Second Reflection

This weekend session was very interesting and meaningful as the one before. However, I have to say that some topics really impacted and increased my personal and professional knowledge. Topics such as knowledge base, learning to teach, teacher´s identity, positioning, and agency, among others, drew my attention. First, because some of them were new for me and I realized that in the field of teacher education and development there is still too much to learn. Second, because some of those terms are closely related that sometimes were a little confusing for me. In this part, I really appreciate the teachers’ help and the way he explained us some concepts as much as possible, to make us understand them. 
Additionally, from the concepts we worked on, I found very interesting “positioning theory” and “agency”. It was very interesting to see the close relationship among these terms and how they shape and reshape every day what we are as a person and as teachers. I have never thought before about how people see me or how I position myself in regards to them. It was surprising realized that my thoughts, attitude, acts, and behavior make of me a different person in each stage of my life. Though it can sound rare, I have never put attention to this fact. Also, I would like to highlight the concept of “agency”. Although I have heard this word, and I remember I talked about it in a previous course in the master, it was just until this session that I understood it. I comprehended that it has to do not only with your way of acting but it is a matter of attitude. Agency is our capacity to think and act by ourselves and to make our own choices, that latter on will also define us.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

How did you position yourself during: 

a) your B.A?To be honest my desire was never to be an English teacher. So, during the first semesters of my BA I just was a student who want to learn English because I knew it was important for my live. Later, I really realized I was being trained to be a teacher and I have to say that for one moment I thought about leaving it. However, my family supported and somehow "pushed" me to finish it. At the end, I started to enjoy and find the advantages (positive things) of being an English teacher. 

b) Your teaching practicum?

This part of the teaching training was one of the most remarkable for me. It was the first time I really face the challenge of being a teacher. I remember that in the practicum sessions I always feel nervous and anxious not only because of the amount of students I was in charge of but also because of the pressure of having the practicum supervisor observing me all the time. Also, because even though I prepared the lessons and tried to be as creative as possible taking dynamic activities, it was very difficult for me to manage a group of eighth grade students in a public school that misbehaved all the time. However, I want to highlight the way the supervisor made me his comments about my development in those classes. I used to feel that the things I did were wrong, but his comments were always good and positive. I think this comments really motived me to continue the teaching practicum.

c) the beginning of your teaching career?

 Well, I had the opportunity to start my teaching career in a private school and I can say it was a good experience. I taught some little kids, they were just 16 per classroom, so it was easy for me to manage the class. At that time I was pregnant, and I think this fact helped me to engage and have good relationship with children. I really enjoy that time with those kids. Also, that working experience helped me to discover or develop my creativity as I had to create dynamic, creative and enjoyable activities for them. Another aspect that I liked too much was working in group. I met very nice people there and I realized I have the aptitude to work in group. I really liked teachers’ meetings and the work we did, I learn too much from them.

d) The master's program?

 Now, I am in this stage of my teacher education and I have to say that being a master’s program student has been a significant experience. At the beginning, I felt a little bit afraid of how it was going to be. To be honest, speaking in English in front of people who has a very good English proficiency level sometimes made me felt uncomfortable. Besides, sometimes I think that I have too much work to do: readings, oral presentations, discussions, tasks, and writings, among others. All these things plus my role as mother and wife have made felt very exhausted. However, all these activities and the teachers’ attitudes and instruction have helped me to improve my English skills and to foster my development as a student and as teacher. I really felt I made the correct option when I decided to be part of this program. 

2. Who were you?

 I was a person with a desire to learn, get a job and help my family. A teacher with very few knowledge about this profession. 

 -Who are you?

 Now, I am a conscious, reflective and informed person that has a wider understanding of language education. I have understood it is a constantly process from which I am learning every day. I have realized also I did not know too much about all the aspects, value and real purpose of teaching. Now, I am more aware of my strengths, my weaknesses, my abilities, and how valuable I am as a daughter, sister, mother, wife and teacher.

- Who will you be?

Definitely, I will be a better person from each one of my roles. The experience and knowledge I get until today and what I am going to learn in the future surely will make me to overcome my weaknesses and to foster my strengths.

3. How much did you know about your teachers during your B.A? How much do you know about your teachers at this master's program?

About the teachers in the B.A I just remember they were experienced teachers who have lived abroad for some years, I remember most of them were kind of old ;).

About the teachers in the master’s program, as I have met some of them in the B.A. so, I had an idea their personalities and ways of teaching. However, some of them surprised me, because they have changed a little bit, in terms of their ways of teaching and even in some aspects of their personality. I have the impression that as time has passed and they have gotten more knowledge and experience, those factors have made some changes, in a positive way I have to say.

On the other hand, about the other teachers in the master that I did not know before, each one of them has shown they are very nice and experienced professionals. Each one of them is specialized in a specific area which is very interesting.

4. What opportunities have you had to externalize everyday concepts and internalize academic concepts?

I could say that I have had two main opportunities to externalize and internalize every day and academic concepts. The first one has been in each session of the master where I could know and understand different concepts. Throughout the classes I could listen and share lot of information about concepts, theories, assumptions, and opinions from both experts and classmates, all of which have made me reflect on many situations and issues that I have never thought before.

The second opportunity has been in the classroom, where I could evidence all those theories and concepts in many situations lived in class, within the interaction with students. Any situation presented in class is related in somehow with the academic concepts we work in. Thus, I could link and understand much more the teaching process, the students development and my own practice.

5. What structured mediational spaces did you have during the B.A. and the master’s? Describe them.

To be honest, during the B.A the only one experince I remember was during shor period of  the teaching practicum. It was a time in which I could reflect (superficially, I would say) on some teaching issues. 

However, during the master's I think those spaces have been more frecuent. In some courses like material's development, refelcting teaching, assessment and evaluation, among others have offered me the opportunity to analyze in more critical way some aspects of myself, as a human being and as a professional as well.  I could say that many things that I assumed have been reconsidered and now due to those mediational spaces I feel I am more aware of my strenghts and weaknesses as well.

6. How important is responsive mediation for you?

In my opinion it is essential. If a teacher wants to improve it is not only necesary to think or realized what and how you are doing things, but it is also crucial to analyze and internalize any reflection you do. We as teachers must develop the ability to reflect deeper and critically any situation in our practice that allow us to respond, modidy and transform our teaching practice in a positive, meaningful and unique one. 

7. Have you noticed if teacher educators really understand who you really are as a teacher?

I actually think that the time we have in class is not enough to affirm that they really have understood who I am as a teacher. However, I think they now have an idea of who am I as a person, and as a student mainly.

8. To what extend do you perceive teacher educators as self-inquirers?

From what I have noticed in every single teacher in the master is that they have worked a lot on research what makes me think they have an inherent self-inquire sense that move them questioning some issues. This fact, make me think they are self-inquirers upon their own personal and professional development.

Language Teacher Education and Development

FIRST REFLECTION (weekend 1)

I want to start this first reflection saying that this weekend session was more challenging and fuller of expectations than it used to be. Usually, before starting a new course in this master program, a feeling of anxiety, curiosity and a kind of fear accompanied me. Maybe, because as human beings we often feel anxious about the “new” or “unknown” or because I sometimes think that perhaps I won’t be able to achieve the course’s objectives, or to match teacher’s expectations. In fact, I have to say that all courses in the master have been a challenge for me in terms of content, time, readings assignments, understanding of that content and even in the use of English. This last one, in special, has not been a problem itself but an aspect that sometimes limit me in the development of a course. To be honest, I consider myself I do not have a high English proficiency level but I always try to do my best ;).

This time and due to the present circumstances, the expectations about having a virtual class increased those frequent feelings. I have to say, this was a new, rare experience for me, since I have never participated in this type of classes. However, this situation has made me think and reflect on some issues that I want to share.

The first one, is the fact that we confirm again the capacity of human beings to adapt ourselves to new situations. It does not matter what is our profession, status or personal situation, we are able to find a way to solve and overcome any situation. The second issue I want to highlight, is that anything replaces interpersonal (face to face) communication. Although the sessions were almost completed as expected, I feel that the interpersonal relation and interaction among teacher-students and student-student was affected. In my opinion, I think that issues such as the amount of time we passed in front of a screen, some technical difficulties, the “freedom” we had while the classes went on, and some distractors inherent to our own working place, altered in somehow the dynamic of the sessions.

All these factors lead me to reflect on three key aspects: my role as a student in this course, my role as a teacher and the role of my students in this unexpected situation. All those roles are being affected, challenged and transformed due to the circumstances we are living now. The good news is that this situation is clearly connected to the focus of this course: teachers’ professional development.

In my opinion, one of the objectives I want to achieve in this course (from those proposed by the teacher) is to gain knowledge and skills to keep building my profile as professional teacher. 

Considering this objective and grounded on the basis that the economic, socio-political and cultural factors influence teachers’ professional development, I am quite sure that the challenges I am facing, plus the knowledge I get from this course will let me to transform and improve the pedagogical practice I used to have until today. The particular situation we and our students are experiencing today, is helping us to shape or reshape our personal and professional growth as student teachers and as language teachers as well. We must consider the present situation to critically analyze who we are, what are we doing and what we should do to improve ourselves and help our students in their learning process as well.