My Impression about the Courses

One cold wintry day we found ourselves in the class for Teacher Development Courses. Sitting in the stuffy room and peering at our classmates we couldn’t even suppose our future results and emotions the courses would leave. Now I’m preparing for my final class and I’m a bit upset. No doubt, the courses were fruitful, useful, informative, bright and I will miss them for sure. Of course, before the courses my teaching life was unordinary and rich and I always tried to make changes and felt happy about my little discoveries. Up to now my life has changed a lot and I’m constantly thinking about my lessons and even dreaming them.
No doubt, I’ve made some serious conclusions. First of all, I realize that it’s really impossible to find an individual approach to every student but to create learner-centered tasks is much more important. It can motivate students, excite interest and wish to study the language. And now I’m trying to do it even with weak students. To my mind it is workable. Secondly, I appreciated those creative tasks offered at our lessons and feel I can also create things like that. Sometimes I notice that my behavior in the class has also changed and I can feel myself a student as many years ago. Isn’t it great, I wonder?
To add to this, I offered my students blogging which I liked myself very much and they accepted the idea joyfully. I hope it will lead to results and success. To my way of thinking, work with the text was also useful and helpful.
So, on the whole, the courses impressed me greatly thanks to our facilitators and I feel I can change my teaching world for the better. As someone said: `If you want to change the world around you, change yourself. ` I’m really taking pains to bring this thought into life.
Of course, there are some questions left and I want to develop my grammar lessons and use computer technologies more often, but I have my result, I’m sure. Undoubtedly, I enjoyed the courses and I’m greatly thankful to our dear facilitators.
Health and wealth and happiness,
All these I wish to you.
And I’m hoping very hard
These wishes will come true.

Comments on the types of syllabuses

As far as I can see, there are various types of syllabuses, which cover different aspects of the language learning. But some of them are one-sided and it’s not suitable for the teacher’s work, I should say. The matter is that my students can’t boast a good command of the English language that’s why I have to pay attention to the `multi-strand` syllabus. It is maximally comprehensive and offers a lot of aspects such as classification of topics, tasks, functions, notions, as well as grammar and vocabulary. I find it multisided and very helpful to teachers and learners.
So, to sum it up, to provide a correct and proper approach to the teaching process it is necessary to choose a comprehensive syllable.

My Attitude to the Syllabus

To start with, the syllabus is quite important in our work. But we often forget about it and use only our coursebooks or home-made booklets(metodichkas). I think that Maria and Lilly’s opinions are closer to me. Frankly speaking, working hard, we often forget about the syllabus and pay attention only to our course books and preparing for lessons. So goes the world. But like Joseph, I use some extra materials and activities from different sources, as we should also take into account our students’ needs and make our lessons more attractive and various. In some groups I use metodichkas for lack of authentic coursebooks in this field. But these materials have been taken from Internet.
To add to this, the task is leading me to the idea that it is important and necessary to use the syllabus and it can be very helpful and useful. I’m really ashamed that I don’t pay much attention to it. But I’ll try to change the situation in the near future.

My emotional reflection on the courses

Attending courses every Monday,
It’s different world to all of us.
It’s way to think and change your mind,
And make creative your class.
*******
It’s wonder, beauty, inspiration,
The birth of the new coming day.
It is the teachers’ motivation,
Just magic dream and kind ray.
*******
It is community of minds,
The ways creating your dream.
It’s planet of fantastic flights
Just leading to the bright theme.
*******
Enjoying it the sun is smiling,
Presenting us with gentle days.
The birds are from the south flying,
And we are striving for success.
*******
It’s tender night outside,
And now I’m deep in thought.
The sky is bringing starry light
And leading me to dreamy world.
*******
And let your dreams come true, my dear,
Reviving life of your day.
I think it is a good idea,
Your soul’s vivid, bright ray.


11/03/08

About myself

Dear colleagues, let me introduce myself. My name is Tamara Albertovna Sarkisyan and I graduated from Gorky State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages in 1987.
On this snowy springcoming day I'm glad to greet all of you. Accept my congratulations on the International Women's Day. It's really great to anticipate lovely sunny days when the trees are in full blossom. Isn't it fascinating when nature is awakening from its long tiring sleep and you can hope to enjoy it's amazing minutes full of life and joy.
And like spring, our souls and minds are also awaking to change their familiar world. I believe, all of us are taking pains to improve the teaching methods, but now it is really realizable. No doubt, there are a lot of problems to solve and different aims to achieve. As for me, I am working with future cadaster engineers, lanscape architects, industrial engineers and specialists in social and cultural service and tourism. In addition to this, I participate in the programme" An Interpreter in the sphere of professional communication". Doing this creative and amazing job, I think that my main aim is to teach students to communicate and interact in their general and special fields. of course, it's not an easy matter, I should say. And there are some reasons for that. First of all, some of the students are very lazy and they want to achieve success taking no pains. Secondly, modern students are not very healthy and it also presents a difficulty.
One of the most burning issues for me is to find the most effective ways of teaching to create more meaningful and creative tasks which reflect the needs of the learner. I'm striving to create a new sample of a lesson so that students could feel free and get carried away working with joy and enthusiasm. So, it's the most important to give zest to the lessons. Of course, attending the courses we are trying to do that. All in all, these are the issues to deal with.

In the beginning I must admit that this approach based on the awareness of learning styles is an effective one. Actually, it’s one of the ways to success. According to humanistic Education Science, any teaching process should be person-oriented; that’s why it’s necessary to take into account individual abilities and peculiarities of your students. No doubt, you should try to understand and accept them creating favourable atmosphere in your class so that your students could feel free expressing their thoughts even if they don’t coincide with your point of view. So, taking into consideration the learning styles of your so-called partners, as you are also a part of this cooperation, you can provide tasks adapted to the style.
To my way of thinking, this classification helps to realize and explain different results of learning. Actually, every person is an individual and perceives the learning process in the light of his own. Consequently, this person possesses his own style, which seems to be reasonable and suitable for this very person. But this style is not always successful in the result, it can be helpful though. Therefore, the teacher’s task is to identify the style and according to it work out some tasks, which can be useful to solve the current problems.
Personally I believe that the teacher should make a start basing on a person’s skills and abilities. You can praise him for the work, which appeals to him, but gradually try to help the student to change the activity at a snail’s pace at least. And every time, I advise you, praise and inspire the student and show your respect, always finding positive aspects in his work even if the results are meagre. And if the students feel that you are well disposed to them, they will certainly open their hearts sharing their hopes and thoughts in the class.
Undoubtedly, it’s possible to make the most of the learning styles having found their strong points. I’m sure, if you are able to gain an insight into your students’ learning styles, you will manage to identify their strong and weak points. For instance, if the person is capable of understanding the theory, he can be quite intelligent to reflect on different subjects and communicate ideas. So, take pains and discover a new world for both your students and yourself.
Personally I believe, it can facilitate the teaching process. Moreover, it will change this mutual process for the better making it vivid, unusual and very attractive for students. Anyway, you will achieve the results if you are looking forward to it. Touching the last point, I must agree with the authors and I also have the experience of communicating with the same types of learners. But we shouldn’t forget that they are just people with their weak and strong points, that are trying to put their whole soul into the work. Never forget it and success will reward your efforts. Practice gives a wonderful facility.