Exploring Teachers´ Beliefs

1 Teaching needs to focus on student-centered  process

“The teacher assumes the role as the starter motor that helps and guides the students. However students are their own captain because they have the chance to choose what the best way or strategy to attain their goals is” (Metaphor)

“On the other hand, I can say that this activity was meaningful for them. After students design their ppt show slides, they had a meeting with me and we discussed the weaknesses and strengths in each presentation before perform in front of their partners” (1^st Journal)

2  Teaching-learning process can be successful if all the participants are involved in this action.

“The anchors represent the constraints in the teaching-learning process that delay the arrival of learning, these constraints can be come out on top if all the elements work together and go after the same results” (Metaphor)

3. Language learning demands motivated students through meaningful experiences in every class.

“Every class is a journey where students need to learn from experience, feel motivated and have a clear objective to collect meaningful life lessons (learning).” (Metaphor)

“Personally, I was aware of different problems related to our profession in real contexts. And the importance of motivation and meaningful activities in the classroom to catch the students’ attention” (Autobiography)

“As teachers, we have to promote a joyful environment in our classrooms where learning is funny and meaningful for each student” (Autobiography)

4. Teachers’ performance improves in consequence of Learning from experience.

“I can affirm that a good teacher is built through experiences, mistakes and good decisions” (Autobiography)

1st Journal entry

September 24th

This session was in eleventh grade and we were working the wonders of the world. The goal in this class was to design and prepare a presentation about one of the wonders of the world in pairs.

In previous lessons students knew important facts about different wonders of the world in a worksheet and ppt show presentation. The main purpose here was to give a clear example of how to develop a presentation in English and highlight relevant information to prepare a presentation.

I think that this activity was a demanding challenge for my students, as they had to use all the acquired knowledge in the previous lesson to recall information and express their point of view.

On the other hand, I can say that this activity was meaningful for them. After students design their ppt show slides, they had a meeting with me and we discussed the weaknesses and strengths in each presentation before perform in front of their partners. According to the comments they asserted I could notice they really appreciate the feedback before perform in class. They said this was a different methodology in their learning process because most of the teachers never provide feedback before an exam or evaluation. It is common that teachers provide feedback after exams in a traditional approach, but never before students perform a specific task.    

My Autobiography

I was born and raised in a small town (south of Tolima) where I lived my childhood and adolescence. In the beginning, school was really amazing and funny because this was my first learning experience outside home. During these years I attended a public school from kindergarden through high school, and I was one of the best students because I had great marks in every single subject. In addition, school and family provided me a well-built educational and ethical philosophy which still remains with me all the time.

As a teenager growing up, I enjoyed my schooling and tried to take advantage of my teachers’ knowledge. Although all subjects were easy for me, my favorite one was English. There was a connection with the language itself. I did not mind the traditional teaching method used by my teacher, the worksheets or photocopies she gave us, I just wanted to know more about English. Throughout the last years of school I used to travel to Neiva on vacations to visit some relatives. There, I fell in love with music and the English language, I Listened to groups like audioslave, red hot chili peppers, linkin park, papa roach, etc. This experience contributed to make up my mind to study foreign language at the university and live music on another level.

In 2005, I graduated from school and I decided to move to Neiva to study foreign languages at Surcolombiana University. This period of my life was demanding because I just wanted to learn English but I was not sure about teaching. I lived in Palermo (Huia) and I had to wake up early in the morning to travel to Neiva. Moreover, when I went to the English course at the first class I discovered I was unable to understand what my teacher said. I became a little bit sad I even regretted my decision because there were people who had high English level, particularly the speaking skill. But I did not give up, I liked to read stories, listen to music and compare the spoken and written English. I did my best to improve my skills because I came from a public school where English was not strong enough. I adapted to the teaching methods which our teacher taught and acquired much knowledge in the different fields of English, such as Linguistics, Phonetics, Teaching Method and Methodology, and so on.

The teaching practicum was outstanding in my professional life. I could applied different concepts, theories and at the same time verify teaching beliefs. Also, I could notice that teaching experiences build the kind of teacher you are nowadays. I highlight that experience makes possible to have successful lessons and have a better understanding of our students and their learning process.

In 2008 I was in the third year in the college when I started working in a language institute. I had the chance to work with teenagers and adults in Neiva, Guadalupe, Tarqui and other towns in Huila. Two years later, I traveled abroad where I worked as a camp counselor for five months.  This journey was my first international experience because I have visited many places and met different people, cultures around the world. All those months of experience allowed me to reflect on learning as an ongoing process, where you have to enjoy and have fun while you are learning.

In October 2010, I came back to Colombia and I worked with some colleagues in a research project. The research project helped to analyze the effects of teacher training during the program Huila speaks English. Personally, I was aware of different problems related to our profession in real contexts. And the importance of motivation and meaningful activities in the classroom to catch the students’ attention. This project was my final experience at university because after that I graduated in 2011.

I got my first job as a graduated teacher in a private school in Neiva the same year. Then, in 2012 I started working with the government for three years and a half. And nowadays, I will live a new stage in my professional life because I accepted an official job with the government.

After all these things considered, I can affirm that a good teacher is built through experiences, mistakes and good decisions. In this sense, as teachers, we have to promote a joyful environment in our classrooms where learning is funny and meaningful for each student.

2nd Journal entry

September 28th

During this class in ninth grade, the lesson was focus on superstitions and the difference between Colombian and English culture. The objective in this lesson was to present the first conditional in a deductive way. The class started asking some questions about what ideas or concepts students had about superstitions and some examples in the Colombian culture. After I got the examples from students, I explained the same superstition but in the English culture (just if there is a difference). For instance: if you see a black cat, you will have good luck (English cilture), if you see a black cat, you will have bad luck (Colombian culture).

Then I explained other examples of superstitions drawing some pictures and the students had to guess if it was a good or bad luck superstition. The next step in my class was that students had to divide in groups of four people; they had to act out two superstitions that i gave them in piece of paper. Finally they had to match some superstitions, the condition and the result, and also they had to discuss if the superstitions were good or bad luck.

I think that students could identify the structure of the first conditional in a deductive way because they were able to produce sentences about superstitions consequences. on the other hand, they could accomplish the objective because they had worked the simple present and future tense before. so it was easy to relate the previous knowledge to the new topic. I tried to provide opportunities to have a student-centred class but in my point of view it was not enough. In addition, I would like to change part of the material because I could use more pictures and visual examples to catch the students attention.

According to the class environment and the students' attitudes I can say that all of them participated actively in the lesson and contributed to explain different superstitions to their partners.

MY TEACHING METAPHOR

Everybody has a different view of life and this exactly happens when we talk about the teaching and learning process. This painting is my first attempt to draw the ideas inside my head about teaching. 

I can say that teaching is an amazing adventure where we are going to find challenges and obstacles to achieve our objectives. The sea represents the extensive amount of knowledge at our disposal, which can be used to know more about the world around us. The teacher assumes the role as the starter motor that helps and guides the students. However students are their own captain because they have the chance to choose what the best way or strategy to attain their goals is.  Moreover, students use the tools and support provided by their teacher to overcome their limitations and problems.

The anchors represent the constraints in the teaching-learning process that delay the arrival of learning, these constraints can be come out on top if all the elements work together and go after the same results. Every class is a journey where students need to learn from experience, feel motivated and have a clear objective to collect meaningful life lessons (learning). 

Definition of Reflective Teaching

Reflective teaching is a process where teachers think over their teaching practices, analyzing how something was taught and how the practice might be improved or changed for better learning outcomes. Some points of consideration in the reflection process might be what is currently being done, why it's being done and how well students are learning. You can use reflection as way to simply learn more about your own practice, improve a certain practice (small groups and cooperative learning, for example) or to focus on a problem students are having. Let's discuss some methods of reflective teaching now.