Solo Teaching and English Dramas…with a dash of CALL

Year One!

Solo Teaching-Pros

– More control over how your class is managed and disciplined

– More contact with other staff so that you can get direct support when needed more easily

– More freedom to design your own lessons

– More freedom in designing assessments

Solo Teaching- Cons

– How are you REALLY a full teacher in a system you don’t quite understand?

– Ties in with the previous point: Your students aren’t quite sure if you’re REALLY a teacher, and this can cause a loss of respect

– Welcome to grading…and parent meetings…and students who will follow you home whining about their grades.

It’s not going to be easy, but it’s worth it!As you get better at it, a lot of the frustration diminishes.

What does a day as a solo teacher look like?

– 1-2 hours doing your own fun stuff in the morning, if you’re an afternoon teacher

– 1-2 hours exercising and preparing food

– 1-2 hours preparing for that day’s classes (review lessons, replace materials, etc.)

– Teach for 5-6 hours

– Grade assignments, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours

– On weekends: Plan and prepare the following week’s lessons, check to be sure you’re on target with the language goals the students and administration has for your classes

Keep in mind that the previous schedule is for a teacher with 6 classes.

Lessons Learned

– 1. Don’t take on 6 classes. Max out with 4. With any more than that, you have no social life.

– Find free printers and cheap copiers.

– E-mail contact with parents and students will both save you time and make you want to tear your hair out.

– Ask, ask, ask! The administration will often forget to include you in emails, inform you of goings-on at the school, or let you know when grades are due. Always ask and ask again for information.

It IS worth it…if you have help.

– Lean on your colleagues. They know which kids are special needs and what options are available for them to get help within your school system. They will be happy to help you out if you’re over-extended. Baked goods go a long way towards making friends. And I’m not above trading lemon bars for a copy of the exam schedule.

English Club Drama!

And there really was drama…

It began with a bang…

– Three teachers, one club. Dreams of 30 students, so that we could each work with 10 of them to really improve their English. Then Ecuador happened. 93 students showed up the first day, one of the teachers got yanked from the project, and when the other said he’d split the club members with me…he took 30. Leaving me with 65 and no help.

We made it work first quimestre with some help from other PCVs.Claire Williamson gave me her PDF with 81 critical thinking activities, which we used throughout the first quimestre during the Club time. After the first few classes in the computer lab fizzled (and I spent more time chasing students off of YouTube than actually teaching anything) we mainly stuck to artsy activities.

And then there was a theatre play!

– In the second quimestre, I was informed that typically the students had to perform or display some of their work from the extracurricular clubs at the end of the school year. I therefore made the decision that the students would perform a play: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Props students handled painting, construction and some of the sound effects.

And the actors learned lines!Approximately 20 different stage actors were involved, and around 50 props folks when all was said and done. Thankfully around March my colleagues began alternating in their attendance at rehearsals so I could focus on directing while they took care of props.

I may never do this again…but it was a hoot!

Computer Assisted Language Learning

(CALL)

In other words, using Duolingo to avoid giving recuperative classes

I took a full day of classes to teach Duolingo in the computer labNote: Not my school’s lab.

Lessons Learned from CALL

– Get another teacher to help you, even if it’s just for one day, so the kids stay on task.

– Get permission from your rector(a) and tech head. I have an example if you want it.

– Write as many of the instructions on the board as possible so that the students can SEE what they are supposed to do.

– Have an exit ticket (send you an email with information, connect with you on the site, etc.)

What questions

do you have?