I used video in Reflective practice, following on from TESOL Mentorevo

After the excellent webinars and discussions in Mentorevo, I started thinking about reflective practice. How did I get to that? Probably by the stepping stone  method. First stepping stone, mentoring topics got me thinking about specific points I'd like to mentor with somebody. One of those points was how the parts of my lessons fit together and follow on each other, and how I handle the "turning point" when a decision must be made what to do next in the lesson.

As I  was musing on these things, a workshop came up at my school, topic: video. Another stepping stone! During the workshop we discussed the value of recording yourself while teaching. I made a video of myself the very next day, and what a revelation! I give fairly good instructions, but I saw myself smiling at things that weren't humorous or positive, like when my student said she hadn't done her homework. I smile, and smile.

Next stepping stone: for a week of lesson plans, I wrote in red ink at the top of each one "fit face to context". As I near the end of the week, I find not only is my expression more natural and appropriate, I am generally more aware of exaggerated laughs, gestures, and so on.

EVO Mentoring blog post 2: bags of goodies

So far we have confirmed the symbiotic nature of the mentor-mentee relationship.

The following points have received less attention (again from "A Learning Guide for Teacher Mentors" from the State of Victoria Departrment of Education and Early Childhood Development)

• post-modern teaching is different: teachers need much more emotional support because they're teaching the children of fractured, poor, or single-parent families
• is this the future of mentoring? no more mentoring pairs; not only focused on classroom work; integrated part of "broader improvement efforts." I just wonder...
• good answer to "What's the difference between mentoring, coaching, and counselling?"
• (on page 20-21 of the Guide)
• Mentoring: professional - the "critical friend"
• Coaching: short term, performance oriented
• Counselling: short term, "developmental, corrective objective."
• Feedback
• Warm feedback: builds on strengths
• Cool feedback: sees what's not in the work and flags it
• Hard feedback: promotes more global thinking
• Reflective practice
• So important! I've asked my DOS to do a workshop on it
• So many ways!
• journals, formal/informal conferences, observe each other
• Reflective questions
• What's working, not working?
• How was your lesson?
• What went as planned?
• Why do you think the lesson went so well?
• How can you use what you have learned in another situation?

This Guide contains bags of goodies! Thanks EVO leaders.

EVO Mentoring blog post 1 of 2: Skills for Mentors

This is part one of a two-part post.

I have read the "Learning Guide for Mentors" assigned by the EVO 2014 Mentoring leaders.

These are the points that stood out for me; this isn't intended as a full summary of the Guide.

Key mentoring skills

• I find the ideas of generative (Scharmer) and empathic (Covey) listening intriguing, but almost too abstract to grasp (page 4)
  • Generative listening seems to be about the future. How can I simultaneously listen and anticipate a mentee's (another person's) future speech? Why should I?
  • Empathic listening involves both heart and mind. Can it still be non-judgmental?
    • Covey says empathic listening figures when there is high emotion, stress in a relationship, low trust, etc.- this chimes with plenty of other sources on assertiveness, dealing with conflict, etc. It's good.
• Observation (page 8)
  • Reflective thinking means slow down and be aware of your assumptions.
  • Reflective thinking is an important mentoring skill!
  • You have to be open-minded if you want to be a mentor: that's what reflective thinking does
• Reflective questions (page 11)
• plural forms signal there is more than one option
• tentative language means ideas are open to interpretation
• enabling language, for example "Given what you know about...."
• empowering presuppositions, for example: "what goals do you have in mind?"
• critical inquiry about a situation: a) what is true? b) what don't we know? c) what is impossible to know? d) what can we do to test our mental models? (page 24)

Sometimes the reflection is you!

Summary of #eltchat on 11/6/2013: Does CLT place more focus on learners that are more confident? What about the quieter students in the classroom?

An #eltchat took place Wednesday, 6 November 2013 from 12-1pm UTC time. Two questions were debated by 11 participants: whether CLT places greater focus on more confident learners; and CLT's effect on quieter students. Early in the discussion it was clarified that the questions pertain to speaking.

STUDENTS' QUIETNESS

This topic drew a wide range of comments.

Several reasons for quietness were mentioned: less confident learners prefer speaking 1:1 (hence there is lots to be said for students choosing their own groups), they are unsure how to say something, not aware of taking turns in conversation, or the teacher does not know the quiet students' interests.

Strategies teachers use with quieter students:

• Roleplays,
• Speaking chips (when the chips run out you can not speak anymore)
• Engaging topics that make students forget their inhibitions (but @Marisa_C said personally she finds engaging topics frustrating because she can not express her ideas fully in the target language) 
• Fostering a supportive atmosphere, and being non-judgmental during error correction,
• Think-Pair-Share 
• Pre-task writing, post-task work, 
• 'draw' your weekend/show a smartphone photo taken on the weekend and talk about it. Very good for clearing out personal issues that may make students quiet.
• Teachers also can reduce their talk time
• Group loud students together and let them shout.

Variations among age groups, for example with teenagers, the issue of whether it's cool to do what the teacher says. For both adults and teens it is very important to know why they are doing the task, something teachers frequently neglect. Here a checklist of can-do's is helpful. Possibly adults are the group that feels less confident speaking in class.

Useful linksSlides for a talk about the difference between homework and home learning can be found here: http://t.co/dPeEsyiBsO Strategies for improving student writing are at this link: http://t.co/VsqaCnC81D 

STUDENTS' CONFIDENCE

It may not mean just because someone talks a lot, he or she is confident. However, it is possible that the more extrovert a student is, the more communicative confidence he or she has.

ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS: the answer is NO! 

Participants agreed that CLT does not focus more strongly on more confident learners. Quieter students can benefit well from CLT in the classroom.

CLT naturally strives to bring in quieter students, and there are lots of strategies for encouraging them. Learning can happen even in a silent student, however fluency requires practice. 

Inspiration, and A Beautiful Mind (video)

I am a very lucky person! Yesterday I got an inspiration from a colleague that unstuck me. The inspiration was small, but it makes such a difference. I'll explain.

After deciding to use the DVD film "A Beautiful Mind" (schizophrenia topic appeals to my students, they are researchers so may have something in common with John Nash's work), I set out my lesson plan.

Once the lesson plan was written (incorporating details from eslnotes.com's excellent notes) I had a bad taste in my mouth: yes, using video, but how? and why? I felt stuck. Something wasn't right, so I set it aside.

Here's the original lesson plan
warmer: discuss genius vs madness
lead in: hand out 2 short texts, one on schizophrenia, one on John Nash. Pairs read their text and exchange information.
hand out/dictate list of unusual expressions Ss will meet while viewing and discuss/check understanding
Watch scene 16 (about 15 minutes)
1st viewing - watch and pick out unusual expressions from handout, discuss
2nd viewing - turn off volume, Ss narrate
HW half group prepare to ask interview questions, other half prepare to play the role of the 85-year-old John Nash and be interviewed. Roleplay next lesson (to be recorded)

Made a new prezi about storytelling!

Slideshow with Google Images/Google Drive

High flying technology can be scary!

Some teachers want to use just a little more technology.
I'm doing a workshop that will give courage to teachers who are just beginning to explore technology.




Here is the link to the workshop handout.