Microteaching: Grammar

Hi everybody!

Last Friday, we had our last Microteaching here at the University of Arkansas and it was another great experience.

Different from the first time, when we just had 7 minutes, now we had 10 minutes, and these 3 extra minutes helped us a lot not being so nervous during the presentation.

It was another great day of sharing, lots of food for thought, I am so proud of the creativity of my colleagues, I love being among so much creative people. It was also very funny because we decided to act like our Brazilian students and the teacher also bought the idea and we laughed a lot and had lots of fun.

I was more relaxed than the first microteaching, but unfortunately there was  a blackout during my presentation and I was unable to use the computer, but I tried to manage until the end, and I was more relieved than upset that I tried to do my best.

Our time here is almost ending, but our suitcase is full of great ideas and good memories, what a great experience, I am so grateful for this opportunity!

International Teaching English Conference

Hey guys!

On last Tuesday, we had a mini-Tesol Conference here at the University of Arkansas and it was an amazing experience.

We had to present to other colleagues from different parts of the world, something interesting or relevant for our practice. It was the first time that I had to present and I got really nervous but very happy about the experience. I presented about Students with Special Needs and how fostering inclusion in the classroom. As, I told initially I got really nervous about that, specially because it was my first time presenting a workshop, but I am proud of the topic, I know that I have many things to work about my presentation, specially about being nervous, but the topic is so relevant and I am proud of myself for overcoming this fear of speaking for so many people in English that I have never met before.

The conference was also amazing. There were so many interesting things to see and to apply and so many others that I wish I could attend, but I was not able to go, because of the schedule. What a pity, but what I saw I will definitely try to use and apply in my classes.

I am also so proud of my Brazilian colleagues. Everybody worked hard and the final work, it was wonderful! It is so nice having time for sharing things, so much food for thought. I can wait to be at home and share these ideas with my students and colleagues.

The Little Rock Nine and the Civil Rights

Hey guys!

Last Friday, we went to Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, so much real history we could experience there.

What call my attention the most was the visit to the Little Rock Central, the largest High School of the city where in 1957 the 9 first black students that were supposed to attend classes there, where prevented in a very hostile way, by the army, to enter in the school on the first day of class.

Before the trip, we received a book “The Little Rock Nine” that described a little of the history to us. But being there and walking at the same places that the Nine have walked it was a very unique and emotional experience, something that I will never forget.

The Nine have faced so much ignorance and prejudice, but it is so inspiring to see that they didn’t give up, and it is really important to witness that.

In Brazil, black people had faced and still face a lot of prejudice and racism, but we rarely acknowledge all their effort like we saw in Little Rock. The next time that I talk about Civil Rights with my students, I will definitely talk about the Nine, and I hope that my students be as inspired as I have been to fight for equally to all always.

Student Center Learning

Hi guys!

Last Thursday, we had a very interesting class with Gavin about Student Center Learning. We dream to create a class here our students are the center, but it is not easy for us teacher to leave the comfortable zone of control.

I really enjoyed the text that we read before discussing about some activities that we normally do that sometimes we call “student-centered” but are really not, because the burden is not in “all” students most of the time and that’s the hardest thing to achieve. I can highlight two sentences, first “I spend so much time studying that I don’t have a chance to learn anything”.  Who never felt like that at school? I did many times, and my goal as a teacher is not to repeat this cycle, it is not easy, but we need to do our part.

Second “The job of teaching is not to stuff them (students) and then seal them up, but to help them open and reveal the riches within. There are pearls in each of us, if only we knew how to cultivate them with ardor and persistence”.

Only with reflection and lots of effort, we can achieve this goal of being really just a facilitator in the classroom.

Microteaching: Speaking

Last week, we had to teach our colleagues a speaking activity from 5 to 7 minutes. It was a very difficult and challenging.

First because of the time, seven minutes is too short to show everything that I think I am capable of doing, and second as an active and energetic person, limit time makes me nervous and sometimes makes me hurry more that I would normally do, but I tried to do my best to show something that I normally do and love doing with my students.

What was really nice to see was the creativity and competence of my Brazilian colleagues. There wasn’t any Brazilian activity that I wouldn’t use at all, maybe I would have to adapt some things, but all that I saw it was very interactive and engaging to students. Although we were very nervous and concern about the short time, I notice a lot of hard work and effort to bring the best activity possible what was really nice and rewarding to see, unfortunately at school we don’t have so much time to do things like that, I hope we could have more, it is so refreshing for our practice. 

Presentation of a Reading Lesson Plan to Colleagues

Hey guys!

Last week we had to present a reading lesson plan to our colleagues. I presented with Gabi and we tried so much to bring an activity that it would be suitable for most of our colleagues.  And it was really interesting to see some activities from our colleagues that I thought it would be very nice to apply to my students too.

One of the activities that I will try to use with my students is the Gisele and Giuliana’s activities for the book “Look, I can read”. I thought the book was great and their activities very engaging for basic students.

Another activity and book that I will try to use with my students is the Rebeca and Danillo’s activities for the book “Little Prince”. I love this book, it is one of my favorites, and the version that they showed us I have never seen before and the activities and this version I think it would be very nice for my basic or intermediate students.

It was really good to have a class where I could see engaging and interesting things for my students. I will show these ideas to my colleagues at Cilc and I hope they like them too.

Literature Circles

Hey guys!

Last week at one of the Christina's classes, she showed us a great technique to teach literature in a more engaging way. I have studied about Literature Circles in my Portuguese Teaching Methodology classes at college, but I have never applied in my English classes, first because I have never thought that it would be possible, I always thought that they were very difficult and complicated to apply.

 After Christina’s classes I think it would be a great technique to apply in my intermediate and advanced classes. When Christina selected me as an Illustrator I got really scared of my role, because I do not draw so well, but during the discussion with my group, it was really engaging to see so many sides of the same story and after I heard some discussions about the story, I got some really nice insights on how to draw some parts of my story that I didn’t think at first. So this why, I think that this technique is so unique and engaging. I am excited to show it to my colleagues in Brazil, and I hope they would like it too, and the book it was also great, I just read some chapters I really would like to read the whole book when I get  more free time.