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Taiwan Teaching Diary #1
Aug. 2nd, 2022 11:17 amFriend-os, I am In It.
Next year, I'll be teaching SEVEN different classes (or preps, in teaching parlance). SEVEN. Technically, one prep is something I don't actually plan for, just monitor. They have a vocabulary testing class. Kids study word lists and take tests. That's it. I have ... views ... about this. On one hand, building up vocab is key for learning a second language, and all these kids speak English as a second or third language. Plus, our school markets itself as one that can help kids get into elite US universities, and for years, that has meant stellar SAT scores. Vocabulary is a big part of the language side. However, many universities are not using SAT scores as a metric for acceptance, including the University of California, which means our school is going to have to adapt. Which brings me to class two, Pre-College Essay Writing (PCEW). We'll spend the year just practicing those personal essays. Ugh. On one hand, being able to write a succinct, interesting personal narrative is a fine skill. It makes students focus on word choice and voice, the latter of which is hard to teach. On the other, focusing TWO classes (vocab and PCEW) on short-term skills meant to get them into university is not the same thing as preparing them for university and beyond.
It'll be fine, I guess. Just weird.
I had TWO middle school classes dumped on me unexpectedly, 6th grade lit and creative writing. Luckily I have taught 6th grade lit before so I have some resources to draw from. And once I stopped panicking about creative writing, I figured out that I have a lot of resources I can use.
Another unexpected class is called Project Based Reading -- really it's just a time where I'll be jamming as much text into the kids' brains as possible. This can be really fun. I bought a bunch of short story anthologies that I can use, as well as magazines on a variety of topics. My best friend Erin bought me a BTS fanzine for my birthday, so that will be fun to bring in and use in a lesson for author's purpose and reliable texts.
The bulk of my attention will be focused on sophomore lit and sophomore writing. Luckily I have taught these classes for the last two years, and even though my last school had a very different structure for the courses, I have a lot of resources to draw on.
So. It's going to be a LOT to handle, but it's the sort of thing I like to work on. I just have to work diligently on unit plans for the next week or so. I don't love the administrative aspect of planning, but I get why I have to do things like this, and there is some leeway in how detailed I have to be, which helps.
Next year, I'll be teaching SEVEN different classes (or preps, in teaching parlance). SEVEN. Technically, one prep is something I don't actually plan for, just monitor. They have a vocabulary testing class. Kids study word lists and take tests. That's it. I have ... views ... about this. On one hand, building up vocab is key for learning a second language, and all these kids speak English as a second or third language. Plus, our school markets itself as one that can help kids get into elite US universities, and for years, that has meant stellar SAT scores. Vocabulary is a big part of the language side. However, many universities are not using SAT scores as a metric for acceptance, including the University of California, which means our school is going to have to adapt. Which brings me to class two, Pre-College Essay Writing (PCEW). We'll spend the year just practicing those personal essays. Ugh. On one hand, being able to write a succinct, interesting personal narrative is a fine skill. It makes students focus on word choice and voice, the latter of which is hard to teach. On the other, focusing TWO classes (vocab and PCEW) on short-term skills meant to get them into university is not the same thing as preparing them for university and beyond.
It'll be fine, I guess. Just weird.
I had TWO middle school classes dumped on me unexpectedly, 6th grade lit and creative writing. Luckily I have taught 6th grade lit before so I have some resources to draw from. And once I stopped panicking about creative writing, I figured out that I have a lot of resources I can use.
Another unexpected class is called Project Based Reading -- really it's just a time where I'll be jamming as much text into the kids' brains as possible. This can be really fun. I bought a bunch of short story anthologies that I can use, as well as magazines on a variety of topics. My best friend Erin bought me a BTS fanzine for my birthday, so that will be fun to bring in and use in a lesson for author's purpose and reliable texts.
The bulk of my attention will be focused on sophomore lit and sophomore writing. Luckily I have taught these classes for the last two years, and even though my last school had a very different structure for the courses, I have a lot of resources to draw on.
So. It's going to be a LOT to handle, but it's the sort of thing I like to work on. I just have to work diligently on unit plans for the next week or so. I don't love the administrative aspect of planning, but I get why I have to do things like this, and there is some leeway in how detailed I have to be, which helps.
