Today during one of my classes, a bunch of BOE and visitors came in to observe. It wasn't necessarily to observe my lesson, it was just my school was scheduled for these typical observations where visitors come and the teachers actually put on their business clothes, suits and ties.
I never really mind these nor do they make me nervous since I feel that I'm immune to their critiques.
First, I rarely get complaints cause people like the way I reach... and second, I'm technically not a "real teacher"... so I doubt they actually bother observing more than they're just curious about how an English lesson is going and the environment the ALT has created with the students.
Well... for today's class, the students had not finished their "homework"
I had told them to complete by the following week. Seeing that I went to India last week, they actually had two weeks to finish their "business cards" to use for today. Well, since English (in elementary school at least isn't so much a class class (we don't grade the students nor text them on what we teach... just keep them entertained with games and activities), I wasn't expecting much.
I gave the students a couple of minutes to finish while I wrote something on the board.
This is the exact moment the observers walked in. Seemingly, from their eyes... it looks like I was getting them to copy what I wrote on the board or to focus on it. That, I understand. However, that was not the case. The kids were finishing their cards... so instead of standing their looking unproductive... I was writing on the board as my way to organize my train of thoughts for the class and to look busy. If the students who had finished were focusing on what I was writing or actually copying what I wrote by their own interest... well, that'd be win-win... right?
Wrong! At least in the eyes of the head of my BOE.
He later mentioned to my principal, who passed the complaint to me, that he had told me before that I should not be writing on the board. Writing and reading should not be the focus of teaching English at school cause it'll overwhelm the students or be unfair to the students who can't read and write since they'll see their classmates who can read and write and feel left out.
What?
I mean, I guess I can try to get myself to understand and see where they want all the students to remain on equal playing ground and be treated the same... basically keep that uniform-ish sense that all Japanese must grow up having... but, it just baffles me really.
Firstly... this is a language I'm teaching. All language learning must start off with recognizing and using the basic unit of a language... these consists of the letters/characters that, put together... form words which are linked to form sentences that express thoughts, ideas... allow for communication.
What language is taught without using writing?
When I learned Japanese, the teacher started with us learning hiragana, then moving to katakana, then to sentences mixing both... and then kanji.
Natural sequence of learning a language.
Well, since these were fifth graders who ended their fourth grade year with me teaching the alphabet... naturally the next step is words.
But, okay... that might be a bit too much, I see. This is why I'm not making it a requirement to read or write this. The main reason I like writing on the board is to give the kids an image. When practicing the key expression for the lesson... they see a cluster of four/five words. They might not be able to read it... but, what they can take from this is that they need to keep a five word rhythm.
Visual cues... they are essential for learning... especially when it comes to a language. Sure most kids won't read it... but, they'll be seeing it... subconsciously storing it in their minds... and when time comes in sixth grade for them to actually start learning learning English... it won't be information overload. They'll recall all of these shapes... the possibility of sentences... it'll be an easier transition.
That's how I see it. It just angers me a bit... to be criticized about something that is actually helping the kids in the long-run. ESPECIALLY... when the BOE is just making contradicting statements.
Our BOE made us create a new curriculum tailored to their preferences and hoping to bridge the gap between what kids learned in elementary and what they will learn in junior high. So... showing them how letters and words are used (without forcing them to actually read and write it)... that helps bridge the gap. Then, they had us made fourth grade lessons where they would learn the alphabet and do an English speech... then come 5th/6th grade... they want us to backtrack and not use what we just taught them.
Yeah, I'm writing on the board... but, these are things they've been hearing since 1st grade (in my town at least... since we're a special case where us ALTs remain at the same school daily and teach the kids English from 1st and even kindergarten sometimes).
"Hello, my name is..."
"Nice to meet you!"
These kids know this... and what's better... when I start writing it... most of the kids start reading it as I write it... cause they know it!
It just annoys me... I know these kids... I teach them... I know their levels and what they can understand and what might overwhelm them. Yet, I have these suits coming in and telling me that it's too much for the kids.
I'm so tired of adults limiting and not realizing the potential of the kids and what they actually can learn and understand.
What's wrong with encouraging and pushing the kids a little more... especially on things they technically already know.
Before I started writing stuff on the board... some kids would ask me how to spell things in English... or how to say things... basically ask me a bunch of other questions to the side because they want to actually learn more. Yet, the BOE and ministry of education sometimes want to limit these kids.
These kids will then get bored and become uninterested in English... grow up not wanting to learn it at all. Then become adults that can barely speak it and say things are too difficult or can't understand something... so the kids can't possibly know it either. ARGH!!!!!
Just cause you don't understand it doesn't mean the kids don't... it doesn't mean we should limit them like you've been limited and thus create an endless cycle of not reaching the best potential they can reach.
Okay... I may have tangented a bit from what I was saying and gone a bit extreme... but, it just pissed me off hearing this complaint today.
My kids haven't complained about my writing on the board and some kids get excited about writing it. I even know of some girls that actually write, not only in English... but cursive!
They're much capable that these adults realize... and it just annoys me that they're being limited.
I can't wait to become a real teacher... where I make the rules and teach the way I want!
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