Module 1, Assignment 2: Challenges in the Classroom
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I have experienced teaching both in and outside of China and while the challenges may be different depending on which country you’re teaching in, it is certain that there will always be challenges in the classroom. I gained my first experience teaching in a small city in Jiangsu, China. I taught at a private school that included a kindergarten, primary school, and training center. The first challenge I faced here was trying to reach such a broad range of students. Every week I might teach a different age group but most weeks I ended up teaching ages pre-school – adult. The Chinese classroom was very different than I expected. Home in the US, students would go to preschool for a few hours a week. Here at the kindergarten in China (which included preschool), the kids studied five days a week until 6pm. Some of these young learners couldn’t even express themselves well in Chinese yet, so it was difficult coming up with material that was easy enough for them to learn and fun enough to keep their interest.
Teaching adults comes with different challenges. I have had adults here ask what they can do to improve their English but is seems they are disappointed with the answer when I tell them it takes time and dedication. Simply showing up to class without any preparation will not yield very good results. I also have come across troubles when trying to get input from the students. I would prefer to teach classes that my students are interested in, but when I ask adults for some topic suggestions that they are interested I am mostly faced with blank stares. I understand that this is simply a difference in classroom teaching from western classrooms and classrooms in China, but I still find it challenging.
Finally there are several problems that occur in both western classrooms and in China and some of these include different language abilities, shy students, and difficult students. When people have varying language abilities, it’s difficult to come up with a lesson plan that each student can gain from. Normally when this is the case, I will separate people into groups that include students with strong english and students who are struggling. Shy students also present a problem because learning English is best done when reading, speaking, writing, and listening are all practiced. I have found that being patient and not forcing students to go too far outside of their comfort zone at first works best. Finally, classrooms will always have students that are difficult to reach. No matter what our teaching style is, there are simply some students who are not interested in our topic. I always continue to encourage these students and find things that I think might interest them to teach, but essentially it is their decision to take part as learning can never be forced.
As I have already taught for one year in a primary school, I have experienced many of the challenges of teaching I knew I would face as well as some I didn’t expect. The most challenging part of my last year was developing a strategy to effectively deal with the behavior of some students, while still making the lesson productive for the other students. I have learned that my lessons indeed should be more engaging and fun so every student can be involved and not distracted elsewhere.
If I was put in a new situation however, say I am to teach a class of older pupils (secondary students, or even adults). I will have to change what I have done previously to accomodate this new age group. For older pupils, the games I used to play with my primary student will not apply to them. I will have to create new and engaging lessons for these older students as to get them participating in the class. Also, teaching older pupils and adults would be a new challenge for me because I would have to be more fluent with my lesson transitions and not stop for a minute, as older students need the lesson to be a constant and smooth flow. If I were to teach a class of adults, my lessons would of course have to be more content rich, and possibly less fun as adults expect much more out of your lessons, compared to younger pupils.
Getting the students interested and motivated to learn the language and keep them interested at the same time,i think could be a possible hurdle at the start.like everyone says,”Class Plan”,that will be the key to success.Keep it simple,enjoyable and flowing smoothly,i think will be the main challenge to get right.Think ahead,ie:different age groups of course you need differnt lesson plans.Finding new ideas and ways teaching my classes will be a challenge,because if you repeat activities to often or make work to repetitive,you will lose your students interest very quickly.(speaking from experience when i was a student)
Also getting the student used to the idea of asking questions and having their input heard,as it seems they lack that doing in class rooms here.As if they are scared of the teacher.That is 1 thing i do not want.I want my students to feel at ease at all times.If they feel at ease and comfortable in clas and with me,i am sure it will make my job as a teacher easier.
As a person i am very approachable and always have time to listen and help and i want them to know that,so we will have a good student/teacher relationship,be friends,but at the end of the day i am in charge.freinds or not.
One of the biggest challenges in the classroom would be myself.
When I’m in the classroom, I always ask myself,”Am I a good teacher?” If someone tells me I am good, then I want to be the best. And there are time I just can’t stop evaluating myself. But then I realize, that it’s plain stupid.
Every person is unique, so obviously, every teacher is unique. We have our own unique styles of teaching and reaching out to kids. So, in our own unique ways, we are the best teachers that we can be.
Race is another big challenge for me. Here in China, when the color of your skin is white, then you are revered as an English god. It sometimes bothers me that Filipino teachers like me always have to step up to prove ourselves every SINGLE second that we can be just as good as the whites or blacks or greens, or whatever color they may be. My country may be a third world, but we are the second largest English- speaking nation in the world. Our government officials debate in English. Our newspapers are in English. Everything is in English. So, anyone can be a good teacher iregardless of where you come from or what the color of your skin is (Even if it’s puke green, just like Hulk’s).
The biggest challenge for me in the class room will probably be adjusting easily and confidently to the response (or lack thereof) in the room. I think it will be a challenge for me to maintain a flexible approach if things don’t play out the way I expect, or have prepared for in my lesson plan. If I don’t get the response I was hoping for from the children, I know I will have to focus on not being thrown off course, staying positive to keep kids engaged, and having the confidence to “go with the flow”. Another area that needs continuous attention is maintaining simple & to the point communication to the kids. Not having taught young children before, I need to get comfortable with short & clear commands that they will understand, rather than try and explain too much. Getting to grips with simple lingo is challenge nr. 1.
Kids are kids no matter where you are. They are energetic, they like props, and they speak as loud as they can. However, I think the most difficult part of teaching abroad is your desire to communicate with them and making them understand basic concepts without using illustrative language.
I think this will be the hardest part for me because when teaching abroad, my communication with my students will be limited to the vocabulary given. They will not be able to tell me what’s going on with their lives, what they did this week, and what new thing they learned about the world around them besides in the most simple sentences. This lack of understanding of their life, for me, personally, will make the whole teaching process more mechanical.
From the classes I observed, I was a bit surprised that the older level classes are very structured and emphasize on completing homework and getting through all the course material. There are more reciting and slightly less games compared to younger kids. Perhaps this is to accustom the rigid education system these kids will face here?
I anticipate that my biggest problem will be getting the students engaged and excited about the class, while still retaining authority. I’ll have to find the balance, where I am warm and friendly, but the students still have respect and do not get too relaxed.
I also need to make sure that I have a well thought-out lesson plan, and that I never draw air during class and have nothing to talk about.
I hope that my teaching style will be engaging, and get the students eager to learn english.
I don’t think that I’ll have that much of a problem; that’s what this course is for after all.
Its clear that the bottom line is A. My desire to teach, motivated?
Once established that, its really the class plan. This is the skeleton, the road map and the continuity of the session.
Myself, as the Teacher will need to think about the type of class, age, stage etc in order to gear it to the most effective session. What types of activities will be the most effective for that age group, what will be the possible stumbling blocks. As i look at the lesson plan, what will be the possible pitfalls in that area. I will have to use a bit of visualization, try and see the class in action as i planned it.
What is my outcome.. needs to be clearly understood by my the teacher if its going to be effectively conveyed.