Week 15

Putting it together and starting again

The task of teaching is an ever-growing task. Depending on the environment, and many other factors a teacher must plan a new model or tactics to face the situation. So, a teacher is constantly reflecting upon his or her way of teaching, and approaching problems.

All teachers must construct their own knowledge, so to say it as they go along, it is certain that all teachers must have a formal training which to start with but after that, all will be into the teacher’s hands to grow always in knowledge and capability to teach better and more effectively. Teaching is a living profession that always asks to be updated and improved.

As I am learning more through the professional practice that I am doing, I realize how great and at the same time how demanding being a teacher means. I must be always updating, reflecting, and studying new info that comes up to better my skills and the quality of education in general.

Week 14

Reflective teaching

It is not worth teaching if the teacher does not grow in time to better his or her practice. Reflective teaching refers to the practice and capacity of every teacher to re-evaluate his or her approach and past experiences to improve the style in which he or she is used to teach.

This is the situation, a teacher may have experience, but if that experience does not couple with reflection and growth then the teacher is not an excellent one. Therefore, it is better experiences united with reflection to build the best teachers ever.

As it is already stated, a teacher that does not update, asks, and learns constantly is in a state of undergrowth and mediocrity, hence the importance of teacher to assist to seminars, new courses, etc.

Week 13 - Document describing process and experience of the translation

The experience of translation

When I started translating the assignment that according to the Syllabus was to be at least ten thousand words, I never imagined all I had to do. The first activity that took me much time was trying to find the best book or article to translate; it took me about week and a half to come up with the one that I felt most comfortable with. I searched in my own personal library, into my niece’s and into other ones, but I could not find one that fit the necessary conditions, namely that it had never been translated before into English , that had at least ten thousand words, and that I would feel very comfortable with (that I liked the topic). After an exhaustive research, I found an excellent scientific booklet-article: Una Aproximación a la Historia de la Lectura en Costa Rica (1900-1930) (An approach to the History of Reading in Costa Rica (1900-1930) by Patricia Vega Jiménez (see proposal for more details). When I read on this article, I knew that this was to be the one to choose and so I did.

Let us review what the concept of translation is so we have a better focus of what an assignment I had to accomplish. First a brief definition: it is “to render in another language” (Freedictionary, 2011). According to it, translation means to present a message with clear meaning into another language. Nevertheless, let us deepen a bit on it: “the network of connotations associated with the term translation leads to notions of transferring, conveying, or moving from one place to another, of linking one word, phrase, or text to another. These connotations are shared among the words for translation in many modern languages: fanyi in Chinese, translation in English, traduction in French, honyaku in Japanese, Übersetzung in German, and so forth. It may therefore appear justified to postulate the following definition: ‘Translation is a transfer of the message from one language to another.’ Even before one specifies what sort of transfer this may be, it is hard to refrain from asking about the message. Is not the message in this definition a product or consequence of the transfer called translation rather than an entity that precedes the action of transfer, something that remains invariant in the process of translation? Is the message supposedly transferred in this process determinable in and of itself before it has been operated on? In addition, what is the status of the language from which or into which the message is transferred? Is it justifiable to assume that the source language in which the original text makes sense is different and distinct from the target language into which the translator renders the text as faithfully as possible?” (Science.jrank.org, 2010). Such were the questions I also faced in the process.

Hitherto there were enough challenges to discourage most people, but the following represented even another big one: “It is commonly assumed that any bilingual individual is able to produce satisfactory or even high quality document translations simply because they are fluent speakers of a second language. However, this is often not the case. Because of the very nature of the different skills that each possesses, bilinguals and translators are not equally prepared to perform document translations. The ability, skill, and even the basic mental processes required for bilingualism are fundamentally different from those required for translation” (Kadosh, 2007). Therefore, at the end I just had to consider the fact that I was just practicing for future enterprises.

I did not have much of an idea what I was entering into until I actually did it. I must say it was like embarking into a journey of knowledge, research, patience, perseverance, ethics and the like. After having translated the entire booklet I found out what a professional translator goes through before he or she delivers his or her final rendering. The translator has to go (as I did) through an ample array of research, calling the author if he or she is still alive to ask permission, finding resources (books, dictionaries, internet, interviews, and so on), having much patience and perseverance, and vision, putting into practice all he or she has learnt along the university classes and out of the classroom experience, and so on.

I faced many issues, problems, and challenges in the process, especially that of faithfulness and wording. As pointed out by Umberto Eco in the Goggio Public Lectures the author gave at the University of Toronto in October 1998 when “he begins with a discussion of the meaning of “faithful translation,” a concept that permeates the first half of the book. Always thinking like a semiotician, despite his professed attempts not to, he addresses many important and controversial topics within translation theory, such as the question of complete synonymy of words, the cultural differences between languages, the tension of “foreignizing” vs. “domesticating” and “archaicizing” vs. “modernizing” a text, as well as the sacrifice of a literal translation for the sake of preserving style, meter, or imagery in the translated version” (Eco, 1998). Furthermore, in the end, translation, says Eco, “is like the paradox of Achilles and the turtle. Theoretically speaking, Achilles should never reach the turtle. However, in reality, he does. No rigorous philosophical approach to that paradox can underestimate the fact that, not just Achilles, but any one of us, could beat a turtle at the Olympic Games” (Eco, 1998). Therefore, even though the task of translation seemed overwhelming at the beginning and in the middle, I set out for the task of reaching the destination and trying to get the most faithful translation possible.

Another challenge I faced was the fact that the original text sometimes presented very long sentences, grammar and syntax mistakes, so at some extent I felt like correcting and re-writing it. For instance, words that were outdated already.

Regarding the strategies I used I must say what I said in the proposal, mainly that I would use an eclectic style depending on the circumstances and aims of the translation, but I must point out the fact that being very well organized helps much in whichever strategy you are to follow. As Wilss points out: “there is no one single ideal strategy, but each strategy can be appropriate for translating a particular kind of text or for a particular purpose in the target language. Using Wittgenstein’s theory of language games, it is important for the translator to identify the kind of language game that is being played in the source text and to establish the language game aimed at in the target text as SL and TL games are not always identical. This point will be made very clear in the ensuing chapters in which poetic, philosophical, humorous and dialectal texts can be seen as different kinds of language games” (Wilss, 1978). It also brings me to the part where I found many word plays that were unknown to me and many old words that are outdated already so I had to really research and ask around to find a possible suitable rendering.

As stated by Kadosh (2007), “a good translator understands the source language very well, has specific experience in the subject matter of the text, and is an outstanding writer in the target language. Moreover, he or she is not only bilingual, but has a superior command of both languages, specifically, excellent reading skills in the source language, and excellent writing skills in the target language. These skills are normally the result of specialized training in linguistics or translation studies” (Kadosh, 2007). Again, I relied on the fact that all that mentioned by Kadosh will be acquired through training and mainly through experience, so I finished with the task at hand as focused as possible.

After coming to the end of this journey, I feel more in touch with the reality of translation and all that it implies. Now I have a better sense of what it is really about.

Bibliography

Eco, U. (1998). Experiences in Translation. Retrieved 2011, from Experiences in Translation: http://www.google.co.cr/#hl=en&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=687&q=experiences+in+translation+eco&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&fp=39e5787d4fb75840

Freedictionary. (2011). TheFreeDictionary. Retrieved 2011, from TheFreeDictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/translating

Kadosh, A. (2007). k12spanish.com. Retrieved from k12spanish.com: http://www.k12spanish.com/Translation%20&%20Bilingualism%20Paper.pdf

Science.jrank.org. (2010). Science.jrank.org. Retrieved 2011, from Science.jrank.org: http://science.jrank.org/pages/11495/Translation-Concept-Translation-Its-Complexity.html

Wilss. (1978). Thueringen. Retrieved from Thueringen: http://www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/DerivateServlet/Derivate-2786/gledhill.pdf

Week 13

BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE CLASSROOM

As teachers, it is a very difficult job to take a group of different students and teach them in ways that meet all of their needs on every level: academic, emotional, and social.

In the classroom, part of the teacher’s job is to provide opportunities by which students can help and support one another, and at the same time learning.

By building a community in the classroom, teachers produce a general and predictable cultural understanding that helps children feel associated to others. It is important to make the students feel relaxed and help them create a home-like surroundings, and make them feel the same sense of trust in school as they do at home in order for them feel certain and able of doing stuff and share their thoughts.

Week 12

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT MANUAL

The manual is a very useful tool for teachers to better improve and manage the classroom effectively. By successfully managing your classroom, teachers can increase student success and create a productive and cooperative learning environment.

Effective behavior management plans allow students to get the most out of their time spent in school and ensure that teachers maintain their sanity. Through effective classroom management, teachers can create healthy and mutually respectful relationships with their students, and allow students to build positive relationships with their peers. It also ensures that students interact appropriately, allowing them to create and strengthen relationships with others.

Week 11

Assessing learning

Assessing learning can be considered one of the most important tasks in the process of teaching, but it may become a very complex task taking into account the fact that all learners are different and that all teachers teach differently.

The main purpose of learning a language is communication and today especially here, in Costa Rica what students are studying for is simply to pass a test in the schools and not to really apply what they have learnt, hence the importance to reconsider the ways we have been assessing students.

The whole purpose of assessment is to improve and help the students to tackle the areas to better and fortify those in which they are doing fine already. Therefore, any test that fails to do so is not appropriate. Therefore, sometimes instead of traditional methods of assessments, alternative ones may be used instead. Portfolios may be one of the best types of assessments because they evaluate the student’s progress, and performance over time.

Therefore, it is necessary to assess learners, but it must be done with the appropriate methodology, and techniques.

Week 10

How to motivate learners?

The acquisition of another language is a long process and it requires patience and perseverance. Therefore, teachers must learn how to instill in the students intrinsic motivation that will make them learn easily to communicate in another language.

Some ways to motivate students to learn is to point out the higher goal of learning a language, and why it is so important to do so. We must encourage them to use language in real life situations, and even to begin thinking in the target language.

Other ways to motivate the learners are the following: to make creative activities, student centered approach, active learning involved. Tell them what the ultimate outcome will be if they really learn how to communicate in the target language.

All these united with the effort of the learners, teachers and parents will yield good fruit motivating everyone to do his/her job, and to succeed in the learning of another language.oHoHdr gherijfhie8b1b

Week 9

Syllabus

The main purpose of the Practicum is to apply and solidify what you already know, and to acquire more knowledge and experience in the vocation of teaching. The reading places emphasis on the teaching philosophy of every teacher, and that is so because on that will depend how the teacher will instruct, how his or her values will affect directly or indirectly all he or she does.

Feedback is one of the main reasons why the Practicum is done. Through videotaping and other means the facilitator and the classmates, and the student himself or herself will analyze the work of the teacher. Then they will try to evaluate and help him or her in the process of teaching.

The whole Practicum experience should be one of the few in the career that will enhance and empower the future teacher to face confidently the classroom.

Week 8 - Extra Entry

Video Reflection

As it has been pointed out many times: there is always room for improvement in the teaching-learning process. In my case after watching the video and seeing myself for the first time teaching, I was surprised and even laughed at seeing myself. In addition, I asked to myself, is that the way I look as I teach?

I hope I can become better in all the points I have to improve. I think I must improve, amongst many points the one of organization, class management, smoothness, variation in activities, etc. It is quite an experience to see myself teaching and to see the students what they actually do when I am not looking at them.

From the theories and hypothesis studied along the English teaching and psychology courses, I get little sometimes when I come face to face to the classroom and the type of students and surroundings. Every community is different, every student population is unique, and thus their needs and approaches sometimes need to be unique as well.

Week 8

Planning a lesson

Every teacher before the lesson takes place should have already a plan or scheme on how the lesson will develop. Every teacher should plan the lesson in a bigger or smaller extent, but it will depend on how experienced the teacher is.

The whole purpose of teaching a lesson is for students to learn. Every single student expects to learn something, so setting the learning goals will help the teacher and the students know what they will learn by the end of the lesson.

Every plan should have a segment in which what was taught is assessed or evaluated. All knowledge will be concrete when it can be applied, so evaluation is a way to prove that the student learned how to master the topic at hand.

I believe that any plan of any lesson and its application thereof is simply a start for the ongoing process of learning. Taking into account the assignments and out of class research it is valid to confirm that any lesson is just the beginning of a bigger learning acquisition afterwards, and this time it will depend mainly on the student.

Week 7 - Extra Entry

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TEACHING AND LEARNING’S GUIDE TO

TEACHING ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION

Remarks

The Guide is very clear in all its points concerning the assessment and evaluation of teaching. However, strictly speaking, how in is it possible to assess and evaluate teaching? Because the answer will depend on a great range of factors beginning with the context, subject, school, teacher, culture, surroundings, beliefs, etc.

As the text goes, “teaching is not right or wrong, good or bad, effective or ineffective in any absolute, fixed or determined sense.”¹ Instructors emphasize different domains of learning (affective, cognitive, psychomotor, etc.) and employ different theories of education and teaching methodologies (anti-racist, constructivist, critical, feminist, humanistic, etc.) (York, 2010). So how is it possible to compile a standard and fixed Guide to assess teaching? I believe that teaching should really be assessed more rigorously when the teacher has passed through the first stages of the profession namely knowledge and experience then after that and a lot of time someone learned may come and attempt to evaluate and assess a teacher.

On the other hand, if we talk about assessing and evaluating teachers with the sole purpose of bettering them through appropriate feedback then we will have a formative purpose in which I believe it to be excellent. Of course, this relates directly with the Practicum that we are doing this term and which its purpose is to practice and be assessed (given feedback upon).

As the article suggests, a dossier is a great way to document the development of a teachers achievements, undergoing through a period of time teaching and it registers systematically, and in depth, the process and papers thought which the facilitator went through.

Bibliography

York. (2010). http://www.yorku.ca. Retrieved 2011, from http://www.yorku.ca: http://www.yorku.ca/univsec/senate/committees/scotl/tevguide.pdf

Week 7

Teaching goals and methods

From The Essentials of Language Teaching

www.nclrc.org/essentials

Remarks

The goal here is the communicative competence, which is the ability to use the language in the right way. As the text goes ``the desired outcome of the language learning process is the ability to communicate competently, not the ability to use the language exactly as a native speaker does`` (NCRLC, 2007). So, anyone who uses the language correctly even if he/she is not a native speaker can be considered as competent. ``Communicative competence is made up of four competence areas: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic`` (NCRLC, 2007). All these areas complement each other and make up the general competency of a person.

``Learner-centered instruction encourages students to take responsibility for their own language skill development and helps them gain confidence in their ability to learn and use the language. Teachers support students by devoting some class time to non-traditional activities, including teaching learners how to use learning strategies, how to use available tools and resources, and how to reflect on their own learning`` (NCRLC, 2007). Indeed, every single student should and must take responsibility for his/her own learning and study. I remember when I was starting to learn English I used to study many hours besides the regular lessons that I received in school and I knew that it was what helped me the most because the lesson gotten in school were very poor and scant.

The key to master a language is immersion, practice and more practice until you become competent in all its areas and then you keep on practicing to polish it and stabilize it.

Bibliography

NCRLC. (2007). The Essentials of Language Teaching. Retrieved 2011, from The Essentials of Language Teaching: http://www.nclrc.org/essentialsA

Week 6

What language teaching is

There are three situations for new language instructors. They are graduate students who have extensive knowledge of language, literature, and culture, but are not trained as language teachers.

The older model, which is the teacher-centered model, views the teacher as active and the student as fundamentally passive. Wherein the teacher is responsible for transmitting all of the information and the students listen and absorb. In this model, it is important that the students be taught that the subjects makes sense, well presented and have it applied with related exercises.

The newer model is the Language learning which is a process of discovery. Learner develops ability to use the language for specific communication purposes. In this model, both student and teacher are active participants who share responsibility, for the student is learning. Instructor and students work together. The interaction between students and teacher leads to a dynamic classroom environment in which teaching and learning become rewarding and enjoyable.

This topic also pointed out the differences between the two models of teaching. Language instructors who have never experienced learner-centered instruction can find it intimidating in several ways such as that it requires more preparation time, it is mysterious, it feels like it isn’t going to work, it feels chaotic and it sounds like a bad idea.

This final point is an important one. In fact, in an effective learner-centered classroom, the instructor has planned the content of all activities, has set time limits on them, and has set them in the context of instructor-modeled language use. The instructor is not the center of attention, but is still in control of students’ learning activities.

To move from the teacher-centered model to the learner-centered one, new language instructors need to think about what they do and how and why they do it. Every instructor starts with an initial theory of language teaching and learning based on personal experiences as a language learner. In reflective practice, the teacher applies this theory in classroom practice, observes and reflects on the results, and adapts the theory. The theory provides a unifying rationale for the activities that the instructor uses in the classroom classroom observation and reflection enable the instructor to refine the theory and adjust teaching practice. Concepts that the teacher acquires through reading and professional development activities are absorbed into the theory and tested in the reflective practice cycle. In this cycle, practice and reflection continues throughout a teacher’s career, as the teacher evaluates new experiences and tests new or adapted theories against them.

Every instructor has his way of teaching because it is a mixture of methods and experience. Classroom scrutiny and indication allow the instructor to process the assumption and adjust teaching performance. Notions that the teacher gets through reading and proficient development activities are immersed into the theory and experienced in the reflective practice sequence.

Functions of a teaching portfolio are to permit a teacher to follow personal development: to register teaching performance for showing review, to exemplify teaching advance for possible employers, the best way to have a successful teaching experience in any branch, but especially in language is to be prepared. Some aspects to consider getting ready are the following: content, method, students, plan, orientation, relationships, expectation, and guidance. Any teaching experience can be rewarding as long as you use the right tools, common sense and some amount of perseverance.

Week 5

Bridging Classroom Practices to the Professional Development: Let us Video-Coach, Shall We?

BY Meral Guceri and Naime Meltem Bizim

Videotaping for teachers development is an excellent tool to identify strengths and weaknesses in the lesson performance. It has been found that teacher using such toll can identify easily their characteristics of teaching and they are able to receive feedback from other people including other teachers and professionals in the area.

Others can make observation and by the instructor him/herself (self-assessment) so the opportunities to study what was taped are ample, hence the possibilities to improve may increase as well in an overall level.

Videotaping also frees the teacher from anxieties and pressures and launches them into more control over their own professional development.

Through such methodology of observation, teachers become more aware and firm in many factors concerning the teaching process. Through this system, the teachers also gain more perspective on what the whole process of ongoing education is all about.

Week 4

My philosophy of education

Since centuries ago education has been seen as the act of transmitting certain knowledge, skills and values to other individuals with the purpose to make them better people. Moreover, I believe that education is not an activity that should be segmented and confined into molds, so to say it. I am convinced that education is a huge spectrum that can be run at some extent, bigger or smaller depending not so much on the teachers or parents, but on the students themselves. Therefore, parents and teachers are not that anymore (parents and teachers) but they are facilitators, guides, pointers that help the individuals attain a desire to learn and to keep on learning and researching all their lives. In other words, learning and education is an ongoing process that is as vast as the person is willing to go.

Education should be available to every human being, when I am referring to education I am referring to an integral and holistic view of it. I am in favor of education as a whole, not partial or distorted, biased or prejudiced, but one that has all the facets of the truth. I think strongly that the facilitators in the process of education should present to the student the fact of the matters or truth in its ample and objective way, then with the help of the facilitator the student will decide how to lead his/her life according to it. The sole purpose of education is to better the person, to make the individual a better citizen, and a freer thinker that is able to decide objectively and critically what is the most appropriate solution for any give problem.

In the sense of being more specific, and down to earth regarding education I will mention two authors that I see as the ones considering education as a whole process rather than a part only. First, Howard Gardner and his well known theory stating basically that “we are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. Where individuals differ is in the strength of these intelligences - the so-called profile of intelligences -and in the ways in which such intelligences are invoked and combined to carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains." (Gardner, 1983). What he means is that every person is intelligent in some way, his view is so wide that implications for classrooms are vast such as the fact that every student is different and unique, and that as much as possible all types of intelligences should be cultivated. Second, Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of education that is summarized in the following lines offers a helpful insight regarding integrality on education: “Steiner schools are always co-educational, fully comprehensive and take pupils from 3 to ideally eighteen. They welcome children of all abilities from all faiths and backgrounds. The priority of the Steiner ethos is to provide an unhurried and creative learning environment where children can find the joy in learning and experience the richness of childhood rather than early specialization or academic hot-housing. The curriculum itself is a flexible set of pedagogical guidelines, founded on Steiner's principles that take account of the whole child. It gives equal attention to the physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural and spiritual needs of each pupil and is designed to work in harmony with the different phases of the child's development. The core subjects of the curriculum are taught in thematic blocks and all lessons include a balance of artistic, practical and intellectual content. Whole class, mixed ability teaching is the norm.” (Steiner, 1919). So, the child is seen as an integral and holistic being that can be able to attain intellectual and spiritual freedom through education.

Being a teacher is difficult because the enterprise is filled with many challenges that may discourage anybody, but I am convinced that a well-balanced and profound education can make huge differences in the development of a person, and of a country. All facilitators when faced with such difficulties must have in mind the higher purpose and idealistic view of education itself. As expressed in Plato’s Republic, book seven, where it says the following basically: “Plato sums up his views in an image of ignorant humanity, trapped in the depths and not even aware of its own limited perspective. The rare individual escapes the limitations of that cave and, through a long, tortuous intellectual journey, discovers a higher realm, a true reality, with a final, almost mystical awareness of Goodness as the origin of everything that exists. Then, such a person is the best equipped to govern in society…” (Plato, 1998). Therefore, the facilitators’ task is to help everyone to flee the darkness of ignorance in to the upper world of knowledge and good. Facilitators should be a model example to all pupils because students remember oftentimes more what they see in the facilitator than what the facilitator says or instructs.

In short, I believe that the process of education is a lifetime journey that will be developed to its full potential only if well-equipped facilitators guide well disposed pupils in the way of objective truth and knowledge.

Bibliography

Gardner. (1983). Tecweb.org. Retrieved 2011, from Tecweb.org: http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html

Plato. (1998). Wsu.edu. Retrieved 2011, from Wsu.edu: http://www.wsu.edu/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/plato.html

Steiner, R. (1919). Steinerwaldorf.org.uk. Retrieved 2011, from Steinerwaldorf.org.uk: http://www.steinerwaldorf.org.uk/whatissteinereducation.html

Week 3

Teachers Observing Teachers: A Professional Development Tool for Every School (By Michele Israel)

Remarks

Every school nowadays should use “Teachers Observing Teachers” way of observation as a form of professional development that enhances teaching practices and student performance. Sharing of instructional techniques and ideologies between and among teachers are beneficial for teachers, administrators as well as the school.

Teacher observation is one model of professional learning and the most positive benefit of it is that it makes teaching a public rather than a private act. Teachers should help one another for professional development. This model allows them to interact with each other. Involvement to others generates lots of ideas, useful suggestions and opportunities to share successful teaching approaches which are very useful as grounds for improvements of every teacher. For instance, newly graduated teachers are being sent to practical teaching. In this course, they are handled by experienced teachers and they are sent to the class for them to practice teaching. In this way, the new ones will have the opportunity to share and apply their teaching skills. On the other hand, the veteran teacher can observe and watch the interaction between the students and the teacher. After that, they can discuss both the different teaching approaches of each other for the improvement of them both.

Establishing a culture for learning might be the most important challenge a teacher encounters. It is significant that the school administrators should practice a culture that nurtures a mutually respectful exchange of ideas and promotes a certain level of trust. It has been said that a culture exists where people report with pride that they put one another professionally. Open-mindedness and having a positive way of acceptance on different types of feedbacks from the observer’s motives and valuing collegial relationships leads to professional development.

To enhance further and to make Teachers Observations very effective is when teachers acquire new skills or ideas at trainings and conferences and then model those new approaches for their colleagues. Teachers observation is most successful when the teacher and the observer work together and reflect on the teaching behavior and least successful with analysis or dialogue. To have an effective teachers-observing-teachers program the following sequence should be followed: Overview, Observation, Discussion, Reflection and Application. Also, a variety of approaches to teacher observation support professional growth and student achievement such as Lesson Study, Peer Coaching, Cognitive Coaching, Critical Friends Group (CFG) and Learning Walk.

I am convinced that the tool of teachers observing teachers if applied properly will make a huge improvement in the classrooms of today and tomorrow.

Week 2

Reflective Journal Writing in the Practicum Course: What are the Roles of the Responder? (Ayasegül Daloglu)

Without feedback, the process of the Practicum may go astray. This tool besides of being interactive possesses the capability for exchanging thoughts, processes, and ideas not only between the facilitator and the student, but also between students.

The journal may serve as a powerful tool designed to meet the needs and the visions of people involved in this Practicum, which constitutes an elemental step in the formation of integral professional in the areas of Teaching and Translation.

As the reading points out, this journal will serve also other teachers that will come afterwards to the same activity hence the importance thereof. As we know, teaching is an ongoing task that will develop throughout a lifetime; therefore, the responder should be pointing out the strengths and integrally correcting the shortcomings of the student.

Another fact to underline is that the journal must be fresh and accurate, and by that, I mean that every entry should be done right when it is required and as faithful to the experience as possible. I think that the reading is very clear stressing the fact that a journal can only better and enrich the experience of the Practicum.

Week 1

Journal entry 1 - Expressing personal goals and priorities

Goals affect directly the performance and motivation of people in general, but when it comes to teaching and learning, they affect directly the output and performance in the teachers and students. A teacher without goals is like an aimless boat tossed back and forth by the slings of life and profession.

Expectations

How do I expect to benefit from the field experience (Student teaching) /Practica Profesional?

As the name of the course suggests it is a practice, an opportunity to apply what I have learnt in an actual school with hands on experience, therefore I expect to practice much and apply what I have learnt in the University and through previous learning processes.

In concrete words, I expect to get from this practice a greater experience in teaching, more fluency, better human relationships, and more knowledge in my profession.

Questions to reflect on my goals

What have you chosen Enseñanza y Traducción del Inglés as your career? What are your options?

At the beginning, I could have chosen any other career basically, but I chose this career because I like to learn and to transmit what I have learnt, and because I like literature very much.

What do you see as essential qualities for a teacher, which you are striving to develop? ( List them and describe role models, if any )

Essential qualities a teacher must have are the following: friendly, open minded, culturally open, willingness to learn from everyone and everything, sympathetic, perseverant, patient, good humored, critical thinker.

What do you expect from the Practica Profesional? What would you like to be the objectives of this course?

I expect to gain experience through practice and to transmit whatever I have learnt as much as I can. The objectives of this course I would like them to be focused on practice mostly as I see them they are so far.

Amongst my personal goals as a teacher for this practice and for my future professional undertakings the following aspects are relevant

Willingness to learn: teaching is an ongoing process, so I must be willing to learn and be corrected.

Organization: I consider this element fundamental in teaching all types of subjects and levels to a successful outcome.

Critical thinking: Learning is not a set situation, instead, it is a dynamic and ongoing process, therefore teachers can only guide students in the vast learning process and help them with the tools and to discern knowledge from different sources, to grasp what is useful and to consider all things under higher goals and aims.

Cultural sensibility and open mindedness: today there is a vast array of beliefs, aims, goals, cultures and ways of seeing the world, therefore a teacher must be willing to listen, discern, and cope with the different circumstances and thought.

Motivation and friendliness: this is necessary for every teacher, if a teacher wants to motivate he/she has to be motivated and friendly.