Personal Introduction CEP 810

Created by: Jean-Claude Aura Date: October 5, 2008 Page 1

Me as a teacher

any factors contributed to my becoming a

teacher. I could have ended up working as a

Telecom engineer. However, when people

seeking my help started praising my ability to explain

things clearly, I realized I was made to teach rather

than work at a desk or with electronic devices.

My teaching career dates back to the days I was at college. By the

time I graduated in 1996, I had 6 years of unofficial teaching

experience, after which I started honing my teaching skills by

observing and learning from teachers in the many different institutions

I joined. Throughout my career in education, I discovered that there

was more to teaching than simply explaining the subject matter at

hand. I learnt that teachers are essentially role models that students

look up to. There were times when I thought of my own children and

wondered how I would like their teachers to be. In this respect, I

became my own „dream teacher‟.

Here are some of the many qualities that I acquired over time:

Patience: I learnt that students are genuinely different. As a

result, some may need more time and leeway than others.

Commitment: It‟s this quality that gives value to teaching.

Students have to feel that the teacher is ready to give his or

her best.

Flexibility: Teachers can lose their temper easily if they choose

to stick to their opinion without trying to understand their

students‟ needs. Flexibility has helped me reach out to students

who are the most difficult to handle.

M

Personal Introduction CEP 810

Created by: Jean-Claude Aura Date: October 5, 2008 Page 2

Me as a learner

learnt what it is to be an effective teacher when I started

putting myself in my students‟ shoes. That is, I try to see things

from a student‟s perspective. In my beginning years of teaching, I

faced problems with students because I thought my lessons were well

planned and I couldn‟t figure out why some students, especially average

ones, struggled to do well on tests. After careful study, I realized that

summative tests were not the best (and only) way to test students‟

understanding. By the time I discovered what went wrong in my

lessons, it was too late. I then incorporated formative tests in my

course, and that‟s when a drastic change occurred. Not only did my

students do better on tests, but they also developed a positive

attitude toward learning and became more cooperative.

From there on, I would always ask myself how students would

approach my lessons and what would make them more engaged.

Topic: Before, I would pick any topic that I

thought would be interesting. Now, I ask myself

whether my students would be stimulated by the

topic and get engaged into a class wide discussion.

Vocabulary: Before, I used to bombard my

students with words that I believed were

important. Now, I try to limit the number of words to a reasonable

number, while using semantic maps and clusters so they would

remember them more easily. I also relate the new words to the lesson

at hand to turn the whole experience into a meaningful yet challenging

one.

I

Personal Introduction CEP 810

Created by: Jean-Claude Aura Date: October 5, 2008 Page 3

Grammar: Before, I used to teach grammar independently. Now, I

integrate it into my lessons, again drawing the students‟ attention to

the fact that grammar is not boring, and that using correct language

is part of language etiquette.

Speaking: Before, I relied on high achievers to get the

conversation going. Now, I reassure students that there‟s nothing

wrong with making mistakes, and that one learns from one‟s mistakes.

As the saying goes: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Above all, I

establish a secure environment where students feel free to speak

without being criticized or judged.