Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
So, today is the first day that I'm going to join in the Teacher Training Program. Accordingly, this course should help me learn about "what it takes to be an English teacher". Frankly speaking, though, I join this program to know about the skills needed to be a teacher in general, not specifically an English one. I hope I can learn well throughout this course and score nicely when the program finishes...hehe
* * *
The morning started with me entering the class and saw one girl sitting in the second-most left chair in the first row (later I knew that her name is Havi) and one fine woman in the middle of the second row (found out her name is Ma'am Endang). I took the seat beside Ma'am Endang and smile at her, trying to build up conversation when suddenly a girl came rushing into the class (this one named Norma).
"I thought I was late! Isn't class supposedly start at 8 a.m?" Norma positioned herself on Havi's left, asking while re-doing her makeup (lol). "Yeah,,I thought so too..I was afraid that I came late in the first day. I got a message saying that, yes, the class start at 8 a.m. Fortunately it hasn't even started..only three people before you came" Ma'am Endang replied.
Huh? It's 8:23 a.m right now..and I thought the class starts at 8:30 a.m...and why didn't I get notified that the class starts at 8 a.m?
I kept the thought to myself and start a conversation with Ma'am Endang, and it surprised me that she was working in media department--but I didn't ask in which company. She graduated in 1991 and start working from 1995 (I was only five years old at that time! :O). She said that this teacher training program is meant to be her preparation in case she retired from her job in media.
Then, I have no more chance to continue our conversation because our-awaited-teacher entered the class.
...And it came with no surprise that I was going to see one of my lecturer to teach us through this course. Rather, I felt excited to learn as if I was studying during my college time :D. So, here came Ma'am Grace, my lecturer in Poetry Class.
* * *
I didn't really like to go into details about what happened afterward. In brief, our course will lasts until March 8, and each session will be taught by different teacher. There are five different teachers, and four of them have ever taught me before as my lecturer. Among four, there is this familiar name and familiar way of teaching that kinda makes me shiver...In the past, she never compromise any late students and was going to lock the door so the late students couldn't come to class (which made me feel uneasy because I usually came in a brief moment of the due time).
By the way, one unknown name (and face) that is going to be my fifth teacher in this course should be interesting..for I will meet a new person and learn another way of teaching from her methodology. I should observe more on her hehe
Overall, I'm going to skip the detail on how I greet my other friend (our class consists of eight people this term) and what games or ice breaking we had during the lesson...I will directly share my notes and what I learnt today. Here goes :)
* * *
(Unfortunately I forgot to ask for Ma'am Grace's power point slides..so I'll just write the point here)
In the first session, we did a brainstorming on several questions such as:
WHAT IS A GOOD TEACHER?
1. WHAT IS A TEACHER?
--Think, what is your metaphor for a teacher. Is teacher like a book? Or like a conductor? Mentor? Guide? Director? What comes to your mind when you think of a teacher?
2. THE ROLES OF TEACHER
--Basic roles of a teacher are:
a. controller : control the class
b. organizer : organize teaching time-limit, material, activities in class
c. assessor : evaluate how much has been learnt by the students, know that some learning activities is happening
d. prompter : stimulate the students to actively learn in class
e. participant : participate in class activities, play an equal role as the students
f. resource : knowledgeable
g. tutor : help students to learn, know as much as the students have known previously
h. observer : observe the class/learner, relates the materila inside the class with reality outside the class so the material/lesson could be useful in real world
i. model : the one that the students look up to, the one that give inspiration to the students
3. WHAT QUALITIES SHOULD A TEACHER HAVE?
--Rate the following teacher qualities in order of importance:
a. They are well groomed and neatly dressed
b. They can control the class
c. They know their students well
d. They prepare their lessons well
e. They know their subject well
f. They are entertaining and enthusiastic
g. They are friendly and patient
h. They speak English fluently
4. WHAT DO YOU THINK: ARE TEACHERS BORN OR ARE TEACHERS MADE?
* * *
After barinstorming all the questions, we have around thirty minutes for break. After that, we continue the second session for this day. Here is the summary:
TEACHING LANGUAGE
THE SUBJECT MATTER OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING:
a. Language systems
b. Language skills
A. Language Systems
- A language (in a sentence) can be analyzed in different ways by looking at the vocabulary, grammar, phonology, and function (analyzing the system)
- Example: "If I were you I wouldn't wear those sneakers, I'd wear boots"
- In the example given, we can analyze the vocabulary (the difference between sneakers and boots), grammar (If clause type II), phonology (the difference pronunciation between "were" and "wear"), and function (in what context the language/sentence is used) AND teach it to the students
- By studying language systems in some sentences, teachers can decide what they would focus on if they were to teach students
B. Language Skills
- Consist of speaking, wiriting, reading, listening
- Speaking and writing is a productive skills (you produce language), while reading and listening is a receptive skills (you receive language)
HOW DO WE LEARN A LANGUAGE?
- We are raised in an environment that uses a language --> mother tongue
- There are repeated and frequent exposure to a language
- We learn the language in the classroom
WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESSFUL LANGUAGE LEARNING?
- Motivation (that's what keeps you going)
- Exposure to the language (by listening to a movie, the radio, etc)
- Opportunities to use the language (speak for real)
4 THINGS THAT TEACHERS DO TO HELP THEIR STUDENTS LEARN 'NEW' LANGUAGE
- Expose them to the language
- Help them understand its meaning
- Help them to understand its form
- Give them opportunities to practice it (by giving them tasks)
PPP TEACHING SEQUENCE (Presentation -- Practice -- Production)
a. Presentation : The teacher presents a text with a certain focus and explains it
b. Practice : The teacher gives the students exercises to practice the new language
c. Production : Students try to produce the new language in a context
ESA TEACHING SEQUENCE (Engage -- Study -- Activate)
a. Engage : Teachers arouse student's interest (stimulate student's interest to the text)
b. Study : Students focus on language and how it is constructed
c. Activate : Students practice using the language in a given situation or topic
* * *
Well...that's it. All written above is what I have learned today in the 1st day of teacher training program. From today's two session of learning, I realize that I really had no idea of being a good teacher and what role should a teacher do :( It kinda blows my mind that being a teacher has a lot of responsibilites..
(*sigh*..I haven't even started nor prepare anything to be one good teacher)
But on a positive side, I still have a time to prepare. I should try harder to figure out what it means to be a good teacher and practice a lot to overcome my shyness and nervousness. Hope all is well. Hope I can work as a good teacher. Aamiin :)
