Bringing the World Closer

First Assignment

Hello everyone! Congratulations on completing your first task: successfully logging in to the MyTeachingHouse.com site!

We are presently developing Generation 2 of the MyTeachingHouse site. It’s a great resource both on the course and after the course (in finding work and keeping up with friends you’ve made during the course). As this site is under development, we’d appreciate any feedback or suggestions that you have.

I have a few more tasks for you to complete—it may take about an hour or two. Please read the instructions below and complete it before next Monday.

Directions: All written answers must be posted on this thread (First Assignment) within the discussion forum in your course group. Since there are many of you, it's important to post only on this thread (click "Reply to This" at the bottom) so that we can keep the forum from getting full and messy-looking. However, if you have any other comments or questions you are welcome to start a new thread.

1. If you haven’t already, edit your profile with your current location, status and photo.

2. Browse through our international directory of English language schools (hover over "RESOURCES" in the toolbar at the top of the page and click "SCHOOL DIRECTORY" ). Post the name of a school that you think you might be interested in applying to after the course, and (briefly) why you liked that school.

3. Go to Course Forms (the big blue arrow on your course page) and find a word from one of the glossaries that you do not know.

4. Check out the Forums section of the site and watch Bill Harris' demo lesson: (VIDEO) Demo Lesson: Elementary Level Speaking/Pronunciation/Vocabulary Focus. Post a reply to this discussion or another in the forums section.

5. Post one idea or recommendation for MyTeachingHouse.com.

6. Post a personal goal related to taking our Teaching House CELTA course.

7. Post a comment about someone else’s comments, for example, “Lizzy, I agree with your comment about the job listings section…” or “Abby, I saw that you wanted to work in Paris. I was thinking about that myself—is it hard to find work in France?” If you're one of the first people to post, come back later with a comment after your peers have caught up.

Good luck and keep coming back to our site! You can email me at christen@teachinghouse.com with any questions.

All the best,

Christen

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeannie Friedman on April 28, 2011 at 3:29pm

2. There are too many to explore! Many look interesting. Here are a few
that stood out for me:
• SOUTH AFRICA: ih Language Lab, Johannesburg. The curriculum for English includes many of the business skills I learned as the owner of a graphic design studio in NYC. Including: Meetings and negotiation skills; presentation skills; handling conflict.
I can see myself drawing on my past life experience and incorporating it into my English Language Lessons. I also like that the
school is in a city and, I've wanted to go to South Africa for a long time.

• NEW YORK CITY: If I decide to get my first teaching experience in the US, ALCC offers an American Short Stories Program that looks interesting to teach.

• VIETNAM: ila Education for Life: I like that the school offers a wide range of purposes for Learning English and that the
student body is composed of teenagers and adults.

3. I wasn't able to access either Glossary. I got an error message saying that page had either been moved or deleted.

4. Response to Bill Harris' demo lesson:
Bill is a terrific teacher. His energy never wanes and he involves the students as though he's conducting an orchestra or a circus. He's the leader and he's also part of the team. I like the way he interweaves partnering with group responses and his own demos. The students are kept on their toes because while the point of the lesson is clear, they don't know what they're going to be called upon to do or say. I particularly appreciate how he uses whistling and hand movements to demonstrate stress in sentences. He clearly has a wide range of useful tools: face drawings, use of his fingers, hand movements, whistling--all of which help make what he's teaching clear to his students (visual, auditory, etc.) And, I noticed that the students were attentive and focused throughout the lesson.

5. Recommendation: In surveying the School Directory, I noticed that some of the web connections are forbidden (Thailand, AUA Language Center); some no longer exist (apm academy in Thailand); and some links lead to sites that have nothing to do with a language school (Table Mountain School in South Africa's link got me to TML Center, a Home Bar Furniture site that could help me find exactly what I might need to set a bar in my house.
Suggestion: Review the schools listed and update and/or eliminate those that no longer exist or are incorrect. It would also be helpful to know if CELTA teachers have reviewed any of the schools listed and read about their experiences.

6. My goal is to become the best and most creative ESL teacher I can be and to explore with an open mind where I would like to teach.

7. Miriam: I would love to know more about your experience teaching in Spain. It's one of the places I'd like to explore.

Permalink Reply by Guang Yao Yang on May 1, 2011 at 11:28pm

2. Somewhere in South Korea. Frankly, there are too many to decide which one best fits me. With limited time for research, Global Christian School stood out because I, myself, am also Christian.

3. Blue Book

4. Bill's amazing! I love how he captured every student's attention. They weren't bored and they understood exactly what he taught. The students were able to build on what they had learnt.

5. So far, none.

6. I hope to be more enthusiastic and knowledgeable as a teacher. I believe passion and experience ought to go hand in hand like a pair of chopsticks in order to bring out the best in the student.

7. Jeannie seems so excited about the program. Personally, I feel extremely nervous. I don't know what to expect. What can I say but butterflies in my stomach.