My god, it’s been ages since I posted anything here. Almost a month. Christ almighty, where is my motivation?
Well, I guess part of it can be chalked up to that seasonal syndrome of motivational dysfunction known as “spring fever”. Maybe it’s really a physical, neurological/endocrinal phenomenon related to the change in season. (Maybe one of you reading in this in the tropics or Southern Hemisphere can clear me up on this? Do the months of May and June also correspond to this particular sort of malaise?)
Or perhaps it’s merely a part of my cultural heritage, in which as early as grade school we are subtly encouraged to stop giving a damn during the last month or so of our annual scholastic commitments.
Yes, I’m coasting towards the end of a lot of my commitments teaching-wise, it’s true. I suppose my lack of blogging motivation may go hand-in-hand with the lagging in my creative teaching motivation.
Thankfully, this lack of inspiration has (paradoxically?) inspired me to have a look at another classic example of the fizzling-out of pedagogical motivation. To wit: this year, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to start what is often known as “a reflective teaching journal”. A idea popular with many teacher trainer types, and the subject of all manner of research papers and internet pontification.
This lasted all of about three months. The first few entries are brief at times, with little detail, but more or less complete, and you can tell that at the beginning I was taking it all a bit more seriously, making such notes to myself as these (both from 3 Feb 2009):
“Must exert more control. I need to go for ‘stern but fair’. Not ‘petulant and pissy and vindictive'” [though it should be noted that a week later for the same group I seem to have written: “Much better, I think my ‘drama queen’ act last week may have actually helped: they were much more cooperative today”…]
or
“Off to a rocky start, but later we found our groove and the personalization exercises and the domino game seemed to be well-integrated and well-received–tomorrow we can start with some correction dictation of the more clamorous errors from free speaking”
Then there’s a page where I’ve written at the top: “I lost a week in there somewhere”, then it starts again, on the 23rd of February. That’s where it started to get a little squirrelly.
There are weeks where I seemed to be giving it a go with some degree of motivation intact, but these are interspersed with pages where I’d obviously gotten behind and was trying to make up for a week’s worth of lost time–things like “XYZ Company*–past cont./past simp. pictures, listening, rev.extreme adj.”. Or better yet: “Pepito*–review rel. pron., phr. verbs and”
Yeah, the XYZ entry there is an example of a “reflective” teaching journal with absolutely zero reflecting going on at all. Basically me jotting something down so as not to forget about it over the course of my million other classes that same day. The “Pepito” entry is even better–I didn’t even bother to finish the phrase.
I could blame it on the conditions I was usually writing in–on buses or in crowded subway cars going from class to class, making it impossible to write consistently. I suppose I could blame it on any number of things. Doesn’t matter. My teaching journal was a total failure.
I guess the important thing is that now, months after my latest attempt at a reflective teaching journal, with hindsight I’ve gleaned whatever little ideas that sprung up, improvised gambits and so forth that worked well, etc., etc. from my meager notes, and I reckon I’ll try to use them in the coming weeks as we draw this year here to a close.
Anyone else have any choice bits of “reflection” they’d like to share? Or tales of failure and redemption and things of that nature? Feel free to put them in the comments box.
Or if you haven’t tried and failed the “reflective teaching journal” thing, have a look at these tips for keeping one. (I think I had the biggest problem with tips 1 and 2.)
*Names changed to protect the innocent
Nice entry, Nick, and I did appreciate that bit about the ‘drama queen’ episode. With some difficult groups I find it’s essential to ‘fake’ a ‘critical moment’, before you actually do lose your rag and end up bawling at them or commiting some unpardonable sin.
This ‘act’ could be, for example, feigning desperation and walking out of the class for 10 seconds, then coming back to give them a stern warning and extra homework; or pretending to really blow your top – it’s called ‘controlled anger’, I believe, even though you’re not really angry at all (yet).
Well, those are just two examples. Try them next time – I think you’ll find that they work quite well.
Ha! I like the term “critical moment”, very appropriate with its implications of nuclear meltdown…I appreciate the suggestions, who knows when they might come in handy…
I wouldn’t get stressed about keeping up the blog. If there’s something you want to write enough, you’ll find time for it. In the meantime, Google ranking is surprisingly unaffected by how often you post and so people will still end up here for the great lessons you’ve already put up.
TEFLtastic blog- http://www.tefl.net/alexcase
Thanks as always for the advice, alex, and the kind words. And yes I think you’re right abot Google ranking–I’ve come to realize that the internet’s thirst for Beyonce related ESL materials is damn near unquenchable!
My last journal post:
“I wonder if anyone could smell the beer on my breath? Must stay further away.”
Aw man, with a couple chicles de clorophila o menta or whatever, you’re good to go! (How’s that for a teaching tip…)
Should that be included in a post? 10 things your CELTA trainer never told you?
Thanks for the link. I think I’m going to try and fail at this sort of thing, too. I sometimes use (misuse?) my blog for reflection, but that confuses whoever may or may not be reading it. So I think some sort of dedicated space makes more sense. But it’s complicated to shift gears like that when you’re going full speed ahead… Hm. Anyway, I like your blog.
Hi. I love the site concept. I’d like to see a little better design, but for now the concept works. I stumbled upon your site doing research on developing an ESL program for some of our foreign studens coming in.
I’m a educator with strong technology skills. I work in a deaf school teaching deaf students. I use video extensively for obvious reasons. But we are blocked from youtube as probably many schools are for some of the explicit material.
Is there a way you can post the videos on your site instead of having to link to youtube? I’d love to see what you have an perhaps maybe even collaborate down the line.
Thanks.
Does that mean it isn’t blocked if it is posted in the blog, even though the content is still on YouTube and not actually uploaded to your site? Odd if it’s true, but worth knowing
Bob-
this tip is about half a year late in coming, but I was going over some things and came across your comment again and thought: Hey, yeah, I know…here’s my advice:
– right-click on the link and go to “Copy Link Location”.
– go to savevid.com
– paste the URL of the video into the box and download the .flv file.
– save the file to your pen or hard drive.