Teaching around the world

Foreign teachers at the No. 1 Middle School attached to CCNU are the best and brightest when it comes to teaching English as a second language. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Taylor Bartlett and I graduated from Azusa Pacific University. I am the team leader of the Foreign Teachers and I recently did some research to understand what makes our teachers so great and future ways to improve. We here at No. 1 are proud of our teachers and believe we are paving the way for teaching English to students all over China. In this passage I will summarize my findings that will give you an inside look to our foreign teachers.

We at the No. 1 believe in the five steps of teaching. Step 1: Warm Up, Step 2: Presentation, Step 3; Drill, Step 4: Practice, Step 5: Review. We also believe in strong communication between the foreign and Chinese teachers. This will allow the students to learn effective English while having the opportunity to practice with a native speaker.

My teaching style includes many activities in which the students can practice their spoken English with a foreigner. In the city of Wuhan there are about one thousand foreigners but many of them do not wish to talk to everyday strangers. I believe the students should take advantage of speaking with a native English speaker. Many students can memorize vocabulary words and grammar, but if they never practice speaking they will never be confident or become fluent. I also realize the immense pressure the students are under due to the education system in China. So I take speaking exercises that can be used in everyday life and make them enjoyable. The students are learning and having an enjoyable experience at the same time.

Cory is a commanding teaching who likes to make the students think in a different language. He believes that every student has a great thought process and opinion and he works with the students to develop their opinion in a different language. Cory brings American morals and way of thinking to the classroom. He taught an activity in class in which students learned the importance of telling the truth in life. In this activity, students had to be dishonest to win the game. Classmates were frustrated momentarily, but the discussion afterward taught integrity is the best way of life.

Stasi is a second year teacher at No. 1 and determined at everything she does. The students admire her way of teaching and constant energy. Stasi taught the students about unforgettable experiences. After a grammar warm up the students made a timeline of their life with a few unforgettable experiences. Students took turns sharing things that they will never forget. Students were forced to think about their important moments in life and took pride in sharing the things that they hold dear. Students wanted to share and were excited to listen to classmates share funny experiences and meaningful experiences. At the end of class Stasi gave the students a magazine photo and asked them to describe the people or scenery. Students really enjoy Stasi’s class and it is easily shown everyday.

Jessie is a first year teacher who loves children and students of all ages. She is a versatile person who can relate and teach anyone. Jessie is a hands-on teacher who involves the students through oral and active English. During one of her classes she asked all the students to write down an open-ended question. Meaning this question cannot be answered in a “yes” or “no”. She then made students active by standing up and standing in a big circle. Students they asked and answered open ended questions. Some questions were funny and others required some thought. Students enjoyed this different way of learning.

Ernesto is also a first year teacher at No. 1. He is a strong communicator who engages the class with speaking activities. Classes are very attentive when he speaks because earlier in the year they learned the importance of directions. In class Ernesto discussed an unforgettable experiences. He first shared one of his unforgettable experiences and then gave the students time to think, brainstorm, and write down ideas about their experience. Ernesto was at the beginning of a project in which the students would write, edit, and share their unforgettable experience in front of other classmates.

Glendyr is entering her third year as a foreign teacher at No. 1. Glendyr also taught on the topic of unforgettable experiences in her class. She started with a warm up to review the vocabulary from the previous class. Students were challenged with excitement attempting to unscramble the vocabulary words. Next Glendyr had the students prepare a speech about an unforgettable experience, an unforgettable person or a superstar. Glendyr took the required text and personalized it into an interesting activity so the students can have fun while learning through the book and on their own. Many students were given the opportunity to speak while Glendyr helped the students with grammar and pronunciation mistakes. Students were active, attentive and interested in Glendyr’s teaching charm.

We at the No. 1 Middle School attached to CCNU take pride in our work as we lead the way in teaching English as a second language.

外教风采

1.Glendyr

2.Stasi

3.Jessie

4.Taylor

5.Ernesto

6.Cory