I am sorry my friends, it’s been a while since I updated you about life on the Celta course. We are now finished week 3, and I am still alive. There have been times I wondered if it was possible, but here I am, on my final weekend of the course. Of course, it has been quite the rollercoaster though!
Week two feels so long ago that I am not sure I can tell you about it! I had three lessons I taught, and they were a mixture of good and bad. I had one where I had a perfectly planned lesson but I decided for some unknown reason to not follow it at all – it wasn’t such a great idea! At any rate, by the end of week, I was still ready to keep going, although I was also desperately ready for that weekend! The weekend was an easy weekend homework wise. Our assignment was to reflect on our progress and how we can change our ways. It was based on our observations of other ESL teachers, of our classmates, and our feedback from our classmates. It was only 1000 words and I had to cut at least half of what I had written out. It was our second assignment, and the first I didn’t have to resubmit. I am really hoping that this assignment is the same!
This week was week 3. We switched from the intermediate class to the beginner class. It was a bit of a shock to me how much their levels varied. We have some students in the beginner class who practically know no English. My first lesson was a little fast. I was a little stressed out about it – we were really a three-headed teacher that day. We did one lesson, but each of the three of us taught a different part of it. If anyone messed up their lesson, it could affect the rest of us. Chris started us off, and his teaching made me very nervous, but he didn’t make it a mess for me. We all taught again on Tuesday. This time I started our three headed teaching monster, and I ROCKED my lesson. Sadly, those that followed me weren’t quite as prepared as I was. Although I didn’t get an above standard for the lesson, I did a very strong to standard, which is the highest grade I have received yet. Of course, I am not expecting much more, I am trying as hard as I can, but I came in with no experience whatsoever, so I think I am doing amazing! On Friday we had a tutorial session with our tutor of the week, and Aly told me that he and Brad fully expected me to pass the course without a problem. He also said that on the first day, he wasn’t so sure about this because I talked like a machine gun. He says I have changed like day and night. However, I am not there yet. I still talk too fast sometimes, and I don’t always set up my instructions well. If I can get these out of me for these last two lessons, I am completely golden. Like the little train that could, I know I can!
This weekend we have our biggest assignment yet. We had to interview one of our learners (I did an intermediate student), and then do an analysis of their spoken and written work. We have to find six errors, but only analyze one. My student doesn’t use articles in her speech or her writing (an, a, the) so that is what I am working on. This assignment is supposed to be 1500 – 2000 words, and I don’t feel like I am there yet. I guess I will have to put a little more detail into it. The class is emailing, and there is a lot of WTF going on. I am almost done parts 1 and 2, and still have part 3 to go. Hopefully I will be done by noon (although, in case you didn’t gather this, I am done for today). I am desperately hoping to not have to resubmit this assignment! One resubmit for me is quite enough! It is not due until 1 pm on Monday, and we don’t have class on Monday morning, so I bet there will be a lot of conversing between us on what we have and fixing it before 1 pm arrives.
I have two more lessons left to teach, and then we are FINISHED! I have most of my Tuesday lesson in my head and 90% on paper, but I have to make it into a plan as well. I am hoping to finish this as well tomorrow. And then, Erin will be my student for me and we will record the lesson so that I have time to watch it and revise as necessary. I hope to be able to get most of Thursday’s lesson done on Monday as well. I guess we will see what happens. My lessons this week are fairly straight forward in that they are both reading lessons with very little if any grammar to teach. Reading lessons are pretty easy, as all you have to do as the teacher is set up the tasks. Hard to believe that by Thursday afternoon, I will have taught 6 hours of classes to ESL learners! These six hours are all that we need to get our Celta.
This month seems to have flown by, despite the tears that have threatened to fall and have fallen. I will be home in a little over a week. UNBC has called me to do testing for their casual pool which is pretty exciting. The woman I talked to had no problem with waiting until I got home to bring me in. CNC should have some work for me as well, I have talked to two managers while I have been down here about work they wanted me to do. I guess we will see what’s there when I get home! Of course, I do still want to work ESL and still hope to be overseas somewhere for September. My ankle is telling me that I am going to need physio which makes me incredibly sad. I can get some more mobility in it that I had before, but it still hurts and cannot move properly. It’s really frustrating. Every morning when I get up, the whole ankle hurts a lot. I can’t really afford physio, but I don’t want my ankle to suck for the rest of my life!
Anyways, I just wanted to update you, as I am sure some people are wondering! Thanks for all of your support. Much love to you all!
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