned about their attendance than they are about learning. A little scare tactic may be just what my 9;30 class needs.  If students do have all the material the following week, I will give them back the minus 3 points which they loss the previous week.  This can be a one time offer.

Fortunately the rest of my classes are "A" to the "WE" to the "S"-"O"-"M"-"E"... But Monday, 9:30.... Yikes!  What a way to start a week.

Focus

Once You Have Empathy on All, You Truly Are Divine.  -Buddha

With the wisdom of the Buddha in my back-pocket   I had little trouble empathizing with my students on this fine October day, as they were lacking a great deal of focus and motivation.  Returning to school after a week long vacation can weaken the resolve of even the most dedicated student, and that was clearly the situation which I faced today.  Fortunately I have built a fairly decent relationship with my classes, and my students seem to be aware that I will work with them as opposed pushing them off a cliff.  However, the key word is "work", and after a relatively slow start, I was very proud of  how well the students responded to the daily lesson.  A typical class consists of me refreshing the students memory from the previous weeks topics during roll call.  I will often ask one student a question regarding a previous class topic, then I will call a random name from the attendance sheet and have the previous student ask the new student a similar question. Since the students are called at random, AND I have incorporated "chaining questions", the class seems more focused, since students are unsure IF I will call on them again.  I  must admit that I have changed my CI techniques considerably since starting SMU, and to my delight, I have found that engaging students with a more Dialogic approach has improved the environment of my classes.  The students seem more willing to speak in class and inform me about their interests, which in turn has made teaching easier, since a positive relationship has been established.

Once roll call was finished today, the students were much more focused and the new material was easier to introduce, due to a more student driven discourse which I now use.  I have also started to make students come up to the front of the class and perform what they have learned, which has improved their attentiveness.  Students seem more focused, since they are being evaluated by their peers, and I also believe that many students relish being the center of attention.  The biggest problem that I have found is that I am often working against the clock, since my classes are fairly large.  However, the results (of my new approach) have been more productive when compared to the teaching methods that I have used in the past.  I assume that with practice, clock management will be less of a problem as I hone my skills, and student participation, and focus, will continue to improve.

Richards and Lockhart:

Today's goal was to teach students how to describe injuries while at the same time incorporating the lessons from the previous weeks in  daily activities, and I believe the goal was accomplished.  As usual, I used the class text book as well as the WB and the internet, which all seemed to be quite effective.  The class wasn't teacher dominated as the students know that I expect them to talk more in class each week, and I always "review" the material form the previous weeks.  The least successful part of the class was due to the students whom still come to class without a book or a pen.  These students contribute the least amount to the class, and being unprepared is the main reason why.  There are usually only 2 students per class that are unprepared and during the class brake I made those students run to the book store and buy what is needed.

One amusing thing that happened today was that and older student (55) told the class that her "bottom" hurts because I hit her (in case you were wondering, I did not hit her).  She seems like a "traditional  Korean grandmother", so her "injury" was quite unexpected.  It was very encouraging to see her have fun in class, while at the same time practicing her English.  That being said, I am still unsure what changes I should make to my teaching style, because I learn something new each week at SMU.  Also, my teaching has changed quite a bit in the past few weeks, and I am sure the more I learn as a student, the better I will become as a teacher.

Many students were missing from class today, due to the long holiday week, but the students that did attend were quite active (after a slow start).  I  am also now using scaffolding techniques to help students whom have trouble, and chaining questions to help ensure that the whole class is attentive, as opposed to just focusing on one student at a time.  I believe that  the students did indeed  learn how to describe injuries as well as inform others on how those injuries may have occurred,  however much work still needs to be done, and I have a limited time to do it in.

I think that my professional development is below average in many areas and above average in others.  My biggest problem is organizing the new skills that I have learned at SMU, and using those skills on a consistent bases.  Although,  I do feel that I have developed quite a bit in the past few weeks, and in time, I am certain that I will find better ways to organize the new information that I am currently learning.

Methodology weekly reflections.

I share a Tourism English class with another foreign teacher whom works at my school (Alec).  This week I gave the class a simple oral exam in which the students had to describe their weekend plans.  I informed the class that if they have trouble, they would  still get credit if they kept their answers short, they only needed to be prepared to answer the question "What will you do over the weekend?".  To my dismay, many of the students had trouble answering the question, although we reviewed similar questions the past 3 weeks (for the quiz).  When I informed Alec about the quiz results, he was surprised.  Alec teaches a much more difficult book and  from what he has observed, most, if not all the of students should have easily answered that question.   We discussed the issue with the class captain, as to get her view on the problem.  She informed Alec that he may be misjudging the skill level of the students, but none of us were certain.

This is quite a frustrating problem to figure out.  Are the students truly unable to give an adequate reply to such a simple question, due to the stress of taking a quiz?  This would explain why Alec has assumed that these students have a higher skill set then what they displayed in my class.   We were unable to come to any conclusions, but  Alec and I plan on investigating this issue during the coming weeks.  If we can solve this riddle, then  hopefully I can discover better methods that I can use to serve the needs of the class

Methododolgy ( Values in English Language Teaching)

Q3) I have rarely  been in a position which is similar to the one Barcelos has experienced, since there has always been a significant age gap between myself and the students in my classes.  Of course, there is always the occasional  "older adult" in a random class,  and yes, I do treat them differently, but this is mostly due because of how Korean culture equates age with status, and for the sake of ethnic harmony, my personal philosophies are superseded by the rules of the land .  Those rare occasions aside, in my classes, I portray myself as the authority, and any solidarity which is achieved is done so under the guidelines that both my employer and I have set forth.   A teacher is an authority, and as teachers, we must accept this fact.  Without some "degree of authority", I have discovered that the less motivated students tend to lag behind, and therefore a regimental, authoritative structure seems to be the best approach to keep those students on pace with the rest of the class.  That is not to say that I don't empathize with Barcelos' approach, since it is idea to have students play role in the classroom setting, as opposed to just following orders.  However, in a large classroom, with upwards to 20 or more students,  Barcelos' approach can become counter productive, and at times, even chaotic if ALL the students aren't motivated.

Over the years, I have "tweaked" my authoritarian approach, in hopes to set up a more collaborative atmosphere, as I believe that the students should be allowed a "voice" in how the classes are ran, but I will also use my veto power when needed. You must understand that I teach at a 2 year college, and the study habits of many of my students are nonexistent, so often times I feel as though I need to "rewire" the less motivated students in hopes to better prepare them in their future endeavors. I honestly do worry about each student under my guidance, and when a student is unaware of even their most basic responsibilities, they need an authority figure to guide them down a better path.

There is no general guideline which can be followed in an authority/solidarity approach, because each school is different, as is each class, as is each student. What works in one arena may not work in another, and as teachers, we must adapt to the situation at hand, as opposed to thinking that one approach will work in every situation.

Q5) Although my pay doesn't  reflect that of a professional, I do consider myself as one, which is the reason why I am attending S.M.U..  I am convinced that as a professional, one must always be concerned about improving on their craft.  The opinion which I personally hold (that I am indeed a professional) seems to be shared by my students as well.  Rarely has there been an occasion in which my students haven't been respectful to the job/position that I hold.  I believe that since I do TRY to be a professional,they view me as such. On the other hand, some of my peers, as well as my superiors, may not share this same point of view, and this is evident by what they say and how they act.  I believe that many of my peers don't believe they are professionals because how ESL teachers are often treated by their superiors (in Korea).  For example, I have often been treated as a "number" as to fill a statistical need of my employer, with little regard to my past training or experience.  My opinions are rarely asked for, nor am I encouraged to enhance my teaching skills via teaching seminars or by furthering my education.  Some ESL teachers perpetuate the image of being unprofessional as well. They openly complain about not being looked at in a respected light, yet some do nothing to improve on their teaching styles.  In turn,  these particular teachers will "live for the weekend" or for that "back packing trip" through S.E. Asia, while they put forth minimal effort to teach the students whom are under their care. As Bea said in her interview, "If I don't do things to see myself as a professional, nobody else will".  That is not to say that I haven't been frustrated with my school and supervisors, as Joanna has, but once you view yourself as less then professional, then perhaps you need to work elsewhere, or look for a new career.

Q6) In countries where religious beliefs vary, such as in Korea, a teacher should never EVER bring their religious ideologies into an ESL classroom, regardless of what they are, including atheism.  An individual's religious beliefs are sacred and should be treated as such.  Once  a teacher includes their own beliefs into a classroom setting, there is a real danger that they may "lose" those students whom don't share those same beliefs. In my opinion, if a teacher shares their religious beliefs with a class, they are being unprofessional.  When students ask me about my religion, I will inform them that I can't divulge that information out of fear of alienating those students who don't share the same beliefs as I do. My goal is to get my class to interact with not only each other, but also with me, and  if I inform students of my personal religious beliefs, I fear that my primary goals may be hindered.  Obviously there are great lessons that can be learnt in most religions, such as empathy, sympathy and kindness, however, a teacher can practice those lessons without showing favor to any particular religion.

Methodology module

After analyzing my class recordings and reading the Xie and Walsh articles, I  discovered that when in an IRF session, I often limit a student's reply by either asking closed ended or recitation type questions.  As a result, students will often parrot what they see in the book or on the WB, as opposed to replying with a spontaneous utterance. Another area I discovered that I need to improve on is my "Wait Time".  When students  are slow to respond, I will rush them through an answer  because I  assume that they are not paying attention in class (which can be the case), or that they are a bit confused about the lesson.  Due to my impatience, when a student hesitates, I occasionally answer the question for them (self-answers) rather then using a scaffolding approach as to help them discover an answer on their own. This is an unproductive procedure on my part, because the "slower" students may A) be trying to answer the question using a more creative reply, which if is indeed the case, I  muted their attempts, or B) I am not allowing students to resolve  problems via trial and error. Once reflecting on my recorded classes, I realized that what I once thought was  a dialoigic eventually eroded away into a monologic teaching style.  Since my first video recording, I have made a conscious effort to alter my teaching style into a more Responsive Collaborative discourse, without disrupting the flow of the classes (Exploratory Practice), which in turn has led to more Constructive classes. 

SLA

WOW! The first thing that I noticed was that when speaking 1 on 1 with Koreans in a casual setting, I often speak in broken English... I am glad that I viewed this video and I will be certain to correct this behavior in the future.

This is one of my higher level students from an Acting class that I teach.  He doesn't lack confidence, yet he seems does tend to incorrectly use the the third person singular "s" MORE often  when he is telling the story as opposed to when he is just asking short question worded questions.

I will go in further detail in my home work

My Dilemma. Methodology reflections

Usually the first class that I teach on Monday morning AND the class that proceeds lunch can be described in one word: Unmotivated.

My 9;30 and 1:00 o'clock Monday classes  are always the most difficult for me to teach.  The students are less focused and often revert back to automatic book replies when I ask them questions.  I find this somewhat frustrating because the classes that follow are worlds apart, even though the 9;30 class shares the same major as the 11;20 class (business), and 1:10 class (on Mondays) shares the same major as my 3;00 class (interior design).

For example, during the first week of classes, I had 2 girls (from my 9;30) make a VERY poor attempt to sneak out the back door after the attendance was taken.   I nabbed them in the hallway and informed them that I do a roll call twice per class, in which the second time I call roll, I check their homework.   I often write the word 책임(responsibility) on the WB, and praise a student when they are responsible, yet there are still a few students who come to class without their book, a notebook and even a pen.  I hate to think that these students will fall through the cracks (both in my class and in life in general), but I am having trouble getting these college kids motivated to do even the most basic tasks (such as bringing a pen and notebook to class). It's never more than 4 to 5 students in a particularly "bad" class,  however, that is still 15%-20% of that class (depending on the class size), and when I have to repeat  " 책임", I fear that I take away from the comfort zone in which I try to establish in the classroom.


I wont allow a student to be lazy in my classes, for I insist that each of them ask and answer a question during weekly reviews and I walk around the class when students are doing writing assignments.  The only exceptions that I do make are with students whom appear to have special needs, and in those circumstances, that student only needs to ask/answer questions with me, (without making it seem that I am giving them special treatment).  The issue that I do have however, is with the students who DON'T have special needs, yet lack the drive to do their work.  I have tried different approaches with these students, (making them a group leader, having them help me by writing on the WB, having them sit with the more advanced students), but come the following week, the "target students" fall right back into their same routine.  I find this to be somewhat frustrating when considering that the majority of the students do seem to respond in my classes, and I have very little trouble in my other classes.  I am currently seeking alternative methods in which to get the the less motivated students involved, while at the same time trying not hinder the objectives of the daily teachings.  Unfortunately though, my attempts to get these students more involved have resulted in a BIG Swing and an even BIGGER MISS.

ICC Unedited reply.

Q1
In the 2nd round, Shelly joined our table, and assuming that she knew the rules of "MY/our" table, everything went quite smoothly.  Shelly didn't protest when I took the tricks which she was probably assuming that I didn't deserve. During the "Shelly" round, I was unaware of any confusion that Shelly must have had.

Then I switched tables...  First of all, I was dealt a fairly poor set of cards, so my plan was to take the first trick (which i did), then try to draw out the trump cards by leading my Ace of Diamonds (which was the highest card at my first table).  I then (according to plan) led my Ace of Diamonds and was immediately confused when Andreas took the trick.  I initially  thought that I misunderstood the rules of the game and felt bad for cheating Ella and Shelly during the previous game. As the "3rd"  game continued however, I began to notice that it wasn't ME who was playing the game incorrectly, it was Joel and Andreas.  Confusion was replaced by frustration, and due to the "silence rule", I couldn't tell them that they were playing the game "wrong". Once the 3rd game ended, I was both confused and frustrated. I questioned my abilities, and the abilities of those around me.  The card game reminded me a lot of my first university job  in Korea.  It was difficult working with many of the my supervisors because they did certain things which were in complete contradiction to what I thought to be the "norm'.   I believe that the '5 trick" game would be most beneficial in my classroom because many of my students have had very little contact with foreigners.  I believe that  once my students, as well as myself, better understand the many different ways a goal can be achieved, the classroom will become much more productive.  

Q2)

I would like to use the "Colliding Culture" exercise in my classroom. I fully understand that I am the foreigner in Korea , and that I am the one who has to adapt.  However... there are certain aspects about American culture that I hold with high value and which also seem to be ignored in Korea at times.  For example,  "Korean Time" or when there is a need for a line at stores, bus stations or in the classroom (when I am checking homework). Being aware of another person's time and place (in a line) is very important to me, as it shows that you empathize with others, and their situations.  Once a person  places them-self ahead of others, then I believe that they lack a certain degree of empathy. However, once a person develops better empathy skills,  not only will they understand the difference of others, but they will evolve by understanding those differences.

The students that I teach tend to have very low English skills, thus I would need to eliminate much of the reading that the exercise suggests, and use more role play scenarios so that the students can get a better grasp of what is being taught.  I would then set up a scene where another student cuts to the front of  a line.

Q3)

Throughout my life, I have always been in the minority.  I grew up in a low income situation in the city of Detroit, in which the city is 17% white.  When visiting family in the suburbs, I  was routinely exposed to situations which were different to my neighborhood. Being one of the youngest children in my family, I had to adapt to how others were acting, so that I would not be shunned during family meetings.  Then once home, I would revert back to the norms of my peers.  Once moving to Korea I was aware that people would have a different set of values then my own.  Within  a year l was able to recognize many of those differences and I was not only able to adapt to them, but I was also able integrate my own values along the way. I may be wrong, but I do believe that I am on the cusps of the Bennett's  Ethnorelative integration stage.

As for my students, well their development varies. For the large majority of them however, I believe that they fall in between  Bennett's Ethnocentrism "minimization" stage and Bennett's Ethnorelative "acceptance" stage. Koreans whom haven't lived in another country are rarely exposed to anyone except other Koreans. They don't have the opportunities to understand other cultures except for when they see how foreigners are portrayed in the media (which is often a stereotype) or when they have brief encounters with foreigners that they may randomly meet.  An open prejudice is rarely displayed by Koreans, and depending on what 'stage" they are at, I beleive that many of the Koreans that I meet either display "minimization" characteristics, or "acceptance".

Back to the Future.

This week my goal was to instruct the students on how to conjugate verbs into their past and future tenses without using the progressive verb form.  I began class by asking the students which particular verbs that they wanted to discuss (open ended questions), then I wrote their replies on the WB.

Since many of my adult students tend to have low English skills, they are usually slow to respond.  I am unsure if they initially don't understand what I am asking of them, they are too shy to respond, or both. When dealing with a lack of interaction from my students, I usually start the ball rolling by giving the class a "fun" example as to what I type of answer I am gunning for. I will spare you the audio, but the example I gave was the verb "sing".  I then started to sing in front of the class.  By allowing the students to witness me torture a song, they seemed to become a bit  more relaxed in class, and as a result, student replies started to flow more quickly.

Some of the verbs that the students gave were:
dance,
read,
cook,
and one student even yelled out "kiss" (bless their hearts)

With the selected verbs listed on the WB in one column, I asked the class what the past tense verb form of each verb was, then I wrote the correct answer in a neighboring column.  This "dialogic" approach is different to the  "monologic" style that I previously used.  In the past I would simply write the past tense verb form on the board without asking the class what they were. which obviously would not allow the students a chance to figure out the answers on their own.  I do have to admit that after incorporating the "dialogic" approach this week, I was a bit surprised by how many of the irregular verbs that the students actually did know.   Some of the irregular verbs were given the  regular verb past tense "ed" ending, but when this happened I only had to say "nope", and often times the students quickly corrected themselves.  For example,  the verb "eat", was conjugated incorrectly to "eated" in all of my classes, but once I said "nope", the students would give the correct answer of "ate".

After the all the verbs were correctly conjugated into their past tense form, I wrote "What DID you do last Friday?" on the WB.  By specifically using the word "DID", I was trying to indicate that the students should not use the progressive "ing" ending. Students were then instructed to ask the classmate sitting behind them "What did you do last Friday?". The students being asked the question then had to reply so that the rest of the class could hear their answer.  In the past, if students made mistakes ( I driving last Friday), I would immediately correct them,  however this week when a mistake was made, I just said "nope", and then allowed the students to work out the mistake for themselves.  I also used the same teaching methods for teaching the future tense verb form in the 2nd half of the class..

 I never realized how often my teaching style was obstructive and how often it was constructive. I often worried about the time restraints of getting the book finished (as instructed by my bosses) as opposed to giving students enough time to discover answers on their own.  Through the weekly reading assignments however, I discovered useful methods which A) seemingly made my classes run better, B)  were non intrusiveness to my class, and C) I will continue to use throughout my teaching career.  I believe Dick Allwright described this as Exploitative Practice.

Turn the volume down!

This is Kim Myong Mo.  Myoung Mo is a student at the college I work for and is by far one of my better students.  He is 21 years old (Korean age) and  he has studied English for 8 years, in which he spent 2 of those years in my home state of Michigan. He started studying English when he was 13.  His English  accuracy seems to be quite high. but I believe that his communication skills are better.  At present, his learning styles  consist of watching English movies and reading English magazines. His personality is shy but inquisitive. Myoung Mo's  main motivation for learning English is for employment purposes .  

He is most similar to Xue, because he can communicate quite well and has a rather large vocabulary.