Dear colleagues,
I am glad to meet you and thanks a lot to Teaching English team for inviting me. Blogging is a new experience for me and I feel exited to greet old friends and find new ones in this virtual space. I’m from Krasnoyarsk, a big city (about a million people) in Siberia, Russia. Though it was a place of exile in the previous century, I see it as a special place – I mean we have real seasons (sunny summers and snowy winters), real nature (you can see vast stretches of steppe, forest, taiga in one visit here), real people (they say, if you want to meet Russian people, you’d better go to Siberia).
My way to teaching is not so dramatic as Nigussie’s (read his blog). I started teaching as a member of the Young Naturalists’ Club; at 12 I came to a pioneer camp (the place where children had rest in summer in the USSR) with a pile of cages with hamsters, guinea-pigs, parrots and a serious of lessons on various environment issues. Growing older I often saw my mom (a university lecturer) getting up early to revise her lectures or staying late for writing them, but I didn’t pay much attention to that side of the job as she always proclaimed teaching the best field for a woman - communicating with young people prevents ageing, you have to look well every day and can plan summer months as you like.
So, one day I found myself a student of the Krasnoyarsk Pedagogical University. In 2000 I graduated with 2 years of exiting school experience and immediately entered the INSET course, organized by the British Council. It was a new step of my professional development as I learnt some tricks how to “work miracles” in a classroom. It gave a new dimension to every choice I made and the teaching became more “conscious”. Now the same INSET course exists in the Krasnoyarsk Center for ELT Development and I have been a tutor of it for 8 years, responsible for Lesson Planning and Implementation Module. I hope this doesn't sound pompous but our team is one of those in our city who make contribution to the process of raising standards in ELT particularly and in education in general.
This is my 8th year as a senior lecturer of the Institute of Philology & Cross-Cultural Communication of the Siberian Federal University. I became increasingly interested in the role of personal development in translator training from the initial stage of study in university. Helping students become successful professionals is the main goal of higher education. At our English lessons I support any students’ attempt to contribute to the decision making in the learning process. The Three Commandments, applicable both to translation/interpreting and ELT for me are:
- Love what you do
- Belong to professional community
- Never stop improving
Intrinsic motivation is recognized as the key point in any activity, but an extrinsic impact is significant as well. At every step of my professional life I was lucky to meet dedicated people: teachers, tutors, supervisors, administrators. Open-minded, always ready to share, never bored, they set example and inspire. This daily challenge to motivate and encourage makes teaching job inimitable. Also “the opportunity to be in touch with fellow professionals working in so many different cultures and contexts is one of the main things which makes ELT education such an exciting profession to belong to” (from Carol Read’s blog).
I wonder if you ever think about your teaching principles? If so, it would be wonderful to hear about your Commandments too.
- Natalia Fadeeva's blog
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Dear Natalia,
Thank you for your post, it’s always great to see professionals who are so devoted to their work. And thanks for the blogs mentioned, I’ve just had a look at them.
As to your question, I believe that it’s vital for a teacher to be able to inspire their students, to show how diverse and exciting this world is, and how learning languages (mother tongue included:)) could help one understand this world and themselves better.
Best wishes from Rostov-on-Don,
Olga
Thank you so much for joining. I'm so glad that idea of mentioning other people’s blogs proved to be useful. I also love the way your select your teaching commandments – one can see a truly learner-centered, enthusiastic teacher and students really enjoy this atmosphere of constant discovery and inspiration you create. Are there many like-minded teachers in Rostov-on Don or at the place where you work?
Dear Natalia
The best wishes and inspiration from Ukraine! While reading your blog I have found that we have much in common, though we live in different countries now. I share your ideas in general, but with the little change that can show you my perspective on the Commandments mentioned by you:
1. Do what you love to do and care everything and everyone with love.
2. Use networking for professional and personal development.
2. Use lifelong learning for personal and professional development and never stop to learn.
Did you mean the same?
As for my personal principles resulted from my learning, reflections on my teaching, training and used by me while EFL teaching or teacher training, they are following:
What do you and other teachers think of these?
I am not sure whether it can be accepted by all of the teachers as people are different (see issue 3), but personally I am happy to do what I love to do and can do to help others to learn and develop, using these principles.
Hope I was helpful in any way.
Irina Z.
Nice to meet you Irina! Perhaps all teachers around the globe have much in common. I spent every summer in my childhood at my Grandmother’s near Donetsk and it is difficult for me to think of Ukraine as a foreign country. Many thanks for your rich contribution. I completely agree with your perspective but the point “Every person is unique and it is no necessity to compare yourself with the others or striving to be perfect.” made me think. It sounds right but we can’t help comparing what other people achieve, how they react and if we like it – we follow the example, if we dislike it – we make the opposite decision. Being perfect is an absolute and unachievable state but striving to be better prevents stagnation. Both ideas lead to the commandments (2,3) we have in common. Being natural or “authentic” is another valuable item to add to our teaching principles collection.
Very best,
Natalia
Dear Natalia
Thanks for your prompt reply, which made me think too.
Your statement that 'we can’t help comparing what other people achieve, how they react and if we like it – we follow the example, if we dislike it – we make the opposite decision' has puzzled me a little bit.
The first question appeared in my mind was: What the comparison with the achievements of other teachers will give you personally? What instruments do you use for this 'comparing process'?
The second one: How can you follow someone's example? Maybe you have meant craft modelling?
Personally I think, that every teacher has his/her own teaching style which is to great extent dependent on his/ her personality. Isn't it true?
In any case be sure, I am not against developing both professionally and personally! But there is a variety of tools you can use to take the decision on improvement your teaching practice or better to say raising effectiveness of your teaching/learning. Why not to use self-assessment and self-evaluation based on your peer's feedback, students' feedback, reflections on your teaching and to make your own action plan on further development. In this case you won't be stuck!
Maybe it's worth adding to your Commandements: Be(ing) reflective? The final decision is up to you and your colleagues. I simply wanted to share my concerns and experience, which may be of any use.
All the best from Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine
Irina
Thank you so much for your message. I'm fascinated and also impressed that you think of the issue so deeply and formulate the thought-provoking questions. (I compared them with my variant and really appreciate your constructive way of thinking – so I learnt from you).
I see comparing process like this – you observe or read what your colleagues are doing and then decide to try it in you context. Analyzing the results you come to reflection – why it worked or didn’t work, what can be changed to have better results. It is the reflection/self-assessment/peer or students’ feedback (better all together) that helps you see the situation in more or less objective way. Your “Be(ing) reflective” is a precious contribution to our commandments.
As for ‘craft modelling’ I have never met the idea before. Could you share your understanding of it?
I really like to learn you attitude to the following comment. Surely “every teacher has his/her own teaching style which is to great extent dependent on his/ her personality”. Do you consider adapting your teaching style to particular context (e.g. you feel if fails with exactly this group) possible or is it the loss of “authenticity” or “being yourself” (the principle you suggested)?
Natalia,
>>Are there many like-minded teachers in Rostov-on Don or at the place where you work?
I work at Southern Federal University (as far as I know there are only two Federal universities in Russia - Southern and Siberian, so I believe we have a lot in common in the way our organisations work). At our university the atmosphere is very inspiring, but of course some usual problems are there. As to Rostov in general, it very much depends on the organisation. I've encountered teachers who still use "Soviet" methods, but on the whole there are many creative professionals who enjoy what they're doing. :)
Kind regards,
Olga
Dear Natalia
Thank you for your kind words and your feedback. This just to refer you to Michael J. Wallace (2001) Training Foreign Language Teachers: A reflective approach Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, which is available online and where you can find the information on various models. Below is the quotation on the craft model that will help you to understand what I meant.
'The craft model
In this model, the wisdom of the profession resides in an experienced professional practitioner: someone who is the expert of the practice of the ‘craft’. The young trainee learns by imitating the expert’s techniques, and by following the expert’s instructions and advice' (Wallace 2001: 6). More details at pp. 15 - 17
As for my teaching style I do not adapt it to particular context, although I choose or design the materials according to the students' level and their learning needs. It is the same for various learners (students, teachers, teacher trainers) as it is based on my values and beliefs, some of which I described to you before. Of course, in case of a failure, I analyse the reasons and think what was going wrong and choose another learning/teaching strategy. One of my rules is to keep in mind learners, their types and learning styles as people are different: what is good for one person is not appropriate to the other, isn't it? I am quite realistic that I can't satisfy all the people at a time, though I'm trying to do my best to help learners to learn English and/or develop professionally.
It's enough until soon as there are many other voices of EFL teachers who want and can contribute to your blog.
Dear Irina!
I can't help feeling what a wonderful person and teacher you are. Thank you very much!
All the best!
Natalia