I have recently moved to a new location in Kalamazoo, MI! I am now a French Tutor part-time, as well as a performing arts instructor for the city's Parks and Recreation program. I am very excited and enthusiastic about these new job prospects. I'll technically be a part-time entrepreneur, finding my own students to teach French to, and spending the rest of my time sharing my love of the arts with kids in the community. Things couldn't have worked out better for me.
My time spent teaching in France was energy well spent, and I am definitely going to miss my students and colleagues. I am happy to be back in a bigger city, and think that it will be easier finding students here than in a town of 4,500. But, unfortunately, the demand for learning French here isn't as important as is the demand for learning English in France. However, somehow I managed to find four students already, three in one family and one University student. I start with them in June. Until then, I'll be working Saturdays with the town's Parks and Recreation committee with Plays in the Parks. Tonight, I'll be organizing a few games to use with the students and some improvisations that they might enjoy.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
How to deal with problem students
I had an interesting chat with one of my British colleagues and fellow English teachers yesterday about how to deal with those students who cause the most trouble in class. There are two students in the class that I taught yesterday who (years back) dealt with a death in the family- one girl's brother died, as well as another boy's mother. The two students often talk during class, have bad attitudes, and basically don't respond well (or at all) to discipline. The boy is distracting, doesn't stay in his seat, and constantly diverts the attention of his classmates to him during the lesson, and (according to my colleague) has even told them to ignore her and has insulted her before.
This isn't acceptable behavior. It has been several years since the death in his family. I can understand erratic behavior in class maybe up to a year after the incident, but several years, and the boy is still disrupting everyone? My colleague spoke to our boss (the Proviseur) about him, and he (and some other students who were disruptive) was suspended for a day, and of course their parents were notified. But what does that really do? He came back the next day, same old student, chatty as ever. One of the others who was suspended even got worse the day he came back to class. So, this doesn't seem to be very helpful as a way of punishment.
A death in the family is clearly very hard to deal with. But there is another student in the school who lost a family member, and gets wonderful grades and behaves like an angel. So this should be proof that it's not impossible to still focus and make an effort in school despite what has happened outside of school. Tragedies affect everyone differently, but I think after a certain amount of time has passed, you have to draw the line somewhere.
My colleague also has a group of about three girls that talk throughout the entire period, no matter what the subject is that is being covered. It could be about the people or things closest to them and they would still avoid speaking English, avoid responding and text on their phones throughout the lesson. I haven't yet used any methods of discipline with them; because I don't know where to start. In France, each student has a booklet called a "carnet de correspondance". The students are required to have this booklet on them, at all times. When someone misbehaves, the teacher can ask for the carnet, write a note about the student's behavior, and the student is then required to take it home and have it signed by their parents, which will then be shown to the Proviseur. But then, what happens if the parents don't enforce good behavior when they see the notes sent home? Therein lies, in my opinion, one of the biggest problems involving discipline and behavior at school. If the parents don't encourage good behavior in school, and reinforce the importance of good grades, how will the child ever learn to compose him/herself when away from their parents?
My weakness right now is being hard on the students who don't pay attention. I am at the moment, only an assistant, and I try to make my lessons fun. But it's too hard to teach a class when there is always a group of students, or even one for that matter, who spoil it for everyone. My other classes are generally great. I can't complain at all. It's just the behavior of the 3emes (equivalent to high school freshmen) that has been the most difficult to deal with. It's not a class I am getting paid for, but one I take voluntarily because my colleague asked for some assistance. She has students in the class that actually want to learn, that behave very well and that can't focus with those certain few. I feel though, that having the experience now will only help me later in my teaching career.
This isn't acceptable behavior. It has been several years since the death in his family. I can understand erratic behavior in class maybe up to a year after the incident, but several years, and the boy is still disrupting everyone? My colleague spoke to our boss (the Proviseur) about him, and he (and some other students who were disruptive) was suspended for a day, and of course their parents were notified. But what does that really do? He came back the next day, same old student, chatty as ever. One of the others who was suspended even got worse the day he came back to class. So, this doesn't seem to be very helpful as a way of punishment.
A death in the family is clearly very hard to deal with. But there is another student in the school who lost a family member, and gets wonderful grades and behaves like an angel. So this should be proof that it's not impossible to still focus and make an effort in school despite what has happened outside of school. Tragedies affect everyone differently, but I think after a certain amount of time has passed, you have to draw the line somewhere.
My colleague also has a group of about three girls that talk throughout the entire period, no matter what the subject is that is being covered. It could be about the people or things closest to them and they would still avoid speaking English, avoid responding and text on their phones throughout the lesson. I haven't yet used any methods of discipline with them; because I don't know where to start. In France, each student has a booklet called a "carnet de correspondance". The students are required to have this booklet on them, at all times. When someone misbehaves, the teacher can ask for the carnet, write a note about the student's behavior, and the student is then required to take it home and have it signed by their parents, which will then be shown to the Proviseur. But then, what happens if the parents don't enforce good behavior when they see the notes sent home? Therein lies, in my opinion, one of the biggest problems involving discipline and behavior at school. If the parents don't encourage good behavior in school, and reinforce the importance of good grades, how will the child ever learn to compose him/herself when away from their parents?
My weakness right now is being hard on the students who don't pay attention. I am at the moment, only an assistant, and I try to make my lessons fun. But it's too hard to teach a class when there is always a group of students, or even one for that matter, who spoil it for everyone. My other classes are generally great. I can't complain at all. It's just the behavior of the 3emes (equivalent to high school freshmen) that has been the most difficult to deal with. It's not a class I am getting paid for, but one I take voluntarily because my colleague asked for some assistance. She has students in the class that actually want to learn, that behave very well and that can't focus with those certain few. I feel though, that having the experience now will only help me later in my teaching career.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Miracle lesson plan
This is an iPhone application lesson plan for my French students in Terminale L. It worked like a charm, so it had to be noted. I searched a few times through the assistants in France site to find out where the original plan for this was, but I think it may have been a Google search I did a while back that brought up this amazing plan for my lycée-collègiens. In any case, this was not my idea, so I can't take credit for it, and I wish I had the original link to paste here (if you are the creator of this lesson, leave a comment and I will gladly put your name uo here!). But I do have the basics of the plan. Here it is:
1) Open the lesson by discussing what makes the iPhone different from normal phones.
2) Write special features they come up with on the side of the chalk/whiteboard.
3) Discuss what an application is. Then show them this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szrsfeyLzyg
4) Ask them what the applications did that were described in the video.
5) Then, tell them you'd like them to find a partner (if it's a big class, have them work in groups of 3). Explain that you'd like them to create their own apps, with 2 special, unique functions and a name for the app. Give students 10-15 minutes (if a 55 minute class) to talk with their partner(s) and come up with an original application that Apple would want to put on the iPhone.
6) Tell them that at the end of class (in the last 15-20 minutes, depending on the size again) each group will present their app. Have them write the name of each app on the board. After the last group has presented, have the class vote for whichever app they thought was the best/most unique/most practical.
I just tried this today with a group of 8 lycée girls, who dove right into the assignment and really were interested. You can adapt this lesson for any level, just tweak the number of functions you'd like for each application and help them out with their presentation if they're stuck with vocabulary.
1) Open the lesson by discussing what makes the iPhone different from normal phones.
2) Write special features they come up with on the side of the chalk/whiteboard.
3) Discuss what an application is. Then show them this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szrsfeyLzyg
4) Ask them what the applications did that were described in the video.
5) Then, tell them you'd like them to find a partner (if it's a big class, have them work in groups of 3). Explain that you'd like them to create their own apps, with 2 special, unique functions and a name for the app. Give students 10-15 minutes (if a 55 minute class) to talk with their partner(s) and come up with an original application that Apple would want to put on the iPhone.
6) Tell them that at the end of class (in the last 15-20 minutes, depending on the size again) each group will present their app. Have them write the name of each app on the board. After the last group has presented, have the class vote for whichever app they thought was the best/most unique/most practical.
I just tried this today with a group of 8 lycée girls, who dove right into the assignment and really were interested. You can adapt this lesson for any level, just tweak the number of functions you'd like for each application and help them out with their presentation if they're stuck with vocabulary.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Welcome, Bienvenue, Wilkommen.
in·spired: –adjective
1. aroused, animated, or imbued with the spirit to do something, by or as if by supernatural or divine influence
en·thu·si·ast: -noun
1. a person who is filled with enthusiasm for some principle, pursuit, etc.; a person of ardent zeal
This journal was created to follow Madeleine's life as a teacher and learner, and most of all to spread her enthusiasm for life to the world around her.
1. aroused, animated, or imbued with the spirit to do something, by or as if by supernatural or divine influence
en·thu·si·ast: -noun
1. a person who is filled with enthusiasm for some principle, pursuit, etc.; a person of ardent zeal
This journal was created to follow Madeleine's life as a teacher and learner, and most of all to spread her enthusiasm for life to the world around her.
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