Teaching

Requiring a balance of creativity and diverse methodologies, teaching is both an art and a science. Every teacher starts as a seed, and through these approaches, we grow into fruitful trees eager to share our knowledge. This first artifact is my developing seed. From the Curriculum and Materials Development course (LT548) and titled “Statement of Beliefs,” I state that my philosophy in language teaching aims to create a memorable experience alongside an educational one. As a learner, I valued having the autonomy of choice in my learning, which made me feel like I had ownership over my journey and, in turn, fostered intrinsic motivation. This experience aligns with my preference now as a teacher for learner-centered instruction, which not only focuses on learners’ needs and understanding individual differences but also emphasizes the importance of meaningful use of the new language through communicative interaction (Brown & Lee, 2015). Additionally, I want my role as a teacher to be that of a facilitator, adapting to learners’ needs and offering a supportive, non-fearful, non-defensive environment (Brown & Lee, 2015). I believe that when students have agency, language learning is most effective. Language learning is important for understanding communication differences across various cultures and is also a long-term commitment that requires considerable time, dedication, and consistency. Through language learning, individuals can immerse themselves in the culture and become aware of language varieties, which is the knowledge I wish to continue sharing. My statement of belief is a suitable artifact to begin this section of criteria because it articulates what I believe and hold important as a person as well. 

The seeds I planted for my growth as a teacher have begun to sprout, evident in my second and third artifacts, which reflect my journey through the LTS program. In my second artifact from the Teaching Practice/Talking with Ducks course (LT537) titled “Final Reflection,” I recorded myself while instructing the class based on our prepared lesson plan followed by transcribing and reflecting on the experience. During this reflection, I mentioned my initial struggle with using pauses and fillers in my instructions, but in the end, I found these natural pauses to be beneficial as they allowed me to clarify instructions and deliver them more explicitly. Having a supportive co-teacher like Bushra Elfandi to collaborate with was invaluable, as they filled in wherever needed. This experience allowed me to learn new skills and gain valuable insights, teaching me to trust my peers and adapt to last-minute changes. I had the opportunity to appreciate the constructive feedback from my peers and incorporated some of their suggestions into my teaching approach as well. Witnessing students laugh and engage with the material while fostering connections with both students and co-teachers, affirmed the success of our lesson. At the end of my reflection, I encouraged future teachers in the course to continue pushing the boundaries, emphasizing that the course itself provided us with space to make mistakes and learn. Reflecting on this experience, I’ve realized that teaching always brings a variety of unique experiences, even within the same context due to the individuality of who I collaborate with and the students I teach. 

My third artifact, from the Teaching Pronunciation course (LT539) titled “Teaching Demo Reflection,” discusses my experience of delivering a section of my segmental lesson plan. In this demo, I incorporated classroom management guidelines presented by Brown and Lee (2015). These guidelines such as demonstrating enthusiasm and a positive attitude, being fair to all students, and being flexible allowed me to successfully execute my plan despite time constraints. This reflection was written to include feedback from my classmates and highlight both my demo’s strengths and weaknesses. It allowed me to assess whether the lesson went as planned and consider adjustments for future implementations. The feedback from my peers was invaluable, providing insights that helped me adjust, learn, and grow even more. For instance, they suggested I incorporate Celce-Murcia et al. (2010) 5-step communicative framework by beginning with repetition drills of minimal words before having students look at the minimal pair sentences, which I found to be a useful strategy. Additionally, evaluating my overall strengths and weaknesses allowed me to pause and reflect on my progress in order to plan my next steps thoughtfully. I recognized that while lesson plans rarely go as planned, being adaptable and responsive to constraints in real time is a skill I aim to continually develop. Incorporating feedback from both my professors and peers has consistently proven to be invaluable for my growth as a language educator. The skills and knowledge gained not only fostered innovation but also equipped me with transferable skills applicable across various contexts. 

I embrace my role as a language educator, staying true to my beliefs that teaching can be both fulfilling and aligned with personal values. Unexpectedly, language teaching evolved into a career path I am deeply passionate about as I continued to engage and invest in the field. The LTS program has enabled me to foster meaningful connections with my cohort that I will cherish forever. From forming new friendships to meeting individuals with diverse backgrounds who share similar goals, aspirations, and passions, has truly been inspiring. The opportunity to make a positive impact on learners through language education is what drives my passion for this field.