Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Who is a good teacher?


Who is a good teacher?

Knowing is one thing and teaching is another.  Even if you major in English and you are quite a fluent English speaker, that doesn’t mean you can teach it well. When I graduated from Education College with four full years’ curriculum, and went to the boys’ middle school, I was not a good teacher in the sense of teaching well. In the classroom at school, there were 35 students mixed together with different abilities of English and even different personality traits and needs. To be a good teacher, I struggled to find the ways to teach them "well”. Through a lot of trials and errors, I think I learned many valuable things as a teacher and I’d like to share with you my three pieces of advice here.
First of all, empathy and love for students are the essential component of being a good teacher. When you really love someone, you get to pay all of your attention and listen to them. Thus, a good teacher becomes a good listener and observer. While opening ears with warm heart, the teacher can figure out the needs of a student and appropriate methods to teach the person effectively. This also goes the same way to the psychological and mental conditions of a student. Recently we face a lot of tragic news about  juvenile delinquencies such as bulling, depression, and suicide. If we can prevent such tragedies, how it will be nice! Don’t forget. Teaching is not a one-way path but interactive and cooperative work.
Second, be yourself. Find your genuine teaching style. If you look back on your school days, you might remember many teachers who taught you “well”. Did they teach you with all the same way? They might not do. Try as many different methodologies as you can apply to your class and be aware which one is effective and which one has which strong and weak points. Practice good teaching methods of your colleagues you admire to follow until you make them on your own style. Eventually, you’ll find yourself distinguished among other teachers.
Third, be a life-long learner. Let’s say you’re already a good teacher. Then you don’t need to learn any more? I don’t think so. A teacher is the best role model to the students. If the teacher shows his continuous effort at studying not only the subject matter but many different areas, students get to respect him naturally and be inspired to have some motivation of studying harder. Students are changing year by year and  accordingly their conditions, their needs, and their problems are changing as well. Don’t stop learning whatever you want and try to adapt something related to your class. A teacher is not just a messenger of knowledge, but a person who can give a valuable life lesson.
Therefore, a good teacher is not  the present perfect,but the present progressive. In the process of many trials and errors, endless efforts of self-improvement, and consistent caring and considering of students, a good teacher is born and evolved for a better future.

What makes a good teacher?

                         What makes a good teacher?

What makes a good teacher? Many teachers make their best efforts to answer this question by experiencing lots of trials and errors during their whole career. Some of them succeed to set their own image of a good teacher. But quite a few of them are still on their journey to answer it.  Needless to say, many qualities for teaching and personal traits are needed to be a good teacher such as teaching skills, leadership, devotion, etc.
Here are  what I think makes a great teacher: passion, understanding and patience.
The  first thing is passion for your subject you teach.  Without this, it is impossible to become a good teacher. If you don’t love your subject, how can you expect your students to? This passion makes you find many ways to develop  your subject knowledge. In addition,  it also makes you develop teaching skills to deliver your knowledge more creatively and efficiently.  This passion also makes you develop class management skills and fun techniques to help your students  to concentrate on the class.
The next thing to have as a good teacher  is understanding of your students. This is about knowing your students; what they  know, what they don’t know and what they want to know.  With a lot of subject knowledge and teaching skills,  if your teaching is too difficult or  does not meet the students’  demands at all, your class will never be satisfied with you and your students. This understanding also should be expanded to the emotional part of your students. Good teachers always try to observe their students’ interests and changes in their daily lives and  try to communicate with their students. It is important to show teachers’ warm interests in each student because a good education can start only with  good relationships between teachers and students.
The last thing is patience.  Teaching is not easy  simple job because  it is working with or against  the young  at the age of puberty.  Students have complex lives as you do. They are very changeable and sensitive, sometimes they are almost cross.  Good teachers wait for the students to understand and accept things they should know.  Sometimes, instant corrections or spontaneous anger from teachers don’t help students.  Moreover, good teachers have great  expectations of success for all students.  When you have a negative expectation of your students, you can’t expect good feedback from your students, either.  Also good teachers don't forget to give their students positive reinforcement with applause and cheers even if they didn’t do good job yet.
Getting a job as a teacher is very difficult. But the more difficult thing is to be a good teacher. There are many teachers, including me who lose their confidence and passion when in difficult times. Teachers get the strength to go on by their own students' approval, respect and love. To be a good teacher, you have to be a happy and lively person in your life first and try to keep  developing your passion, understanding and patience by enjoying your work and life.

How Amazing It Was

Have you ever imagined that you can die because of a difficult delivery? I nearly died when I gave birth to my first child, but she changed my life entirely. Before I had my daughter, I was a little selfish, and I had little consideration for my family and others. I had grown up to be the youngest in my family, so I was accustomed to being loved. As a result, I had a sort of self-centered mind. I gave birth to my first child when I was 25 years old. It was a difficult and serious delivery. I had never had such a painful experience before. I complained to my husband and family during labor. When I woke from the anesthetic and met my daughter for the first time, the pain left me. Slowly I began to think of my mother and others around me and what I had taken from them. Consequently, I thanked my mother and family from the bottom of my heart after realizing my ingratitude. Since recovering my health, I have tried to repay my mother and family for their love. I have known that the pleasure of giving love. My daughter came to me with difficulty, but she taught me how to live more happily.

Starting Bible study



        Have you ever had an important turning point in your life? The first Monday of March in 1991 was a historical day in my life. I couldn’t imagine the influence that that day would have on my life then.  Before Bible study, I was so pessimistic about my life and the world because I had a lot of difficult times due to my family’s poor economic situation since my childhood.  I used to feel that: life was too difficult to live, the world was very cold to me, and I was an insignificant . Therefore, I looked sad, gloomy  and I had an inferiority complex.  In addition, my goal in life was just to be a teacher and make money  to support my parents. However,  one of my seniors in my college  invited me to her Bible study club, and I accepted her invitation without any hesitation because I was interested in the Bible. Thanks to Bible study, I have got many valuable things and my life has gradually changed so far. While I was  studying  the Bible very carefully, I came to recognize God’s existence,  His love for me and His power and wisdom to help me.  As a result now, I am always happy even in bad times because of my strong belief  about  life, the world and God, based on the Bible.  Also, I  found a new goal in life, which is to enjoy life and to make others happy. Furthermore,  I came to understand others’ circumstances and make better relationships with them. I think the happiness I feel today in my marriage life is due to Bible study.  

Who is a good teacher?


Class  3,    Okay


    Who Is A Good Teacher?


      Who is a good teacher? It is very difficult for me to write down the sentences with this title. Therefore I spent a lot of time on thinking and reflecting about myself. I am a teacher and a parent at the same time. I have raised  my children and more and more I have felt myself mature as a parent and a teacher and more and more I have had positive thoughts towards my children and my students. So my thoughts and my ideals have changed towards better ways and more positive ones. In my opinion, a good teacher should have at least three qualities, firstly:  to have firm knowledge about his/her major subject and to have the passion of teaching, secondly: to comprehend his/her students, thirdly:  to have good teaching skills.     
     Firstly, he/she should have firm and complete knowledge about his/her major subject and have the passion of teaching. It means that he/she has to try to have complete and absolute knowledge to teach his/her students very hard and to try to teach eagerly. When he/she tries to do his/her best, all the students come to know their teacher’s minds. Therefore all the teachers have to study even  harder than before. In the past a teacher’s degree was one of the best degrees. However, other degrees may be more valuable  nowadays. Therefore he/she must study harder than before.
     Secondly, he/she should comprehend his/her students. He/She must consider their feelings and conditions. When his/her students even make a few mistakes, at first he/she can scold them quietly and he/she can lead them towards better ways. Later, his/her students will appreciate their teacher. In my opinion, scolding  his/her students once is enough. In the past, I often watched a teacher scold his/her students excessively at the teachers’ office.  They had ill feeling towards him/her as a result.  Thirdly, he/she should have good teaching skills. It means that he/she has to try to have the abilities of teaching them harder. He/She can acquire these abilities through many teachers’ training courses. He/She can develop them through visiting other teachers’ lessons.  A good teacher always should study his/her major subject very hard and make teaching materials which the level and position of his/her students fits his/her students. He/She translates his/her textbooks and should make handouts for his/her students.
      In conclusion,  a good teacher has to try to have these qualities.  A young teacher who is about 30 years old said, “Teachers are always like students. Therefore he/she must study hard and he/she has to teach them eagerly.”  I totally agree with this opinion. As a teacher, he/she must live with this mind. Therefore, he/she should teach his/her students hard and sincerely.   
                                                                      (Word count: 492)

Who is a good teacher?

Who is a good teacher?

Do you think you are a good teacher? I am a teacher who has been teaching for over 20 years. I have always asked myself if I am a good teacher. Also, I have tried to be a good teacher. I have often heard some teachers are good teachers from other teachers and my students. I, however, have wondered who is a good teacher. Here are 3 types of good teachers who I have learned in my school days. If you are a good teacher, I hope, you can find which is your type among the following 3 types.
The first type is my English teacher in the first grade of middle school. she was strict and tough in her class. She kept exact discipline in class. She liked silent class not a noisy class. The class only focused on her lesson. Students avoided eye contact all the time with her. There was no laughter and no fun in class. I never saw a smile on her face. Therefore I thought she never seemed to smile. After a test, she scolded students for bad scores. Besides, she hit them squarely on their palm with her stick. Some students were scared of her. Some students seemed to dislike this kind of teacher. They often complained to their homeroom teacher about this. They, however, studied hard in her class as well as did homework well. I liked her because I was very curious to know about reading English. I thought she was a good teacher.
The second type is my math teacher in the third grade of middle school. He was not strict and tough in his class. He was calm and kind. He had a mild punishment. Students liked him. They weren’t scared of him. He was focused on lessons, but his class was fun and interesting. Sometimes he shared his experience with students. Also, he enjoyed playing games with students on a sports day. He looked great. I liked math and him. I thought he was a good teacher.
The last one is my geography teacher in the second grade of high school. Also, she is my ideal teacher. She was a mild woman who never shouted. She always had a big smile on her face. She taught students her lesson with smile in class. She never used to hit students. I was madly in love with her. While I was in her class, I traveled all over the world with her. I loved her and her class. She, however, was only temporary. I , at that time, didn’t know about temporary work. when she left, I didn’t understand. A new teacher who was permanent came back to her class instead. I was totally shocked by the new teacher’s class. It was a completely different class. I realized that the new teacher made me bored. I missed the temporary teacher for long time. I thought she was a good teacher.
In conclusion, I have the reasons why I thought mentioned above teachers were good. They all knew students well and cared what their students thought. Also, they made students realize the joy of learning. Therefore, students followed them, as there was consistency in the way they treat students. They stood for their classes with confidence in their capacity. As mentioned above, I divided into 3 types of good teachers. I hope I could be one type of three. Can you find which is your type among the above 3 types?

Who is a good teacher?

Who is a good teacher?

   Who is a good teacher? It’s not easy to define because it depends on people’s point of view. Some people might think that a teacher who is highly knowledgeable in his subject matter is a good teacher. Others might think that a teacher who has a great teaching skill such as the ability to explain and describe things clearly is a good one.  However, according to my experience, a good teacher should have these three qualities: passion, a good listener, and a sense of humor.
   Having passion for teaching is very important. If teachers don’t love teaching, students will easily notice this and they can not enjoy their class. Without passion for teaching, teachers can’t devote themselves to teaching. Good teachers should be good models in every way.  I  know a good teacher who had a significant influence on my life. He taught us with great enthusiasm and his passion motivated students to learn. He made us look forward to his class.
   In addition to passion, good teachers should be good listeners with a more sensitive and open mind. To listen carefully with an open mind means to show their affection toward every student, and also means that they don’t have a prejudice against their students. If teachers want to know about students’ thoughts and problems, they should make themselves available whenever students want to talk with them. Every student may want to be a special student to their teacher. They don’t want to remain nameless. Therefore, good teachers should try to memorize students’ names and try to get to know them individually. The honorable teacher who taught me showed a great affection to every student. He didn’t discriminate against his students. He treated us equally, and showed his attention and affection to each student. He devoted his time to every student.
   The last quality good teachers should have is a sense of humor.  Good  teachers should always try to make their classes fun and interesting. Even if a class is very useful, if teachers make students sleep or feel bored, it’s of no use. My teacher always told us that everything had two sides like coins, so we should try to look on the bright side when we’re in trouble. Because of his positive thinking and his sense of humor, we always had a fun time in his class. He knew how to make his class interesting. He made us smile and laugh during his class.
   In conclusion, to be a good teacher is not easy, but if teachers try to teach their students with passion, listen to their students carefully with great affection , and make their classes interesting, they can be good teachers. It is said that knowing is one thing and teaching is another. Even if teachers know everything about their subject matter, not all teachers can be good teachers. However, if you recognize your important role as a teacher and try to do your best like the teacher I mentioned above, you can be a better teacher who has a significant influence on your students’ life.  (516)

Who is a good teacher?

Who is a good teacher?
class 3, Mr. Kang

Who is a good teacher? What is a basis of a good teacher as a teacher, not just an adult? What makes difference of a good teacher, regarding the qualities of a good teacher as teacher? There are three qualities I define as a good teacher.
First, I am sure that one important quality of a good teacher is easily teaching skills. The teacher who has good teaching skills can help to give a good solution to his students who are in trouble. Teaching skills of a good teacher themselves can give students something, where to go and how to go. For instance, when my school day, whenever I had a problem with my English study and test, a respectful English teacher(Mr. Lee) gave me true advice and explained easily how to study English. During his classes, I could understand his all explanation by his lecture skills. His lecture was important but easy.
Next, consideration of students is an essential requirement to be a good teacher. A good teacher always must have a consideration of students’ mind. I think a good teacher needs to have two eyes. One eye can see appearance itself and the other eye can see student's inner world. That is to say, a good teacher can read some student's difficulties and understand their feelings. So such a consideration of students can be a motivation for students to open their mind.
Lastly, a good teacher must be honest to students. I believe firmly that honesty to students is the most important requisite to be a good teacher. Most parents want their children to be honest and honest teachers can make honest students. Of course, it is not always easy to be honest but a good teacher must make a constant effort to be honest to students on all occasions. I am sure honesty can change students’ mind. I always remember a very honest teacher(Mr. Gong). I respected his honest mind. And his honesty motivated me to become a teacher.
Getting along with teachers well is as important as getting along withe parents during their school day. You’ve just read an essay on 3 qualities of a good teacher, and you obviously have some knowledge of the subject along with your experience. Anyway, I believe that a good teacher may be another good student and a good student can be another good teacher, too!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Paragraph writing

How to live?

About 32 years ago I had the time of my life. I was a high school student before entering PNUE. My family was poor so that my mother asked me not to go to the college but to work for my family. My mother had lost her husband, my father, and had to take care of 3 daughters and 2 sons by herself. I didn’t say anything because I understood how her mind was suffering for me.
I just wished that I would have studied more and been something special.
So I decided to say ‘Yes’ to her, but I tried to find another way.
I didn’t believe in god, but I couldn’t help myself from praying for what I really wanted.
I wasn’t certain that I passed the entrance exam . But I applied anyway.
The day when we could look at the list of names passed exam, my heart was beating quickly so much.
In front of the board, I was out of breath and didn’t believe my eyes.
There was my name on there! And then some worries watered up to me. What should I do after ? After listening to the story, my relatives and neighbors helped me in many ways with their own money. My mother and I felt so happy. We were not alone!
For a while, I had spent my school life talking a lot with my buddy and working part time jobs. I could be afford enough for me, even if I could help my family too.
My time was perfect, I forgot all about god and pray. But he had not forgotten me at all!
One day I had thought seriously who am I as same as general young man has questioned.
I read many books of philosophy and novels and talked with my friends about that. No where the answer what I want. If I knew who I am, I could have known how to live.
Would I be a piece of nature? Then, what is the nature? What does it start from? so on......
If I were a piece of it , What is the worth of mine? Nothing? I awore at that time it doesn’t matter if I would be dead earlier or late. So I often felt useless continued living. I fell in pessimism. As for me, living seemed just only likely to die as words of a philosopher.
After that days, I met a senior, teacher also minister. She was very stable and clear. I wondered how she is. She suggested me to study in her bible group. I accepted it. Everything in the bible was so strange.But in my mind, there was in piece! It was strange, too. It was my turning point in my life.
Finally I recognised who I am, I am beloved a person of God. If I prayed, he always responsed for me. How do I know? Yes, I can say now. If you accept him and pray, you also do experience. It’s not science, scholastic things and superstition. It’s the fact that I experienced.
Now, I’m trying to live along the Bible’s lesson. Through the reading, meditation of daily words, I want to change my mind, my life style, treatment for others better. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind -Philippians 3:12, 16 -
That is how I live now.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Writing - Paragraphs Part 1 (Lebow)

Types of Paragraphs & Examples
Narrative Paragraphs

Paragraph components
  • Normally chronological (though sometimes uses flashbacks)
  • A sequential presentation of the events that add up to a story.
  • A narrative differs from a mere listing of events. Narration usually contains characters, a setting, a conflict, and a resolution. Time and place and person are normally established. In this paragraph, the "story" components are: a protagonist, a setting, a goal, an obstacle , a climax , and a resolution.
  • Specific details always help a story, but so does interpretive language. You don't just lay the words on the page; you point them in the direction of a story.
  • Words used should be as descriptive as possible. For example, note the difference between:
    - He went to the store.
    - He walked to the store. 
    - He staggered to the store. 



Task: Think of a story you can narrate from your own experience. It can be from one of the topics below or another topic. Take a few minutes to outline your narrative.

Narrative paragraph topics
  • most memorable, powerful, scary, difficult, fun experience of your life
  • your first day at a new job
  • a disastrous date
  • a moment of failure or success
  • an encounter that changed your life
  • an embarrassing experience
  • a memorable journey
  • a significant misunderstanding
  • an account of a difficult decision that you had to make
  • an event that marked a turning point in your life
  • a day when everything went right (or wrong)
  • an experience that taught you a lesson


We will first tell each other stories in partners One partner tell their story without interruption. The partner then asks questions of clarification. Afterward, write your story as descriptively as possible.
Create a google doc with the title “Class#-Your Name- Narrative Paragraph”
Share it with pufslebow@gmail.com

Some reference sites for finding descriptive words: 
When you finish it, you can meet with Jeff one-on-one to revise it. After it is revised, you can publish it to your blog (use the label 'writing').

While you are waiting to meet with Jeff and after you've finished, you can work on other tasks (e.g. sampling from the CALL Buffet, tweaking your blog, extensive reading).


    Monday, October 3, 2011

    Online Writing Resources & Activities

    _____________________________________________________
    Specific Writing Tips

    Purdue's Online Writing Lab has an extensive range of guides about various aspects of writing. 
    Purdue OWL Site Map
    ___________________________________________________
    Activities
    Writing Paragraphs - Resources & Activities

    Activities
    From Bogazici University OWL - Paragraph Writing Exercises
    Cengage - Writing Effective Paragraph Exercises (practice tests)

    Resources
    From OWL - What is a paragraph? - Tutorials: Paragraph Structure, Paragraph Development  & Concluding Paragraph
    Mountain City's The Structure of a Paragraph


      Sunday, October 2, 2011

      Difference between Look, Watch, & See

      Watch this Video:

      http://www.englishvideolesson.com/1477-the-difference-between-to-see-to-look-and-to-watch.html


      Look - to look at something for a reason, with an intention.
       ‘Look at that strange man.’
      ‘Look at the pictures I took on holiday.’
      ________________________________

      See -to ‘see’ something that comes into our sight that we weren’t looking for.
       ‘Did you see that bird? – I wasn’t looking for it, it just appeared.
       ‘I saw you driving to work today.’
      ________________________________

      Watch - to look at something carefully, usually at something which is moving.
       ‘Watch TV’- the TV doesn’t move, but you watch the moving images carefully.
       ‘Watch here you are going! You almost stepped on my foot!’

      Monday, September 26, 2011

      Writing Agenda - September 27, 2011 (Lebow)


      One-on-one conferences to revise your writing.
      After you’ve revised your writing, post the photos and descriptions on your blog.

      To post on your blog Learningcall.net/2011/03/blogger-guide-examples-tasks.html#photos
      To post in Picasa Learningcall.blogspot.com/2011/04/google-photos-picasa.html


      Before your conference or after you finish posting to your blog, you can:
      Build your vocabulary at:

      - Memrise.com (create your own account or use ID: pufsttp Password: 4CALL-fun)
      - Vocabulary.com (login optional) or FreeRice.com (no login)
      - Englishcentral.com/vocabulary (you’ll need to log in with your EnglishCentral ID)
      - Vocabulary exercises http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/alle_words.htm

      or your practice your grammar at:

      - Englishpage.com
      - OWL Exercises http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises

      You can also visit your classmates’ blogs and make comments. See blog list in the right side column of this site.

      Sunday, September 25, 2011

      Writing Photo Descriptions (Lebow)

      Lebow's Writing Class Agenda
      September 26, 2011

      Describe your photos to your partner. Make sure to describe the ‘Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How’ of the photos. Ask follow-up questions.

      Create a Google Doc. Title it ‘Class#-YourName-Photo Descriptions’. Share it with ‘pufslebow@gmail.com’

      Write descriptions for each photos. Descriptions should be at least 2-3 sentences long.

      After you go over the descriptions with Jeff, you will post the photos and descriptions on your blog.
      You can see Jeff's examples here:
      http://callstudentjeff.blogspot.com/2011/09/some-of-my-favorite-photos.html

      Monday, September 19, 2011

      Creating a Copy of your Google Doc For Revision

      To revise your writing after the instructor has made comments, go to  Google Doc and click 'File/Make a copy'



      Check 'Also copy document collaborators'.


      Change the title to something like 'Class 5 - Jeff - Writing Task1 - Draft 2'. Comments will not be copied. To clear all of the  highlights, click Format/Clear Formatting.