by Jake Hollingsworth // Seoul, South Korea // www.JakeHollingsworth.net
Maybe your first day of Algebra 2 was like mine. Ms. Gentry strode confidently into our classroom, opened her textbook, and proceeded to introduce us to the never-ending wonders of Linear Systems and Quadratic Functions. She dazzled us with flare and expertise. Ooooohs and Ahhhhs sounded from the audience. Ms. Gentry showed us beautiful portraits of mathematic equations. She danced across the classroom, expertly contorting her body into a sequence of prime numbers. It was an Oscar winning performance. I knew then and there that my goal in life was to become an Algebra teacher just like her. I went home and choreographed synchronized dance routines, telling the glorious story of numbers. It was beautiful. What was even better was the fact that I had no need for words. There was no speaking necessary in this silent art of mathematical education.
Waaaaaiiitt just a minute…
That’s not how it happened at all. Not even close. Begging your pardon, allow me to try this again:
Maybe your first day of Algebra 2 was like mine. Ms. Gentry strode confidently into our classroom, opened her textbook, and proceeded to introduce us to the never-ending wonders of Linear Systems and Quadratic Functions. And that’s all I remember because Ms. Gentry began to speak. She threw around words like rational and radical, sequence and series, graphs, functions, and matrices. I was out cold before she finished the third syllable of polynomial.
My point (I’m sure you’re wondering) is this: Any sensible teacher imparts their years of accumulated wisdom by way of words. Spoken words. No acts. No magic tricks. No pictures, paintings, or ballet twirls. Implicit to the transaction between teacher and student is the notion that information will be, should be, and must be communicated by spoken words. Nothing else makes sense.
It’s only natural.
What this means, though, is that as ESL teachers, in our attempt to teach a new form or communication without a pre-existing common language with our students, we will endure many awkward and uncomfortable lessons, especially early on. The natural means of communicating information from teacher to student does not exist in our classroom. Not yet.
Our task is a catch-22: verbally communicate to our students a new means of verbally communicating without first having a commonly understood means of verbal communication. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve called on a student to answer a question and her face immediately turns a blood red, I would be a rich man. They hear their name, but have no idea what else is going on.
Teaching ESL is often times awkward and uncomfortable. As teachers, we are the leaders in the classroom. We set the tone. We make the plans. We call the shots. Our students, especially children, need us to remove as much awkwardness from lessons as possible.
What about you? How are your removing obstacles of awkwardness and making your students as comfortable and confident as possible?
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A few ideas…
1) Speak slowly, clearly, and repetitively.
2) Speak slowly, clearly, and repetitively.
3) Always use visuals to reinforce your words.
4) Don’t try to teach them too much at once. It’s a slow, building process.
