As I bid adieu to this final course in TESL certification, I am both a little overwhelmed and very excited at the prospect of teaching ESL. Although the first assignment of this course was daunting, I appreciate how this course helped me focus on the needs of students in meaningful and practical ways as I developed a ten week course and a three-day project. I don’t feel that my perception of the teacher’s role has changed. I definitely have a better appreciation of the many details and considerations the teacher is managing hence my feelings of being a little overwhelmed. I am taking my apprehension to mean I care strongly about the learning needs of my students and my ability to help them to succeed. Which brings me to four or five valuable things I have learned as a result of working on this program:
- Empathy, admiration and respect for ELL students. Having studied the many components and factors that come into play in order to successfully learn English, I have a whole new appreciation for the learning situation ELL students have placed themselves in.
- There is a wealth of information out there – teaching strategies, lesson plans/activities and very knowledgeable people waiting to be utilized. As an ESL teacher, I will not be a lone-ranger.
- If I am going to structure lessons/activities that will enable student success, I have to continuously be mindful of the their needs and address the needs in lessons/activities. The lessons cannot not be about me teaching my agenda. The lessons/activities must be interesting, appealing and relevant to the learners. They must be at an appropriate level and use materials the student can work with, successfully. I need to be prepared to modify to meet the different learning levels in the classroom – there is no one size fits all.
- It is important to create a positive learning environment. Students need to feel comfortable taking risks, being out of their comfort zone and trying new things.
- On-going professional development is critical to ensure my classroom instruction is effectively meeting the needs of students.