HOME RUN!!!

Today I learned a very interesting topic. It was about: Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). With this method the teacher can manage the 4 skills with the Ss, so it is great. As I understood TPRS is a very practical way to teach a class with the target language, and for my Ss to use it as well. However, in the demonstration with French, I could feel the Ss frustration if they doesn’t have previous knowledge of some vocabulary. I got the idea though.

In the afternoon I went to a baseball game. I’ve watched on tv, but never a real one here in the U.S. I had fun watching how U.S. people enjoy this sport, it is not like they are watching the entire game, sometimes they talk or go to get some snacks or even stay at the snack area for a while. However, the spring international group did a great work trying to support the Naturals, which is the local team. We were doing “the wave” and screaming what it was displayed on the big screens, that was funny. At the end the Natural lost the game 2-4 runs, after this the fireworks started. This was a great ending for this experience, I will remember this day for sure.

I NEED TO REST…

I didn’t rest enough last night, so I felt sleepy today. It seemed to me I wasn’t the only one feeling that way though, most of my colleagues looked tired during morning class with M.A. Cindi. Even she looked really tired.

It was an important topic we reviewed this morning: vocabulary construction. This is one of the most difficult topics when learning a foreign language. One thing we have to keep in mind is to guide the student to appropriate a word and not only to learn meanings. Appropriating a word means that a world is part of your language; therefore it will be difficult for one to forget it. Even though Cindi was tired, she gave us a great and interesting class.

In the afternoon, teachers Cindi, Molly and Cindy talked about the presentation issue. At the beginning of the class, M.A. Cindi showed us what not to do, in a very convincing way. I thought it was for real when she started to behave not properly for she looked really tired in the morning. Then Cindy and Molly started to argue with Cindi because of her lack of seriousness. Even when I was so tired I got the message; great example M.A. Cindi.

After classes, the sky broke into a nice windy, noisy and lightning rain. At first, it was kind of scary, but then I remembered that it has been quite long time without raining in Fayetteville. So, it didn’t bother me getting wet under rain at all. Rain is a blessing, isn’t it?

That's the way I dance it!!!

I started this day tired. Yesterday was a stressful day with the microteaching, and getting ready for my performance at Harmonia Concert.

The first class was with Rochelle. I pretended being there but my mind wasn’t there, I was simply too tired, I learnt new things though. One of my main concerns since I started teaching has been to teach the Ss how to learn my subject, but most of the time I don’t find out the way to do it. Rochelle gave me wonderful tools and ideas to accomplish that goal.

The afternoon session was just amazing. It was about my weakness: pronunciation. Michelle is such a wonderful teacher in this topic. She told me not to worry about because I’m not the only one, and encouraged me to improve my skills by practicing them. She gave us some techniques, bibliography and tools to get our students to move on pronunciation. I was just amazed.

Finally, the moment to perform was there. I wore my Mexican custom, warmed up and got ready for the show. I picked El cascabel song from Veracruz, not a well-known, but a really beautiful one to perform. I hear the music and I just gave myself while I was dancing, in my mind, nobody was there but me. At the end, I heard the standing ovation; as we say in Mexico: the clap is the food of the artist. I had a long time without doing it, I felt great and relieved. Now, I feel really happy I gave a good moment to the audience. All the stress has gone away.

I AM SURVIVOR!!

Today has been a revealing day. The microteaching session showed me things about myself. Last night, I practiced my activity several times to fit it into the eight minutes limit. After an hour, finally I could match it.

The first thing I was aware was my pronunciation. I knew there were going to be beginner level students, but they are used to listen native speakers. That has been one of the main reasons I don’t feel comfortable to teach my students in target language. I think that there has to be quality in everything I teach to my students. Pronunciation is my weakness. This is one thing I have to work hard because I know my students need to be in contact with the TL.

There I was waiting for my turn to do my best. During the micro-class I felt well and self-confident. The topic was the helping verb: CAN. So, I planned a warm up I would do to get the students ready for the hard core activities. It was a drill to cover the specific use I am going to focus in, and the three basic grammar structures: affirmative, negative and question.  At the end, I feel I managed well the Ss for my purposes.

After that, I ran to Wal-Mart in order to get a red bandana for I have a dancing performance during Harmonia Concert tomorrow. It has been a stressful day, but I survived.

HOMEWORK and MORE HOMEWORK!!!

I had lots of fun during this week beginning. At M.A. Cindy’s class I had great time learning from my mistakes. I thought that teaching reading had to be taught in the same way I learnt in my mother language. As I understood, what matters when reading is one to understand the general meaning, so, that doesn’t mean the student has to know every single word. I am use to teach reading until 3^rd level students, but now I know that even pretty 1^st level students can read short easy-to-read stories. So, I will encourage my new students to read since the pretty beginning.

At the afternoon, I went to picnic dinner at Wilson Park. I enjoyed the Subway sandwiches. Then, I swam at the pool and had fun with my friends. While I was there I forgot the entire pendant homeward I have to do, I am tired and have to finish at least the blog assignment.  

FAMILY DAY!

This weekend, on Saturday, was the family day. I spent a whole day with an American family. It has been a great experience. I was one the firsts to be waiting at the lobby, suddenly, I heard Rochelle’s voice calling my name, so I knew my host family was already there.

Firstly, we went the Fayetteville street market. That surprised me because I’ve been several times here in the US and I’ve never seen one. In Mexico this kind of markets are very common, and Fayetteville Farmers Market is quite alike the Mexico’s ones. Anyway, there were two things that I found interesting. The most important is that any product that is sold in the market has to be produced by the seller and the other interesting thing was that the alimentary products sold in the market have to be organically produced. This is a good way to improve local economy and productive methods.

After that, we had lunch in a very nice place where they cook BBQ. The owner was a nice guy and told us how he started running his business. He has built the entire place by himself and has a very original decoration. The BBQ was delicious, but the owner didn’t want to share his secret recipe. I had a great time there.

Then we went to Happy Hollow Elementary school. This is a continuous learning system school, which means, that the students has short break periods, so they don’t lose too much contact with their learning process. The disadvantage is that it is difficult for the parents who have more than one kid and they are in different system schools, for the break periods don’t match most of the time. Besides, there are only two schools in Fayetteville that work with continuous system. Another interesting thing is that school building was made in a friendly environmental way and energy efficient. I think that this type of constructions is going to become more popular.

Finally, we had dinner in the host family’s house. We spoke about several subjects. The one that I found most interesting is that they told me their life plan in ten years. They said they are going to sell their house and go to old people complex, kind of condominiums; there they will have access to nursing services and other cares for old persons. When they get weaker because of the age, they will be sent to a nursing home. It is not very common in Mexico this kind of situation, I don’t mean there are no nursing homes there, but much fewer than here in the US. The reason is that most of the time family takes care of the old members. Like my grandmother, she takes care of my great-grandmother.

At the end I had a very good day and a great experience I will never forget. Thanks for opening me your doors.

CONAN THE GRAMMARIAN!

Today has been a painful one. Since Monday I have been exercising. The first two days, only spinning and jogging, but since Wednesday I started to lift a little weight. Then, I felt this sensation after finishing that session. After 24 hours on Thursday night, the pain began to go over my body: chest, shoulders, back and legs. Today in the morning I barely had strength to jump out my bed, and the pain was worse.

In those conditions I attended to Mrs. Rochelle class, which was about teaching grammar. That relief my ego, many things she recommended fits in what I actually do in Mexico. I always start the class with a real life example, according to my student’s context. Also, before certain grammar issue, I ask them to research about some concepts as homework. Then, I show them the grammar pattern and how does that fit with the specific grammar structure. There are few things I have to change, those are big deal, and have tried to apply them so far: teach grammar issues in the target language and not to plan a specific day for the grammar talking. Anyway, Rochell’s class gave a few ideas, and I’m going to read Brown’s book also.

In the afternoon I went to MA Cindi class where we finished the posters we had not finished. Those were about teaching foreign language methods. I have always been aware that my teaching fits in the “grammar translation method”, not consciously though. That is because my course is focused on reading and writing, and that is why one of my main goals in this course is to learn speaking/listening techniques as well the communicative approach. Everything has been new for me in this course, therefore, very interesting. And the pain all over my body kept increasing.

At the end of the day I went back to gym for yesterday I wasn’t able since I went bowling. So, I did 30 minutes jogging.. It is normal to feel a little pain after several months without athletic training. I'm planning to keep my training till the end of the course.  I am tired, I feel ok though.

See you tomorrow everybody.