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Week 16 Diving into the Tesol sea August 28, 2010

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Captain’s Log: Last night I dreamt I’d swum into Davy Jones’ locker. And in the dark depths of the ocean, I hovered, expecting to see the locker - full of old pirate graves, or meet face to evil face- old Davy himself.  I found myself, instead, suprised by a sudden shaft of sunlight that had made its way into the depths. And as it penetrated the darkness, I caught sight of treasure troves of gold and jewels, and heard  a faint whisper, “ not yet… not yet.. there is much to do .. much yet to do”.    

 Just completed a happy week on this Tesol journey.

This week,, the class dived into the power of shared stories and discussed their usefulness in the learning proces. We explored the bottomless pit of IT as a teaching aid, including the value of using wikis to strengthen collaborative learning. We even re-discovered Russell Coight and an unfortunate camp chair in the process.

And to top it all – I was delighted to be assigned a migrant prac teaching class.  

 Heave ho.. much to do.

All good indeed.

Week 15 -Bail or row? August 22, 2010

Posted by Liz Mead in : TESOL , 2comments

Captain’s Log: Bail! I shouted, and the crew not working the oars frantically scooped water over the side as the her prow reared into the sky. Row!! I bellowed, and the oars bit the water and we fell into a trough of the ocean with a crash that made her timbers tremble *

This week I am undone.

Just handed in a language analysis assignment that has removed all the joy from this TESOL journey.

I’ve also discovered that migrant education in Australia will require me to acquire even greater certification than the level I’m striving towards. This exhaustive mountain climb just got a whole lot steeper. Another significant leak has been noted. Bail!

And why shouldn’t migrant education be highly specialised?  I think it should ask the best of our teachers and I believer our migrant classes should receive the best. That’s not the issue.

The  issue  for me is about stamina and sense-making. But I’m too far out to sea to even recall the logic of commencing the course, save that it seemed a valuable addition to my skill set.  Alas not valuable enough.

I know it’s way too early in the process to estimate the value or otherwise. I haven’t even stood up in front of a class to see if I like teaching or if teaching likes me. But it’s not too early to be questioning the route I’ve taken.

This particular week  included 2 classes on integrated skills – Dictogloss (and reconstructing a text).  2 new books, a plethora of reading and the bitter sweet victory of completing an assignment.

Whatever they do with this certification – I believe their classes will be richer for knowing them.

Our 6 hours of prac classes start in a minute, and with that challenge comes a whole new sea of white caps!

Bail!? or Row!!!

 

*With apologies to B Cornwell

Week 13 – A Sliding Door Moment August 6, 2010

Posted by Liz Mead in : Into the new space, TESOL , add a comment

Captain’s Log: Sometimes I wonder what a land-life would be like.

Tally for the week

• 1 missed observation class
• 1 lesson in classroom management and learner levels
• 1 lesson in reading skills and
• 1 sliding door moment

Have you ever had a moment in which you observe the life you’re leading with greater clarity than normal?

As if a camera framed for a close-up pans back suddenly to show the bigger picture.

And in that picture you also get a glimpse of the person you might have been had you gone through a different door, down a different path.

That’s a sliding door moment.

This week in my TESOL class, I was pulling a text apart in order to identify cohesive devices (aka discourse markers). And it reminded me of the other thing I’m trying to pull apart – my professional life to find meaning

My understanding of meaningful work has its genesis in my family ideals of purpose and success. And in the past, when work opportunities appeared “out of the blue”, suddenly, as if in answer to a wish or a prayer, the process often felt part of a pre-destined plan – ie I was on the “right” path. The markers clear. 

That path and the bigger plan has changed though. I now make sense of things in a different way.

Residues of the old markers will always be there. Because  habits take time to change. The challenge is to know the difference between the accidental (or left-over markers) and the intended (or new markers).

So that when I pull apart the text of this hoped-for joyful, authentic life of mine, I’ll be able to identify the discourse markers that indicated a meaningful and honest connection with others and (please god!) a skilful contribution to the world. 

And then, if the door ever slides open again, I hope I can say, hand-on-heart that I ended up on the right road, simply because it was my road.

Week 12 -We’re going through a mixed up phrase July 30, 2010

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Captain’s Log:  Have made great headway this week. The winds have been in our favour. I’ve spent most nights studying the maps of these new waters, and commissioned a new map from Cartographer Multi. A productive fellow and the best at the trade..he should be for what we’re paying!  His latest map of the phrasal reef  is the finest he’s done. I must admit it is splendidly detailed. When pouring over it, I found he’d named a shoal after himself – the rake!

We’re going through a phrase of multiple verbs. Verbs you can’t separate. Verbs that are increasingly popular in modern venacular, and all because of the Norman Conquest. Why those Saxons didn’t defend their phrasal territory a little better I’ll never know. Pesky romance and germanic languages!!

D reckons a set of coloured boxes will sort it out. I find her box technique as perplexing as her use of improvisation skills. What she lacks in acting ability she makes up for in enthusiasm and it’s impossible NOT to applaud such a bold attempt.

S taught us how to teach writing. 4 models to chose from (of course!) There are always 4. The class decided a mixed up version was the best to hone foundation skills and increase fluency. And produce an academic essay, flowery love letter or application letter at the end – fit for purpose.

So as we start Semester 2 with a multi-page 100 point essay that has turned my hair more grey (if that’s possible?) I craft this  blog as testament to the e-genre -ation with this final verse:

It’s  too late to pack up
And don’t believe we’ll get off (lightly)
So still sort of mixed up
but not sure that I’m put out (nightly)

Thank God this is just a phrase we’re going through!

Week 8 – This ‘aint simple! July 2, 2010

Posted by Liz Mead in : TESOL , 1 comment so far

Captain’s Log: Full fathom five thy father lies, of his bones are coral made,  those are pearls that were his eyes, nothing of him that doth fade, but doth suffer a sea change – into something rich and strange. (The Tempest)

This week has been like a runaway train.

It began by watching a brilliant pronunciation teacher identify and correct erros to the beat of syncopated jazz. I am deeply admiring of those who do this for a living.

Later that night in a language analysis session, I took on way too many functions and way too many forms! Though S and the watch were pretty funny.

In the following class we got the dirt on the phonology assessment: Piece of Cake! In 20 mins - translate phrases of phonemes into words and vice versa, describe where in the oral cavity we form sounds, tick off inflections and stress, and throw in a few suprasegmentals – what IS  suprasegmental??  Let me say our booking agent wasn’t overwhelmed with offers.

Chugging into the station for the micro teaching class, where we unpacked the food chain and designed a zoo with passive verbs and polite suggestions, I realised my train was starting to de-rail.

By the time we got to the last lesson, where we learnt how to describe things that will have occured sometime between now and the future that hasn’t happened yet, I was ready to pull the emergency switch.

And the coach wants me to keep it simple.

Sigh.

Choo Choo.

Week 3 TESOL Log on Deficiencies May 26, 2010

Posted by Liz Mead in : TESOL , 1 comment so far

Captains Log – 3rd week out from port – lost sight of the Isle of Tesol, confirming we packed the right navigation charts!  Checked supplies today, Cook tells me we’re low on fresh fruit. Unless we can pull into one of the Islands, I fear the crew will come down with Scurvy.

3rd week into my TESOL (Teaching English as a second language) course, and I’m noticing – like one would notice a skin condition – my own failings in the classroom.

  1. I have an unsettling emotional reaction to negative feedback
  2. I don’t read carefully
  3. I don’t listen properly and
  4. I use information for humour, sometimes without considering the implications.

I’m getting the impression my condition is fairly skin-deep, and certainly doesn’t bode well for the course I’ve set myself – to being an effective teacher!

As soon as I had the insight it didn’t take me long to slip into my default position of “I give up! I knew I’d never be a teacher!”.

After this rigorous audit and decision making process however I take a deep breath and re-evaluate my options.

I could turn those weaknesses into strength and fix my condition with the very things I think are weaknesses. Who better to understand a learning process that one who doesn’t learn as quickly as others.

I settle on the antidote:

Lift anchor, as I have enough supplies to get back on course.