December 2, 2016

Week 11: Family/Friends

Today our new  Adult Learning Center at the  Washington Heights Library officially opened! We will keep our current classes there and will offer more, starting on January 23, the first day of Winter cycle classes! The 3rd Floor has been completely renovated and now houses a new Teen Space and the Adult Learning Center. Very exciting. I'm looking forward to teaching full time at Washington Heights. Elke Here are some photos from the ceremony: Who's that in our new classroom? It's Tony Marx. The new Teen Space The new Teen Space Library Manager Vianela Rivas Tony Marx The 3rd Floor used to be the Custodian's apartment. The former Washington Heights custodian attended the ceremony today, gave a moving speech about the old days and welcomed the new Teen Space and ALC.

Teaching tips from Edutopia.com

What if you think you have the perfect lesson plan, but it's not working the way you envisioned it? Been there? 

This Edutopia article shows some scenarios and solutions.

This article discusses class opening and closing routines for new teachers. They might also help “old teachers” to keep students engaged :)

From the TESOL blog, check it out –

4 Games for Practicing Verb Tenses

Grid on the Board / Swap Chairs / Truth or Lie (Present Perfect) / Tarot Cards (Future Tense

AE Webinar 4 6 - Classroom 2.0: Tools for Digital Learning This webinar is part of the "American English” webinar series sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. For more resources to teach and learn English, visit http://americanenglish.state.gov In this webinar, we will investigate terminology associated with digital learning, and we will consider how to evaluate and select tech tools for the EFL classroom. We will then explore several digital tools teachers can use to support students, deliver content, and create engaging activities in both face-to-face and distance learning contexts. New to digital learning? No problem! Our presenter will share ideas and tools appropriate for teachers with all levels of experience in English Language Teaching.

CLASS PROJECT  - "FAMILY" 

Maybe you want to try something similar with your class?

If you have a large class, you may want to change it into a partner activity, to increase student talking time. Students mingle (and have their photos with them) and find a partner. Partners talk about their families and show each other photos. Change partners, repeat.

FROM: Myrna Holguin, Harlem Teacher I would like to share a project my beginner students did this week.  They emailed family pictures to me and wrote sentences about their families.  I projected their pictures on the screen and they took turns speaking to the class about their family.  They practiced presenting to students at their table first before they spoke to the class. They showed pictures of weddings, birthdays, graduations and holiday celebrations.  A few students got emotional and it was nice to see how the class supported them with hugs and encouraging words.

TEACHER INTERVIEW

Do you know what a pupusa looks like? Can you name 5 places to have fun in the Bronx?
Read this week's teacher interview below and find out...

8 Questions for… Elizabeth (Lizz) Kaune (Teacher at Bronx Library Center) BACKGROUND 1. Where are you from and what brought you to NY? I was born in New York City.  I grew up in Massachusetts.  I came back to go to Fordham University. I left again to live in El Salvador for almost 2 years.  I decided to come back specifically to live in the Bronx.  I started to learn a lot about the community around me when I was a student at Fordham right around the time I graduated.  I decided that when I came back to the United States, I wanted to live in the Bronx to experience life here as a part of the community.  2. When did you decide you wanted to be an ESOL/Adult Literacy teacher?  Why?  When I came back, I got a job in Bushwick, Brooklyn and I commuted 3 hours every day.  I knew Brooklyn on foot because I was a community outreach worker.  I felt very disconnected from the borough where I lived so a friend suggested I volunteer at the library.  That is when I met Barbara (Barbara Martinez, BLC Lead Instructor) and she welcomed me into the Literacy program as a tutor.  It was a great experience for me and the students, but I knew that I had NO IDEA what I was doing.  I knew that I liked it a lot better than my day job.  So, I decided to get a TESOL certificate and see if I could make it my real job. TEACHING 3. What is the biggest challenge and the most rewarding thing for you as an Educator?   4. Do you have any special story you would like to share about a student or a class? This probably answers question 3 and… When I started teaching ESOL at BLC in 2012, I had a student, a young woman, from West Africa.  She didn’t know how to read or write or speak any English.  She did speak a little French so there were times when I wanted to explain a word to her, I would say it in Spanish and hope the French word sounded similar.  At the time, I was also a student at Hunter College so I had more free time than I do now.  I would meet with her before class or after class or on a day off to try and help her in any way I can.  I would look for literacy handouts and try to teach her the alphabet.  She would try so hard to understand me and I would try so hard to teach her.  There was another student in the class who also spoke French and she would try to help her too.  She has moved through our program from ESOL to ABE.  She may have also taken an ESOL/Literacy class too.  Within a year or two of coming to New York, she was able to do a training in a home health aide program and then she got a job! I couldn’t believe it!  She has also gained more confidence and made some changes in her personal life (I won’t go into detail because other teacher might know who I am talking about).  She knows how to use her smart phone and she now helps other students.  I just can’t believe how much can be achieved in so little time.  I can’t imagine what that must feel like.  And there is so much more to come.     5. Is there any specialized English class you would like to teach? I really like teaching the Civics theme because I always learn something new.  I also think the students who cannot attend the citizenship class (because of a conflict in their schedule) really appreciate the time we take to learn about U.S. government and history. Classroom Tips 6. How do you encourage students to practice English outside of class?  I give homework that forces students to talk to other people in English.  Usually their homework is to ask other people questions using the language that we used in class that day.  For example, today we were using the present continuous so their homework is to call or text their friends, family members, or classmates and ask them “What are you doing right now?” and then they will write down the answers.  In the past I have also told students to watch the news in English every day between their Thursday class and the next Tuesday class to take notes on the weather.  Or they can just watch the news and write about what the newscasters are wearing if we are talking about clothing or colors.  (She is wearing a blue and black dress.  He is wearing a gray suit). If we are talking about directions or prepositions of location, I tell the students to ask people where things are at the supermarket or on the street. What nobody knew... 7. What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have a Black Belt in Karate? A secret recipe or amazing pet? Won an award?   When I used to have free time…. I would play soccer (pick up games) or try something like capoeira.  I used to go dancing.  Sometimes I would paint or sew.  I love going to the beach.  I make a really good margarita. And then I had a baby, Irie, and I don’t do any of that anymore. Irie is turning 2 in January.  She started speaking in full sentences in Spanish and almost full sentences in English.  She sings a lot in English because she hears more songs and nursery rhymes from my mother.  Watching a child learn language is fascinating. Most of it is repeating and then they start forming their own sentences and you can't believe what they come up with. In an elevator a woman was standing close to me and she apparently did not like that so she said "No toques Mami, senora!" which means "Don't touch Mami, lady!"  She is very outgoing with adults and children and finally has learned to be gentle with babies.  Soon Irie will be old enough to do all the things I used to do with me – I am looking forward to that! 8. What is your favorite place / activity in NYC? I don't know if these are my favorite places... but they are places I spend a good amount of time visiting...                       1. The New York Botanical Garden  - the one in the Bronx :)   2. Arthur Ave - great Italian food, you an get homemade ravioli, pasta, all kinds of cheeses, there is an open market with great delis and a "beer hall" inside.  There is a great playground too where we take Irie when we go over there to shop.  There are bakeries and pastry shops. 3. Oval Park near 207th and Bainbridge Ave - there are soccer games on the weekends, great playgrounds for kids, tennis courts and basketball courts 4. There are a few new Bengali restaurants on Bainbridge Ave - MOJA is one of them 5. Van Courtlandt Park is fun - you can watch people play cricket! 6. Lloyds is a small bakery on broadway and 242nd that has really good carrot cake. i think that is the only thing they make 7. Garden Gourmet is a supermarket that people travel from all over to visit 8. White Plains road has great Caribbean food 9. La Cabana Salvadorena has great Salvadoran food – pupusas!   Pupusas  Thanks, Lizz!!!

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Have a wonderful weekend!


Elizabeth & Elke