Riding around on a scooter in Taiwan in my neighborhood: it's an obstacle course. It's like driving on the Beltline Highway in Madison - every day on the Beltline there is some new amazing piece of trash that you have to swerve to avoid: a rust covered toilet, a metal pipe, a huge block of styrofoam. Only here in Taoyuan, Taiwan it's not trash, but rather stray dogs, old people on battery operated motorized carts, or a guy in khakis doing some kind of cha-cha dance while he walks down the street (but that's later at night).
I was recently assigned a really tough class to teach. It has 20 kids, all around the 7th grade age (remember that age where almost everyone torments each other?) There is a student in this "advanced" class that barely speaks English and really doesn't want to be there. There is another student who is very smart, but is in his own little world. He has Asperger Syndrome (autism) which makes him unable to socialize with other kids, so he gets picked on by the other students (which I will of course have to prevent). He is a good kid, though and seems to get along fine - unaffected by his antagonizers. The only way I can effectively bring this class in the right direction is to let time do it's thing. Over time I'll begin to learn their English levels, and who needs to work on what. And over time I will be able to get to know them so I can make the material more personal (student-centered) and interesting for them.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Getting Thrown Into Teaching
Before I left for Taiwan, someone I barely knew gave me a piece of advice. She said that after a while I will have one of those mid-life crisis moments where I question everything all at once and say, "What am I really doing here?"
It's too early for that right now, but knowing that before it happens might help me in some way. I think I have to really look at how I spend my time out here. A new place, a new life, all new habits. It's the habit forming part I need to be careful about. You know that rhythm of the day you find after you move into a new place or get a new job? Eventually you can do a lot without even thinking about it.
One example of this is that I need certain things when I teach. A watch (really important) so I can make sure I can cover all the class material, a water bottle (also important) because some days I'm talking for 6 hours. Mints, my lesson plan, all the textbooks I need, toys for review games to play with the kids, turn off the lights when I leave. So far I have forgotten everything on that list at least once. Now that I've been burned, I bring this stuff without thinking about it.
It's like you have to make a bunch of mistakes at first. That's how you REALLY learn.
My classes are going really well. It's fascinating to try to get inside the heads of kids of so many different ages. I'm teaching kindergarten through seniors in high school. I'm picking it up pretty quick. I'm also discovering that I'm able to use a certain skill (finally!) that I've been trying to pick up.
Most teachers have this skill. It's the skill of being able to stand in front of an audience and see it as an opportunity. Many people (especially me in the past) get in front of an audience and the situation is so disorienting for them, that they can't create a zone in their head for a good spontaneous idea flow. Idea flow is much like a trance I've discovered. And a trance is very similar to having a burning question on your mind. It's like you are looking around the room trying to answer that one question and that's all that happens in your consciousness. If you are self-conscious in front of people, your question is, "What might they be thinking of my presenting, or even me as a person?". You are always trying to answer that question after every sentence you speak.
I've learned over time to change that question to "What do I WANT to do with these people?" So I have to realize that we're all spending some time in this room together and if I don't ask that question, that time will be wasted for all of us. Look for opportunity and fun things to do to keep myself entertained. That is a safe-haven for my thoughts. People respond very positively when I do this. It's because I'm very comfortable when I don't worry about something I can't control.
It's too early for that right now, but knowing that before it happens might help me in some way. I think I have to really look at how I spend my time out here. A new place, a new life, all new habits. It's the habit forming part I need to be careful about. You know that rhythm of the day you find after you move into a new place or get a new job? Eventually you can do a lot without even thinking about it.
One example of this is that I need certain things when I teach. A watch (really important) so I can make sure I can cover all the class material, a water bottle (also important) because some days I'm talking for 6 hours. Mints, my lesson plan, all the textbooks I need, toys for review games to play with the kids, turn off the lights when I leave. So far I have forgotten everything on that list at least once. Now that I've been burned, I bring this stuff without thinking about it.
It's like you have to make a bunch of mistakes at first. That's how you REALLY learn.
My classes are going really well. It's fascinating to try to get inside the heads of kids of so many different ages. I'm teaching kindergarten through seniors in high school. I'm picking it up pretty quick. I'm also discovering that I'm able to use a certain skill (finally!) that I've been trying to pick up.
Most teachers have this skill. It's the skill of being able to stand in front of an audience and see it as an opportunity. Many people (especially me in the past) get in front of an audience and the situation is so disorienting for them, that they can't create a zone in their head for a good spontaneous idea flow. Idea flow is much like a trance I've discovered. And a trance is very similar to having a burning question on your mind. It's like you are looking around the room trying to answer that one question and that's all that happens in your consciousness. If you are self-conscious in front of people, your question is, "What might they be thinking of my presenting, or even me as a person?". You are always trying to answer that question after every sentence you speak.
I've learned over time to change that question to "What do I WANT to do with these people?" So I have to realize that we're all spending some time in this room together and if I don't ask that question, that time will be wasted for all of us. Look for opportunity and fun things to do to keep myself entertained. That is a safe-haven for my thoughts. People respond very positively when I do this. It's because I'm very comfortable when I don't worry about something I can't control.
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