Elisa L.

I anchor my pedagogy primarily in two interrelated principles as below, which constantly remind me how to become a language teacher/ tutor whose teaching styles and techniques are evolving daily and who, leading by example, adopts the perspectives of a perpetual learner. The first one is to adopt an individualistic teaching/ evaluating approach. I value the individuality of each one of my students, which allows me to use different teaching methods in my lesson. I use texts, pictures, podcasts, peer assessment, or WebQuest to help students be more engaged in my class and explore the ways that students are most comfortable with to help them achieve the best result more efficiently. The second one is to create a two-way dynamic with international mindedness. Instead of simply giving lectures about my understanding of the texts, I always ask students to freely express their interpretations of the texts first, then guide them to formulate their arguments and evaluation. As a lifelong English language and literature learner and teacher, I strive to be student-oriented, flexible, and aware of individuality both in and outside my classroom. It pleases me to see that sharing my experience can also help students grasp the information and build a bridge between their world and the outside world.

A typical reaction from my students after the first lesson with me is usually, "ah, my school teachers didn't mention those details as you did," "I didn't know I could analyze a text this way," or "I think it's still not too late for me to get a better score. I feel more hopeful now!". My goal has always been to accommodate students' immediate learning needs. During the first lesson with them, I would ask them a few questions (both open and semi-structured questions) to find out their prior knowledge and what they're struggling with, such as reading, writing, or analyzing the texts. I believe it could be an enriching experience to learn the rubric, i.e., to understand what IB examiners expect of students (knowing your "enemies"). Walking them through the rubric is an effective way to help students better evaluate their work from the perspective of an IB examiner, based on which I help them make a study plan to target their weak areas specifically. In this way, students can make the best of their time and energy to make improvements more efficiently. Then I will use a text to analyze together with them. I will use various tools to highlight the essential points, such as making annotations, color coding, etc. In our first lesson, during our analysis, I'd often ask students to write a few sentences to comment on a particular authorial choice. I will provide my feedback using the rubric standards. This could also help me see what level they're at. Then I'd use different colors to help them improve the sentence to show the gap between their current level and the expected level from the IB and, most importantly, make them understand how to narrow and bridge the gap.

There’re two ways I help students to become independent learners. The first method is encouraging them to develop their standard for good quality. After making them realize their own learning needs, I’ll help them develop their criteria for being thorough, insightful, and accurate in textual analysis. The other method is I’d cultivate their curiosity about the English language and literature. Sometimes I’d bring in real-life events to help them see how literature can be a mirror of life and how life can be enriched by literature. When I embody a passion for learning and teaching the English language and literature, my students will also have a powerful, positive emotional connection with learning.

I help students stay motivated by setting clear objectives for them and holding them accountable for their learning outcomes. Before each lesson, I will clarify what students should take away from today’s lesson. I’d encourage them to make an action plan to keep track of their progress and be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. With students’ intrinsic motivation and diligence, I have the confidence to help students feel recognized in their English studies to help them move even further.

The first thing I’d do is to let them know English study is procedural work. I will tell them that having difficulty learning something at the moment doesn’t directly point to your intellectual level or potential. Instead, it’s only an indicator of what stage you are at and what you need to do to move to the next step. In this case, I will make multiple short-term goals to make students see progress is still attainable to retain their confidence and hope. Take baby steps and be patient. Every day you’re one step closer to your long-term goals.

Reading comprehension is the basis of doing textual analysis in IB English study. So I have many methods if students are struggling with reading. One way is to make sure they know the vocabulary of their level. A vocabulary notebook is a key to tangible improvement for students with basic reading skills. It is an effective way to constantly review the vocabulary list to turn short-term memory into long-term memory to improve their comprehension and reading speed. Another method is to have students summarize or retell the content of the text. It’s a process for them to identify the nuance of the text and make sense of the writer’s logic and structure.

I’d introduce the rubric to the students to help them see the expectations from the IB. It’s also an effective tool to help them recognize their own strengths and weaknesses in writing, reading, or speaking (potentially building confidence). So, when students move forward with their study and review, they would have a clear goal and objective, which could always save a lot of time and energy by placing focus on specific areas. I also often practice past papers with students to help them see the popular text types that would appear in IB exams. At the same time, reading the texts in past papers will also help students see the level of difficulty of the texts and questions from the IB, so they can better gauge their reading level and bridge the gap.

I’d encourage students to enjoy reading literature as much as reading a story of others, rather than simply reading for exams. I will help them recognize that literature reflects real life and guide them to see how they can emotionally relate to the reading materials. Also, in my experience, I often develop a connection with students by treating them as someone equal and sharing my insights and life experience with them. By doing so, I’m hoping to make them realize that I’m there supporting and helping them at both academic and emotional levels whenever they’re struggling with something the subject.

Direct questioning would be my main method to make sure students are actually understanding and learning. I’m a huge believer in communication. By constantly checking on students about understanding and feeling, I can quickly see the scale and depth of their understanding. Also, I’d ask students to have the cameras on so as to be able to see their instant reactions to the materials. This works especially with introverted students. The last method is to ask them to apply what I have taught to the actual practice, be it written or oral analysis.

Positive reinforcement is what I often apply in class to build students’ confidence. No matter how little the progress is, I’d always give them my validation and acknowledgment for their efforts and outcomes and tell them they can make further improvements and that I have faith in them. I often tell my student, “do not be afraid of making mistakes. Instead, try to avoid making the same mistakes because when you stop making the same mistakes, that’s when you’re making progress.” I find that incredibly encouraging and practical for students and allow them to see that progress is attainable as long as they put their hearts to it and be mindful of their studies.

Firstly I’d directly ask them about their struggles in learning the English language or literature. Based on my previous experience, some students might not be able to accurately identify their specific areas of concern. So next, I will use the rubric to contextualize the essential aspects in fulfilling the criteria to get a decent score for their textual analysis. By also checking their understanding of the rubric, I’m able to see what they’re struggling with and the possible reasons why they’re struggling, based on which I will design the lessons for them accordingly. Also, I will encourage them to do an action plan periodically to help themselves accountable for their learning outcomes to adjust learning methods and priorities.

Based on my understanding of students’ prior knowledge and skills, I will customize the lesson plan to target students' weak areas. Often times after a couple of lessons with students, I will also be able to see what kind of learner the student is, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic learners, etc. So I will adjust my teaching methods according to students’ learning styles. For example, for visual learners, I will use texts, pictures, writing practice, and color coding, whereas, for auditory learners, I will use podcasts, lecturing, or ask them to share their interpretations more. In this way, I have the confidence to help them not only achieve the best academic results they expect but also make sure the learning process is engaging and enjoyable.

As a result-oriented teacher, I usually use past papers with students for practice, especially with G11 and G12 students, to give them a first-hand experience of IB exams and expectations from IB examiners. In addition, I have a series of texts and literary extracts I’ve been collecting over the years of teaching. They are organized by topics, text types, and difficulty levels to accommodate students with different immediate learning needs. Also, I’m a fan of using online tools to engage my students, such as WebQuest and Kahoot. I’d also occasionally use videos or podcasts to stimulate their insightful thinking.