29 May 2006
The big principle
I had no idea about how to teach English at the beginning. During the training, we were said “you have to make them talk, interactivity is the key, you have to create communication needs...” and blah blah blah. Well, this is not blah blah blah actually.
I thought “very good, let’s try”. And found myself struggling with those principles.
I don’t know about you but I’ve learned English and German as I’ve learned mathematics: stupidly. I went through those classes when two pupils utter (painfully) three words in an hour, while the rest was spending time filling in blanks in exercises:
“Fill in by using where, when, who, which...”
As I was a pupil, that seemed fair enough to me. I progressed, I learned, I had the feeling I could speak. Then I chose English and I pursued it. I kind of forgot my German, dropped it at University since I couldn’t understand a word of the class (sure, how can you understand a German class when all your previous teachers spent their time speaking French?).
Then, four years later, I suddenly NEEDED my German. So badly. And I couldn’t say a correct simple sentence, although having successfully reached the grade of 15 (B+) at the baccalaureate. What was happening? Why couldn’t I say “pass me the salt, thank you the dinner was great” ???
Then I understood my mission better. Then I understood what lies behind this “communication” principle they’re trying to teach us during the training.
I tried to struggle so much against my own language training; to give a meaning to my teaching so that my pupils will be able to say “pass me the salt, oh the dinner was great”...
It’s hard to change your habits; It’s hard to implement something you’ve never seen or experienced yourself.
That was one of big wonderings this year as a beginner.
I partly failed, clearly enough. But I had the great chance to observe this teacher in secondary school who is doing such a great job, proving to me that it is actually possible, that we can learn English differently that I did. She gave me a lot of hope.
Her methods could be talked about later in that blog. I intent to talk more “technically” about teaching, not to annoy you, not to boast myself, just because it’s part of the job. Among other things.
20:34 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this | Tags: Teachers
28 May 2006
(no title)
I promised myself I would post everyday. Don’t know why I made this stupid promise. I feel even more committed that I have now at least ONE active reader (thanks Logales!). ;-)
It's not about quantity but quality. It's like what they've taught us this year: "the less you talk in class, the better it is"... well, I still have some problems with that.
Well, Mesdames, Messieurs, this was the first useless post of this blog...
To keep you busy though, just try to find out where today’s pic is coming from. I took it yesterday during a small trip (have a look in my album for a bigger size).
Whoever finds is.... WOW !
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New promise: don’t post everyday.
21:50 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (5) | Email this
26 May 2006
It's just the beginning my friend
The end of school year is approaching in France.
It’s the end of my first year of teaching. Oh yeah, I’m a real beginner.
I went all straight. Got a four-year degree at University at the age of 22 and got the teacher’s exam at 23. Went in my first classroom at 23 then.
To become a recognized teacher in France, you need to pass a national exam (called CAPES for secondary school teachers). It consists of a written part (where your academic knowledge is tested) and an oral part (where some competences are tested, except the one of being able to teach). 20% success in English, it’s a tough job! But once you get out, you have a job for life – the main privilege that French teachers have (since we’re employed by the State). You need to do something really nasty to be fired. Most of the time, whatever happens, you stuck in, like a shell on a rock.
But the exam is made in such a way that you get out of it without really knowing what it means to teach. You’re then nominated in a school in September for your training year. You’re a trainee for a school year, having two classes in charge (and REALLY in charge, nobody’s there to guide you and the pupils don’t know you’re actually a trainee). Besides, you’re having teaching classes in a kind of school called IUFM (Institut de Formation des Maîtres). But most of the job you learn in your class, by doing a lot of mistakes!!!! And good thing: you’re paid full wage ;-)
That’s how I got in front of first class at the age of 23, trying desperately to look older, some of my pupils already being 18 (I’m in High School).
It was a funny and great experience as I look at it now. Stressful but challenging. I thought I would have a hard time when I arrived in front of the classroom door. The pupils were in line, looking at me, waiting for me to open the door. I got the key out of my bag (the brand new “teacher-looking” bag), and tried to get it in the lock. My hand was trembling. I just thought: “Please, let them NOT notice it, otherwise I’m dead”. ;-)
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25 May 2006
WHITE TEETH, by Zadie Smith
If you ever buy this book, I would advise you to jump directly to the second part (chapter 11, the miseducation of Irie Jones) where the story really starts. The first part tells us about the parents of the teenagers we’re concerned with in the seconde part. It is interesting but too slow (260 pages for nearly no event!). The interest therefore mainly lies in the next 250 pages, focused on Irie Jones and Millat Iqbal, two British teenagers from foreign descent, who fail to find their real place in the world.
White Teeth is about the disillusion of this generation, without any faith in anything except in pseudo extremist organizations in which they hope to find their real indentity, againt their parents’ own paths.
It is highly well written, full of wit and sarcasm.
Enough said, just read this:
“Because choices need time, the fullness of time, time being the horizontal axis of morality – you make a decision and then you wait and see, wait and see. And it’s a lovely fantasy, this fantasy of no time (...), the point at which consequences disappear and my action is allowable.”
“Joshua glared up and down Whitehall, at the happy people going about their dress rehearsal. They were all confident that it wouldn’t happen or certain they could deal with it if they did. But the world happens to you, thought Joshua, you don’t happen to the world. There’s nothing you can do. For the first time in his life, he believed that.”
It’s quite rare when you read a book to have the feeling that no other words could possibly express the deep interior of ourselves.
I had sometimes this feeling when reading White Teeth. It’s a pretty good sign.
20:12 Posted in what the missteacher reads, listens to and watches | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
24 May 2006
First time
That’s it. I’m doing it. Can’t go back now. I’ve read many of them before, which gave me the feeling for it; I’ve had the impression to share many stuff throughout the blogs I was surfing on. And now, I’m in. I’m part of this.
I’m not exactly part of it. The blogs I’m reading are mostly concerned with the subject of teaching in France, and particularly teaching english in France, since this is my job. I’m an English teacher. And I’m French.
I’ve always wanted to do the same, writing about my job (nearly meaning writing about me), I’ve admired those other teachers so much for their writing skills, the openess of their blogs. I thought: “yeah, I can do that”. Then, I wrote a first post in French on a rough paper. And it was so bad. Damn bad. I didn’t feel I could share this. Then I realized I couldn’t FIT IN this community I was admiring. Should I give up my idea? Well, instead, I decided not to really FIT IN this small community of French teachers blogging. Not to fit in exactly. Just a slight difference, just a minor specificity.
I’ve decided to blog in English, not to write in my mother tongue. Not a real challenge since I’ve studied English for some time but another way to see it. Also a way to enlarge my horizon. Why be confined to the French community? Why not open it further away? Why not reaching people who have no idea of what it means to be a teacher in France?
Yeah, I liked that, I could do that.
It seemed just more simple and more attractive.
Moreover, I’m much less judmental on my english writing than on my french one. Because writing in english is a distancing process to me as it’s not my mother tongue. Words come more naturally, I don’t ask myself the question “is it nice? Does it sound good?”, because I simply don’t care. Everything looks good to me in English.
You just have to be indulgent about the mistakes and the style!!! ;-)
Well, I hope this blog won’t just be about teaching, although that takes a lot of my life now. I hope it’s about much more than this. My identity is just mainly defined as a teacher at the moment.
But I’m also a woman, a sister, a daughter, a girlfriend, a friend, etc.
22:44 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email this