Self-Evaluation
TESL 0170
Practicum in Teaching ESL
Self-Evaluation
I
completed the majority of my TESL Practicum in an Entry Level (CEFR A1-A2) integrated
skills class that included listening, speaking, reading and writing. There were thirteen to seventeen students
in the class from a variety of countries including China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea,
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Brazil and Switzerland. The age of the students ranged from
fourteen to about fifty. Each class was three hours long and the curriculum was
based on the units in the class textbook, with some supplementary materials and
activities. I communicated with my sponsor teacher before and after each lesson
to discuss strengths and areas for improvement. I also met with my Practicum
Supervisor after one of my initial lessons and after my final lesson to receive
feedback on my teaching. Upon completion of my practicum, I have come to have a
greater understanding of my strengths as a teacher and areas that could be
improved upon.
One of my
greatest strengths as a teacher is my ability to create a positive learning atmosphere.
I am very enthusiastic and passionate about teaching English, and I think that
my enthusiasm is contagious. The students in the class were interested and
engaged in the lessons that I taught, and I think this was a direct result of
my positive attitude. My Practicum Supervisor also noted that my energy was
what really stood out to her after observing my lessons. I made an effort to
learn the students’ names and to pay attention to all of them throughout my
lessons. I had great rapport with the students and tried to make a personal connection
with each and every one of them, which I think contributed to the positive
classroom environment.
Both my
sponsor teacher and my Practicum Supervisor commented on the fact that I was very
prepared and well-organized for my lessons. I prepared a variety of activities
and alternated between teacher-led and student-centered activities. There were individual,
partner, small group and whole class components to each lesson, as well as
communicative practice. I also used a variety of resources, including technology
and games. I always had extra activities prepared in case something went faster
than anticipated or technology was unavailable. I had clear, detailed lesson
plans and made sure to explain and model the expectations for each activity to
the students.
I also
learned that there are some areas that could be improved in my teaching. I need
to make a point of calling on all the students more equally in the classroom.
After my first lesson my sponsor teacher noted that there were a couple of students
that I had called on more frequently than others. Looking back on it, I think I
may have subconsciously called on them more often because I knew that they were
stronger students and would be more capable of answering the questions. As I
continued teaching the class, I made a point of alternating who I called on
more regularly and to be sure that every student had a chance to participate
fully in the lessons.
Another area
I need to work on is to be more conscious of student and group pairings. At
times I matched up two classmates who were both very shy, students who knew each
other very well, and classmates who were from the same country. I also had students
talk to the same partner or group several times. I think it is important to
provide students with an opportunity to speak to a variety of people from different
countries and to vary their conversation partner or group throughout the lesson
if possible. It is also a good idea to pair them with someone who they might
not know as well in order to make the discussion more interesting. Pairing a
shy student with a more outspoken student is also beneficial to keep the
conversation going. In my later lessons I made a conscious effort to alternate
the student and group pairings for conversation activities.
I have now
completed the TESL Certificate course and am looking to the future. I am
interested in pursuing additional ESL professional development opportunities to
hone my knowledge and skills for working with students from other countries. I
am currently working in the public school system and I think the education and
experience I gained in the TESL program will help me to be a better teacher for
all students. I am interested in working in the ESL field in the future. Having
a TESL certificate will open up additional career opportunities for me and I am
excited about doing so.
I received
very positive reviews from the students on the Teacher Evaluation forms they
completed. They noted that my directions were clear and easy to understand,
that the lessons were interesting and that they could understand my words when
I was speaking most of the time. They also stated that I knew their names, paid
attention to them equally and was helpful in answering their questions. In the comments
section one student noted that a couple of my example sentences for vocabulary
were a little long. Another student said that I needed to learn how to use the
screen (smartboard) more quickly. I made a note of these suggestions and will
work on them for future lessons. A few comments that made an impact on me were
that my lessons were very fun, that I am
a very good and helpful teacher and that the students will miss me. As she was
leaving the class, one of the students said, “You are the best teacher I’ve
ever met!” I could not receive a better compliment than that.
My teaching
reflection blog posts are linked below and include links the lesson plans and
handouts that I used.
Comments
Post a Comment