Welcome back!
We hope you enjoyed your time off and had a chance to spend quality time with your loved ones.
WINTER 2016 CLASSES BEGIN!
Week 1: Learning to Learn/Welcome
We spent our time planning for our Winter 2016 term.
So, this first edition of Teacher Hub blog in 2016 has links and helpful tips for you as you set out to plan your Winter 2016 term.
But first, a poem, brought to our attention by Josephine Lopez
How Does My Success Grow? by Rose Kitchen
How does my success grow?
By scheduling my goals, accepting my challenges and stretching myself beyond what I already know.
By nurturing my determination, I can see my success will be of my own creation.
My goals are strong and healthy for I will accept no less; my hard work will pay off with the growing of my OWN SUCCESS.
3 THINGS YOU CAN DO
This article is actually titled "3 Things You Can Do This Summer to Be a Better Teacher." That being said, it applies to us as well. I hope you have had time to de-stress and unwind, then turn forward and plan ahead. This short article could be helpful as you prepare for this term. 3 Things You Can Do
VIDEO & PHOTO HELP
Trying to think of a video clip that would go well with your lesson? The Free Technology for Teachers blog can help with that. This brief post is about ClassHook, that helps you find a video clip to go with your lesson: ClassHook. Or, watch a short YouTube clip about it here: ClassHook on YouTube
For pictures, this website does the same thing: Photos for Class
5 GREAT PROPS FOR YOUR ESOL CLASSROOM
Brought to you by Oxfordseminars.com: 5 Great Props has a short and sweet list of 5 things you can add to your classroom this term that will enrich your classroom. And, if you have any other suggestions, please do add them in the comments section below.
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
How are you at time management? Do you have any systems in place to help you juggle your busy schedule? This article, Tips for Managing Your Time from BusyTeacher.org, seemed perfect to share, since so many of us teach multiple classes: Teaching Multiple Classes
In the planning mood? Find a list of ALC class dates for 2016 here: 2016 ALC Class Dates
Want to use Google Calendar more this year? Here are some tips: Google Calendar Tips
And finally, this might be useful when you are planning:
Winter Cycle
January-April
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week 1
Welcome/learning to learn
pages 2-5
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weeks 2-4
health
unit 4
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weeks 5-7
around town/communities
unit 5
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weeks 8-10
time/weather
unit 6
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STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE LESSON PLANNING
Michigan University's Center for Research on Learning and Teaching shares on their website an interesting article about lesson planning. Read the article here: Strategies for Effective Lesson Planning
VENTURES- SELF ASSESSMENTS
Want to get to know your students a little better academically? Have you had a look at the Self Assessment pages offered by Ventures? Try giving the same document at the beginning and end of each unit to see if any improvement has been made. Ventures Self Assessment Resources
ALC TEACHER WIKI
Looking for resources while planning your lessons? Don't forget the ALC Teacher WIKI here: ALC Teachers
We had a nice evening at the China Chalet on December 21, 2015, celebrating the end of the year and yet another successful term.
10 Questions for MYRNA HOLGUIN
BACKGROUND
I am a native New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn. My parents are from Ecuador. My dad came to New York with his family as a young teenager during the 1960’s. My mom came as a young woman in her early twenties in the 70’s.
I always wanted to be a teacher, but I was not sure in what area. My parents kept their old books around and I would read them. I grew up reading some of the books by Tana Reid. On a trip to Chile, I met a friend of a friend from Hunter College. He was teaching English abroad. We talked so much about his experiences I started thinking about becoming an ESOL teacher.
No, I haven’t. But whenever I traveled in South America, I would meet people who knew some English and wanted me to help them improve their conversation skills. I would find out what they were interested in and we would talk about music, movies, books or currents events. As a teacher, I try to find out my students’ interests and personal motivations and incorporate as much as I can in lessons.
TEACHING
4. What is the biggest challenge and the most rewarding thing for you as an Educator?
Some students are very hard on themselves. They want to learn English quickly and they get frustrated when it doesn’t happen. I always tell them to have patience. I tell them to be kind to themselves. Students always expressed an interest in longer class hours so I am happy that there are additional classes such as the electives and WANY classes. It is rewarding to see them go to the next level because I know they are closer to meeting their personal goals of learning English and improving their lives in the United States.
5. Do you have any special story you would like to share about a student or a class?
Wow. There are so many. It’s hard to decide. Recently, my Hunts Point Beginners class in the Bronx was interviewed by a reporter from a local newspaper. This is a very large class of about 28 students. Most of them work hard during the day. It is impressive to see them come to class, exhausted, but motivated to learn English. Anyhow, students were flattered that a reporter was coming to interview them. They brought light snacks and beverages to welcome her. Even though their English is limited, they tried their best to communicate with the reporter.
6. Is there any specialized English class you would like to teach?
I would like to teach a class that involved American Literature or Creative Writing. Many of the students like to read and write in their native languages. It would be enriching for them to obtain a greater understanding of American culture and also explore alternative forms of self expression.
CLASSROOM TIPS
7. How do you encourage students to practice English outside of class?
I do personal interviews and class projects to help them get better acquainted with one another. I encourage them to come to the library early, go over homework and study together before class. Some people develop close friendships and look out for one another. I also encourage students to go to the WANY conversation classes and use the WANY website resources in the comfort of their home.
WHAT NOBODY KNEW…
8. What do you like to do in your free time?
Where to start... My fiancé and I belong to a writing group. We meet together monthly and workshop our stories.
I have a feisty 13 year old Pomeranian, her name is Shannon. She is the apple of my eyes, and I often take her to the park.
I like walking across the bridges in New York or going out for a long walk when the weather is good. I also like karaoke and Christmas Caroling.
9. What is your favorite place / activity in NYC?
I like walking or having a picnic by the Long Island City Piers in Queens or the Northside Piers in Brooklyn. These are wonderful waterfront areas that have gone through extensive renovations in the past. They have great views of the Manhattan skyline and are nice places to meet with friends or family and just relax.
10. What is your favorite T.V. show?
One of my favorite T.V. shows is The Walking Dead. It had a dramatic mid-season finale. I have to wait until February to find out what happens to Rick and the group!
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PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITIES
37th Annual New York City Adult Basic Education Conference
ABE 2016
Changing Times in Adult Education:
Changing Times in Adult Education:
Collaborating to Meet the Challenge
Call for Presenters
The Planning Committee for the 37th annual New York City Adult Basic Education Conference is issuing a call to adult educators and learners who are interested in presenting at the 2016 Conference to be held in The High School of Fashion Industries, located at 225 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011.
SATURDAY, April 16, 2016
Some Suggested Topic Areas for Presenters:
- Preparation for the HSE Exam
- Road to College: Strategies for Academic Reading and Writing
- Beginning Literacy for ESL Students
- Strategies for the Multi-level ESOL Class
- Bridging the Gap between ESOL and Basic Education
- Assisting and advancing BE Students in Math Learning
- Citizenship Preparation
- Civics Participation: Community Resources and Public Services
- Developing Student Job Search/Interviewing/Job Readiness Skills
- Developing Critical Thinking Skills
- Building Learning Communities
- Providing Support for Learning Differences in the Classroom
- Issues Facing Immigrant Learners
- Balanced Approach to Cultural Diversity and Controversial issues in the Classroom
- Integrating Technology into the Classroom
- Integrating the Arts into Instruction
- Recruitment, Retention and Learner Persistence
- Outreach to Under-served Populations
- Family and Health Literacy
- Promoting Autonomy and Life-long Learning
NYC Adult Basic Education Conference Workshop Form
To receive consideration, your application should be received no later than Feb.10th, 2016. Please send your proposal to nycabeconf@gmail.com . Applicants will be notified of their selection. Please include a summary of your workshop proposal including a rationale for how it relates to adult education. If your proposal is accepted, you would be asked to indicate technology needs. Technology support will be available. Presenters will be responsible for travel expenses.
- The entire FORM is here: NYC ABE Workshop Application
- For a little help getting your submission started, there is some help here: ABE Conference 2016 Submission Tips & Sample
- For more information, go to the website: NYC ABE Consortium
Call for Proposals:
Celebration of Teaching 2016
Collaborative and Authentic Practice for Multilingual Learners
Have you developed a creative classroom activity aimed at engaging students of diverse linguistic backgrounds that you would like to share with the TC community? Are you interested in participating in a collaborative, hands-on event with the goal of improving language-learning outcomes for all students through content-based instruction?
The Celebration of Teaching Planning Committee is now accepting proposals for presentations at our second annual Celebration. Through this event, we hope to provide attendees with examples of practical approaches for facilitating authentic learning opportunities for multilingual students. All presentations will feature activities that teachers of language and content alike can immediately put to use in their classrooms.
Presenters will have 10 minutes to demonstrate for a small group a practical classroom activity targeted at multilingual learners in K-6, 7-12, or adult education contexts. This interactive demonstration will be followed by a short debrief. Presentations can focus on any content area as long as they reflect the inextricability of language and content in practice. Past presentations have addressed content ranging from creative writing for multilingual learners to co-teaching math to characterization in costume. Past presentations have also demonstrated techniques for managing a classroom effectively, implementing learning routines, and fostering collaborative learning strategies.
We invite prospective presenters to craft a demonstration that will jointly invigorate the content and form of learning in a classroom with multilingual learners. Proposals should include a short description of the language and content objectives of the presentation and an overview of the activity the presenter plans to run.
The deadline for submission is January 31.
Proposals should be submitted at: tinyurl.com/cot16proposal
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or ideas tccelebrationofteaching@gmail.
This event is co-sponsored by the TESOL K-12 Track and the Teachers College Vice President’s Diversity and Community Initiatives Grant Fund.
Wishing you all a great Winter 2015 term!
