Personal Teaching Model Marian Bradshaw ESL 525 Education should derive its materials from present experience and should enable the learner to cope with the problems of the present and future. John Dewey Educational philosophy: As a teacher it is my job to facilitate the learning process by creating a warm, welcoming environment, ensuring structure and routine in my class, organizing knowledge, information, activities, and students and, finally, making sure I meet the needs of each of my pupils. Environment - Low affective filter (Krashen); affirming identity (Cummins); Rules and norms (Dewey) Safe peaceful

Comfortable appealing Warm inviting decorated with student work decorated with academic posters ethnic/cultural dcor Physical: My classroom environment is warm, appealing, stimulating, filled with academic teaching posters (e.g. synonyms, writing tips, reading tips, etc or posters relevant to what is being studied in class) and students work. The comfort of my students is considered as there are pillows and/or beanbags around that they can use while doing their work or read. If possible, there may be a couch for this purpose as well. There are a variety and range of books (elementary to high school level) on the bookshelves so students always have something to read. I try to fill my bookshelves with books students themselves have recommended. I try to keep the temperate to a degree that is comfortable to all students. The desks are usually arranged in a U shape or in groups of four. Emotional: I want my students to feel safe in my classroom. They need to speak to and treat their peers and me with respect. I make sure all students are heard and try to call on each of them during the class period. Additionally, I try to meet the needs of each of my students and modify activities or assignments to meet their needs, i.e. if they are not capable of doing something, I exempt them from that requirement or change it to something they can do.

Social Interactions; Zone of Proximal Development Vygotsky; BICS - Cummins Interactive social Engaged talking aloud Conversing in L1, as necessary varied groupings Ordered freedom communicative Much of the learning that goes on in my classroom is through students interacting with each other in a variety of groupings, from pairs and trios, to

most often quads. Students cooperate and help each other learn the material for what a child can do in cooperation today, he/she can do alone tomorrow (Zone of Proximal Development). Its rare to find a student working alone. Students normally work alone when composing writing, otherwise they should be working with one or more peers. As Vygotsky pointed out, all learning is social and humans construct meaning through their social interactions. Vygotskys Theories of Learning 1. Everything we learn takes place in a social context. 2. Learning takes place through our interactions and communication with others. 3. Talking aloud = thinking -> internalized problem solving 4. Language a. Promotes thinking b. Develops reasoning c. Supports reading and writing (cultural activities) d. Helps kids be strategic e. Helps kids gain control over their own thinking and behavior 5. Individual development takes place in the context of activities modeled by a teacher or more skilled person 6. Teacher assist by: a. Modeling b. Asking questions/coaching c. Creating groups d. Providing materials Activities hands-on activities (Dewey); social learning (Vygotsky); BICS and CALP (Cummins); Input Hypothesis (Krashen) Variety carefully chosen Hands-on quality Adjustable practical Social interpersonal According to John Dewey, all learning should be experiential. While I cannot make this statement true all the time, I try to make all my activities as fun and as engaging for the students. Usually during a class there are three to five different planned activities so the students are constantly engaged and not bored. Some activities might take 5-10 minutes; others 50-60 minutes. But, on average, most activities take 20-30 minutes. However, an activity, such as acting out a play may take days to complete. This ensures that students have enough time to talk things out, get to know the activity, get to actually do it, and practice, if necessary. Activities are also carefully chosen to complement or build upon each other and are not randomly chosen. Each activity is chosen with a specific purpose in mind. I, as the teacher act as a guide, monitoring students growth, setting up the activities that are meant to benefit the attainment of the L2. Students are also allowed to move around in and out of the classroom to maximize their learning needs.

References

Cummins, J. et al (2005, September). Affirming Identity in Multilingual Classrooms. Educational Leadership. Retrieved July 26, 2013 from http://edfs200ell.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/54560862/Cummins,%20Embracing%20ELs.pdf Darling-Hammond, L. et al (2000). Learning from Others: Learning in a Social Context. The Learning Classroom. Retrieved July 14, 2013 from http://www.learner.org/courses/learningclassroom/support/07_learn_context.pdf Darling-Hammond, L. et al (2000). How People Learn: Introduction to Learning Theory. The Learning Classroom. Retrieved July 26, 2013 from http://www.learner.org/courses/learningclassroom/support/01_intro.pdf McKenzie-Brown, P. (2006). The Krashen Revolution. Language Matters: Studies in energy, history, language. Retrieved July 28 2013 from http://languageinstinct.blogspot.com.es/2006/08/krashen-revolution.html Wink, J. (2013). Bilingual Basics. Retrieved July 26, 2013 from www. Joanwink.com/research/bilingulalbasics.pdf Wisdom, A. (2011, Nov. 30). John Dewey Experience and Education: a brief summary. Retrieved July 28, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwIcl-G93Mo