The most memorable thing from class was the 3/4 student from the recipe. The visual image of that is still funny.
This is my 3rd or 4th methods class over the years. I've had methods of theater, of speech, and of English prior to this. In the past 20 years things really haven't changed. I continue to wonder about the purpose. There are very few things that are different in the areas I've learned about. It makes me think that there has to be a better way. Why are so many professors forced to teach virtually the same class? Could this be rotated so that departments can offer other topics? In talking with other teachers, teaching longer than I have, their theories and methods were similar as well. The biggest changes come in what new policy is being recycled currently. Nothing that is new will last long enough to truly prove it is a good way of teaching. Things take time to train and implement and are taken out before this happens.
More time should be spent in the classroom. There should be laws for licensing that are different than they are now. MN teachers used to get a 2 year provisional license and when they got their first teaching contract they could then get a 5 year license, with additional training. Now teachers go immediately to a 5 year license, whether or not they've had a job or training in current research in their field. I believe no teacher should be able to get their own classroom on their first license until they've done a year of subbing. Student teaching and all the practicums before that do nothing to truly train someone for a classroom. Substitute teaching takes away the safety net of having someone check on your plans. You get to test drive someone else's plans and decide which things work and don't work for you. I've worked with many student teachers from the MSU English/Speech departments and only 2 of them were prepared to teach in the high schools. And only one of them would I consider truly ready to take it all on, the other is currently a successful teacher and I'm very proud of her. The rest of them have jobs and I pray for the education of their students. They did not get the course work they need to teach English in the high schools. Of course this has nothing to do with ESL, but I was on a roll.
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3 comments:
I hear you. I did not know that you've taken that many methods classes, or I would have used your experiences more in our class. I think that experienced teachers have much to offer novice teachers, and this is something I will have to be more deliberate about in the future.
I also hear you re. student teaching. However, I do think that teaching is something that we learn on the job, and more importantly, something we learn AFTER we have already taught for a while, and then go back to school for. In other words, perhaps there is pre-service, in-service, and post-service education. Interesting thought, Thea.
Once I mentioned about this in the class that methods (learing about heories) and practice (teaching in the class)are really different because former is like artificial and second like reality in this sense sharing and learning about teaching experiences could be useful.
I have taken a couple of other methods classes before as well, but I think the information is still useful. I have a different perspective on it now and find it far more valuable than I did in my undergrad.
I totally disagree with you about subbing. There are already too many teachers being scared out of the profession. I HATE subbing. I like to know my students and the rules and it takes me a long time to get comfortable. I'd probibly be in a mental hospital if I had subbed any loger than I did. YUCK!
I do like the idea of a two year license with the requirement to go back after getting one's feet wet. I'm glad I taught for a few years before beginning grad school. I think MNSU's mentor program is right on track.
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