After last week’s rather negative post I had a lots of people writing about how many great teachers they have been lucky enough to work with.
So let’s cheer everyone up by telling us about them! What did they do that made them special? What can we learn from them?
Write them up in the comments below (i.e. here if you’re reading the email version of this post) and you’ll also be getting a chance to win a Genki English CD!
Earn More From Your Passion For Teaching English!
I should take some time to comment on this one, but I’m going to Germany tomorrow, and should be packing. I feel I can’t leave this post unanswered, so even if I can’t complete it or give it a second thought:
As far as English is concerned they are great in just that they let me do what I want to do, be as I am, teach as I think it’s right.
They support me, by joining actively and helping those kids that can’t join in so easily.
If I ask them they laminate and cut my cards and help me making material.
Whatever I need is there, whenever I want to talk about something they are listening.
Last year the kids had to do a public speech in a city hall about voluntary work and how that brings people from the village together and the teachers supported them with slide shows etc when the kids decided to talk about my English lessons.
They are trying to connect what they get from my lessons to their lessons, so in どうとく for example they did a project on “if the world was a village of(pupil’s number) people”.
I was impressed by the way they showed what it means to not be able to read:
having three plastic bottels on those the teacher had written
medicine, water, poison
in korean, +arabic.
In the story the kid was told to be sick and only the medicine, within a certain time could rescue it. Of course, not being able to read those letters, there’s a high percentage to not take the right bottle, and die.
Well, and this connects to the fact how important it is to speak languages.
So far , about languages, well we are just at the starting line, but after only 2 month of me teaching at school they bought the teachers set, what I also thought was great.
Now, about school life in general.
When my son had a phase of not wanting to go to school (the reason wasn’t school or teachers), the HRT offered me to pick him up . Of course I didn’t take that offer but I was really surprised.
There are some other kids, who “can’t .don’t” for what ever reason go to school . Well, of course the problem is in the families. But if the teachers would leave it up to the mothers those kids wouldn’t come and hang around alone.
So what they do is pick them up and teach them one-to-one, day by day. Some of the kids after one year of being treated that way, become able to go on their own and joining class again.
Classes are really big in Japan 30-40 people is common. At first I was worried of how they could teach individually.
BUT they care so much about every single child, if one kid doesn’t understand they spend lots of extra time break time, etc to teach him/her.
Most of the teachers I had are teaching according to the same rules as GE. “You can do it” and “You may make mistakes”
The other day I saw one teacher’s class, and they had the rule:
If you’re 100% confident with your answer raise your hand as “paper”, if you’re about 50% sure raise your hand as “scissors” and if you’re not sure at all raise your hand as “rock”.
I don’t need to say that this class was really really easy to teach!
Last year I’ve had one teacher who messed up a few times complaining so my son about the picture he had drawn. My son was shocked.
I went to her and talked about it, not accusing her, but listening to her , what did she want, what had she said, and than telling her my point of view. She listened to me too, and the next day she apologized to my son.
I think teachers are human beings, too. And may make mistakes as well.,Even If they are professionals.
It hurts if the one being mistaken upon is your own child, but what I find so great here in Japan is that teachers listen and say, “thank you, I’ve learned a lesson from you/from the kid”.
Well,
I really have to go. Most probably I’ll be back on this post in about a week.
Looking forward to everybodys comment.
Before I write about specific teachers, I will write about why I respect the teachers in Japan. They do their best to get to know their students, their strengths, weaknesses, families, home situation. Each year they visit each home to talk with the student and their guardian. They plan sports day carefully deciding teams so that each has a equal chance of winning. One principal told the teachers the goal was to make everyone cry. This may seem cruel but when the parents saw all the effort and determination and then saw the winning team cry and the losing time cry, they too had tears in their eyes. When a student gets in trouble, the homeroom teachers are called right after the parents. One junior high teacher had her phone ring late at night at least once a week. 3rd year junior high teacher stay late every night making sure their students will pass the test to enter the school of their choice. Some come as early as 7 and stay til 10 at night. Teachers have lastinig relationships with their students. In practically all of the weddings I have attended, there is at least one teacher who makes a speech.
I may not always agree with how and what they teach, but I do respect them for what they sincerely try to do for their students.
Of all the teachers I’ve worked with, there are three that comes to mind – without exception they’re exactly the sort of “Natural Teachers” That Fred Jones describes in his book too. They actively get involved without my constantly asking them too, they keep moving and keep the kids organized and focused with barely any effort at all. I have one teacher (who’s class I just finished a lesson with in fact!) who started late in the year. With the substitute her class was a nightmare, but within a week she turned them all into model students, and infact they’re by far the most competent in English at my current school! It’s really hard to tell what she actually does, but she definitely does have something that other teachers don’t. These teachers are all prepared to give the English a go too, and sing the songs. Compared to some other teachers I’ve got who still cant manage “that’s all for today” (not joking), and who’s classes lack any sort of common sense its easy to see the sort of effect teachers have on their students.
OK for examples of great teachers I’ve worked with:
One high school teacher who planned a Hunger Day for her English Club at school. They spent 24 hours with the ALT with 2 conditions, only English and no food (water and candy were the exceptions)They wrote in their journals every few hours and at the end they watched a video of the hunger existent around the world. When she met her student again (where else but her wedding) this teacher asked what she remembered most about her school days. The student said, Hunger day!
My daughter’s third grade teacher was exceptional. Her math classes always challenged her students and sparked their curiosity. She helped students make and meet their individual goals on a daily and yearly basis. She had this class of 32 students convinced they could jumprope as one group for over 100 times. I’m convinced they would have succeeded if she wasn’t transferred to another school. She always tried to get her students to recognize the positive points in their classmates and how they could improve together as a group.
One head teacher who took on extra classes. She often took struggling students out of the regular classroom so she could teach them one to one. We often heard laughter from those rooms. When teachers were overwhelmed she found ways to redistribute jobs they could do and took her own private time to encourage and support them.
Another teacher who always had a kind word for struggling students but never let them sell themselves short. She was strict and demanded students put in the effort. Her students knew when they were in for a scolding but they never were never made to feel small and unimportant.
Another teacher who taught herself the Hangul written language and put them throughout the classroom to help a child who had recently moved from Korea.
Yet countless other teachers who stop on their way to work to pick up students who otherwise would not come on their own. They have shared their lunches with them and even taken them to the local bathhouse for a warm bath.
This list could go on and on.
Gumby – Thank you for writing your response.
I am so lucky as I mostly worked and have worked with very supportive teachers. Teachers who join in with the songs, actions and games. Teachers who help to supervise in the classroom. Teachers who motivate, especially giving explanaitons to the children in German, when it is required. (This was invaluable to me in the early days!!!) Teachers who are interested in new ideas and willing to try them. Teachers who know their pupils and their needs. Teachers who appreciate the amount of work put into resources that are used in their classes.Teachers who are prepared to give just that bit more.
Of course there are always people who have negative attitudes in life!! I often find the best feeling is when they suddenly see how GE works and then think it is a good idea, after all. All the positive, energetic and truly motivated teachers are a daily inspiration to me.
I also find lots of the ideas posted the forum, pms and the general support is just so wonderful. There are some great teachers using the forum, sharing thoughts and inspiring me everyday too. Thank you all!
Although it was my school that caused Richard wrote that blog, I had some great teachers to work with.
The greatest ones were the principal and head teacher I worked with 6 years ago when I introduced Genki English to our school. They asked Okayama education center to let me join Richard’s workshop although I’m not an elementary teacher. Then they bought Super Pack for our school without hesitation.
They encouraged me to do whatever lessons I think good for students. Especially Principal was like a craftsman, and he made all kinds of things I needed in my lessons and kids loved them.
There were also great classroom teachers who did Genki English lessons all by themselves after taking my trainings several times. Two of them actually did “Projects” following the way Richard wrote on the homepage.
Seeing their sweat (Literally they perspired a lot!), I really respected them. I know how challenging it was for them to teach English with no experience.
But these great teachers tranferred to different schools.
Especially when we had “Japanese education first, English last” type of headteacher, things changed drastically. Our school didn’t buy new Genki CDs while she was here, saying no money for English.
Now we have “English education may be good if MEXT say so” type of Principal and “I know nothing” type of headteacher.
But the fact our school has Super Pack, the A4 and mini cards, picture books all laminated and ready for lessons tells that there were great teachers who tried very hard to motivate kids.
I will write about teachers I had.
Specially one, as a student in college (mass media specialist) I run into Cultural history. The name was alredy making me sleep. I only wanted to learn about graphic design…movies..magazines.. not HISTORY.
She nailed it.
With 65 yrs old… she is the only professor I remember from College.
Basically… she teachs in a fun way!
She was not energetic at all.
She used the backstage of secrets to have us all interested to learn all.
She taught the boring History in a different way.
She became a role model to me.
Even though History is my latest subjet in my heart.
Flossy, I very much agree with you. The supportive and positive environment on the GE forum is incredible. There are so many dedicated teachers with great ideas.
Val, I also agree that an excellent teacher need not be genki. If it comes from the heart, students recognize it and respond to it. I recently attended a workshop of a very soft-spoken educator. She has developed top-notch international understanding materials
http://www.bell-works.com/english-index.htm
In 3 hours she demonstrated how she gets her elementary students to think about global issues and apply it to their lives. She uses songs and games but in a way that suits her teaching style. It was thought provoking for all the adults in the room and reading the comments from her elementary students, you could tell that she had touched the majority of them.