I wrote the following letter as an introduction to my final portfolio for the TESOL class I took this summer. The class was a study abroad trip to Mexico were I and seven of my peers taught English to Mexican students for three weeks. I still really want to write a blog solely dedicated to looking back on the adventure, but I thought I would focus this one on my discoveries and conclusions about the teaching experience.
When I got to Mexico, I had a year’s worth of ESL teaching experience behind me. I felt confident right up until I was informed that I would be teaching little kids. Then, I was freaked.
The kids almost drove me crazy. I mean, I don’t blame them for their angst. At 7 years old, I wouldn’t have wanted to be at Spanish Language Camp. These kids wanted to be a soccer or dance camp. They’re freaking kids. Regardless, I grew very frustrated, repeating “sit down,” “sit down,” “be quiet…” To this day, I regret my seriousness. I should have just let them run wild as long as they were speaking English. I did see improvements in my kid’s language abilities. So, this is proof that we did our jobs. BUT, I probably could have been more fun at the same time.
While the entire trip seemed to solidify my career goals, I am proud of myself. I learned that I can teach kids, and that I kinda like it. One class I taught will always stand out. It was a class of eight 10-year-olds. German, Alejandro, Cesar, Brandon, Marco, Humberto, Armando, and Jorge. We danced to “Beat It,” performed a kickass Star Wars skit, played soccer vocabulary games, blindfolded each other, created a time capsule to be opened in 10 years, and discussed the things we would take to the moon and under the sea in addition to many other activities. I will always remember their names and their little faces.
I’m sad now to think I might never see these kids again- that I will never know who they’ll become or what they’ll do. All I can do is hoped that I helped them in some way, and I think I did. I guess that is all anyone can ever hope for. The good ones live our lives in awe of each person we meet. We are better for each experience and for each face that becomes an acquaintance and each acquaintance that becomes a friend.
Here is the letter I wrote, recapping my experience and offering advice to the students that go next year:
Dear Friend,
My experience in Monterrey, Mexico, in the TESOL practicum class was invaluable. The LaSallian Summer Camp provides student-teachers with the opportunity to practice different teaching areas (vocabulary, conversation, and pronunciation) to a wide range proficiency levels and age groups. I had the pleasure of the teaching and / or assisting with all three levels of proficiency, and I taught a wide range of age groups, including five-year-old little girl and a 40-year-old nun. What I consider to be the most valuable learning experience and what I hope you will gain from reading my portfolio is that communication should be at the heart of all the lessons,that the teacher need not all always be in control, and that teaching all ages is a rewarding experience.
Prior to my trip to Mexico, I planned what I thought were highly communicative activities. Some were complete failures, and some were surprising successes. Within this portfolio, I offer you my six successes in hopes that you will be able to implement them in your trip. In most of the lessons, you will find my commentary on how to make each activity more communicative. This is based on my experiences using these activities. Also, you will find my comments reminding you to let the students run the class, if they are capable of this. In my evaluations, Scott offered me a lot of positive feedback but relentlessly reminded me over and over that I was controlling my class instead of letting them take control. By the end of the third week, I learned how to let go. It is true; the classes that are facilitated by a teacher and then controlled by the class are most communicative and the most effective.
During my first week of teaching, I was mortified to learn that I would largely be teaching children. Prior to this camp, I had not worked with children, and I was very worried about not knowing how to communicate and interact with them. The experience had its ups and downs, but slowly I began to understand that kids are sometimes much easier to teach than adults. While ESL is a rewarding field overall, working with children is a very special experience that I am so thankful to have had.By the end of camp, I saw improvements in the children’s English proficiencies, and it is an amazing feeling to know that I contributed to that. Not to mention, the kids taught me not to be so serious. Sometimes the best learning environment is a fun one. I am proud of my students, but I am also proud of the progress I made in learning how to teach children. I consider this to be my biggest accomplishment, and no matter what I do in life, I believe that this experience will always be one of most rewarding challenges I ever faced.
In closing, what I have concluded to be the most important part of this portfolio and the experience as a whole is communication, the teacher as facilitator, and the importance of trying new things. The purpose of the camp is learning to speak English; therefore, no matter what activities you try, make sure they involve constant oral communication. Next, learn how to let go. As the teacher, it is hard to sometimes learn to be invisible, but it is a great accomplishment to watch your students excel at an activity on their own. Finally, do not be afraid or apprehensive about trying new things. No matter which age-range or proficiency level you teach, there will be good and bad moments, but overall it will all be rewarding for both you and your students.
Good luck on your trip. This will be a life-changing adventure!
Sincerely,
Christie Collins
I think I’ve been seriously neglecting this blog. Oops. This has been a busy summer. Busier than I thought it would be. I think that no matter where I go or what I do with my life, time will always be measured around the school calender. All life events occur in semesters. I’m always looking forward to a summer, winter or spring break.
In the month of May, I took like five mini-trips. I basically stayed gone the whole month. In June, I taught two classes and took a seminar in comic cinema. I really enjoyed falling in love with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton and studying the visual arts instead of the written, but I was super busy. I went to class at 8, then taught for two hours, then lunch, then office hours, then homework for class, then preparing lesson plans / grading papers, then bed. For the entire month, I didn’t make any progress on unpacking my apartment. I didn’t see anyone, and I really didn’t do anything. I did start going to the gym. We can count that as win.
In July, I went to Mexico. More about that in another blog.
My reason for recapping my summer is to say that here I sit. The entire summer has passed me by, and I am just now unboxing and unpacking my things. I’m always hesitant to warm up to new places, even places I like. Being completely settled in, in some strange way, will signify both my independence and my loneliness.
It’s one thing to be single and to live with a roommate, and it is quite another thing, I have found, to live alone and be single. Contemplating this has led to a series of thoughts I like to refer to as peculiarities in singledom.
Last month, I had an opportunity to learn the mechanics of a toilet. I say opportunity so as to try to seem like the optimist. No only did my toilet overflow, but it also did this thing where it ran continuously. Now, if this has happened to you before, you know that it really is not that hard to fix, but it was new to me. I fixed my toilet and felt like a born-again high school blonde scoring high on the ASVAB. Anyway, at any other point in my life, someone would have fixed that for me. A boyfriend, a roommate, my father. But when you rent a one bedroom apartment, you inherit a heap of your own problems. It’s like an adventure, or that is what I will tell myself until something serious breaks.
Also, movie rentals. In relationships, renting a movie meant quality time. Now, I go to rent a movie because I am going to pull my hair out if I don’t go seek out entertainment. A person can only do so much cleaning and schoolwork before a break is needed. AND I have literally seen everything on TV or it’s nothing but bad TV. I refuse to watch Roseanne at 4pm. Roseanne is exclusively reserved for 2am.
To be clear, I am in a vacation period of sorts. I still have responsibilities and whatnot, but I do not start work and school until August 17th. Several of my friends are out of town, and I have been sick. These are the reasons for my being home A LOT recently.
Also, now that I am single (not that my being single is a new development), my organizational methods have gone from adequate to obsessive. For instance, here’s a book…. its goes on the bookshelf. That was old Christie. Now, I divide my books into very specific sections. Is it a reference book, a book of fiction, poetry, new age? If poetry, is it English or American? 20th century? It is criticism or an anthology? Something tells me that I have too much alone time on my hands. Of course, now it’s worse because I’ve discovered library booksales. I can now buy 20 books for like 7 dollars, but then I am faced with such problems as what shelf should I put my handbook for chess players or my dictionary of legal terms?
Also, almost all of my close girlfriends started dating a guy this past year so now I am the perpetual third wheel. It’s fine, most of the time– until the moment happens– the moment when you have to watch them consciously rediscover their affection for one another. This usually happens after a meal, and then it is time for the third wheel to spin home.
Anyway, I think my singledom has gone from amateur to professional. I like it, most days.. even prefer it. On the days I might doubt that, I remember 11thstreet. Would I want to be back there, again? Is being involved with someone worth that kind of compromise? Nah, I’ll wait.
