Escuela de Posgrado Universidad Nacional de Educacin Enrique Guzmn y Valle - La Cantuta MASTERS PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

What do teachers bring to class?

Student: Major: Semester: Teacher: Date:

Paulo Cesar Chiri Saravia Teaching English as a Foreign Language 2013-I Miguel Ore de los Santos 30-04-13

Escuela de Posgrado Universidad Nacional de Educacin Enrique Guzmn y Valle - La Cantuta MASTERS PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES Major: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

DECLARATION OF ACADEMIC ETHICS

To be annexed to all works submitted for assessment As part of the Med TEFL Program

Name: Chiri Saravia Paulo Cesar Course code and Title Teaching English as a Foreign Language Title of work submitted: What do teachers bring to class? Approximate number of words (Counting by word processor, Excluding appendixes and bibliography) 3932.

I HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE WORK I AM SUBMITTING FOR ASSESSMENT IS MY OWN AND DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY UNACKNOWLEDGE WORK FROM ANY OTHER SOURCES. WERE ANY OF ITS CONTENTS PROVED THE RESULT OF CHEATING OR PLAGIARISM ON MY PART, I ASSUME THE CORRESPONDING PENALTIES ESTABLISHED BY THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL.

Signature: .. Date: 29-04-13

Escuela de Posgrado Universidad Nacional de Educacin Enrique Guzmn y Valle - La Cantuta MASTERS PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES Major: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

MELT205 INDEPENDENT STUDY FORM

Name: Chiri Saravia Paulo Cesar Student code: 020161 Date: 29-04-13

I hereby request approval from the Med TEFL Academic Coordinator to undertake a study on (tentative name of topic) What do teachers bring to class? which academic relevance and scope I have already discussed and agreed with Mr./Ms. Miguel Ore de los Santos tutor of The Independent Study module (MELT208) I expect to take in semester 2013-I _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Outline of proposed independent study My paper is what teachers bring to class and I explore it based in a constructivist view of education which says that everyone construct their own learning. .. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Students signature (Please hand in this form to your MELT204 tutor por appropriate processing) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (TO BE FILLED IN BY ACADEMIC COORDINATOR) Authorization of Med TEFL Academic Coordinator ... (Name of Academic Coordinator) (Signature) (Date)

What do teachers bring to class? Index

1. Abstract 2 .Introductions 3. A meaningful learning 4. Teacher enthusiasms 5. Variety of activities during the class 6. Teachers roles 7. Teachers have to create a friendly atmosphere 8. Personal appraisals 9. Conclusions 10. Bibliographies 1 2 3 5 6 8 9 10 10 11

1. Abstract
In the topic What do teachers bring to class? There are many elements which teachers bring to class but I am going to focus in those which I think are more important. I am going to start talking about meaningful learning. Meaningful learning is when a student connect what he has learned with new knowledge I mean a student learn meaningfully when a student use a old knowledge with a new action in our real life. Other element important which will help in language learning process is Teacher enthusiasm. If teachers want students learn meaningfully teachers have to create good conditions in order meaningful learning happens. Teacher enthusiasm is one of the

conditions. I mean teachers have to teach happiness, pleasure, optimism and teachers have to believe that their students are capable to solve problems by themselves. On other hand bring a variety of activities will be essential because this will motivate students. Besides every student learn in a different way so teachers have to make students speak, listen, write, read with different tools like videos, games, song, and crossword. I mean teachers have to make several trials with the same type of problem. In these activities teachers will have roles sometimes as a guide, other as a facilitator or as an evaluator and in order students feel comfortable and confident teachers will have to create a friendly atmosphere where students can express without fear.

2. Introduction
This paper is about what teachers bring to class. I base in a constructivism view of education which see knowledge as essentially constructed by individuals rather than transmitted from one person to another. Many different factors influence on what teachers bring to class but I mention these topics because of his importance. Points number one and two focus on meaningful learning and Teacher enthusiasm. In these points I expose what is meaningful learning and how teachers can make students learn meaningfully and what is the importance of enthusiasm. Points three and four focus on Variety of activities during the class and Teachers roles and the last point is about what Teachers have to do to create a friendly atmosphere which is very important in language learning process. I base in learning is a process being that learning does not occur in one day I mean a good learning need several factor to have good results. Teachers are those who help students to learn. Teachers are facilitator and guide in this process and in language learning process environment and context influence a lot in results of this process.

3. A meaningful learning
According to Ausubel (1967), to learn meaningfully, students must relate new knowledge (concepts and propositions) to what they already know. He proposed the notion of an advanced organizer as a way to help students link their ideas with new material or concepts. Ausubel's theory of learning claims that new concepts to be learned can be incorporated into more inclusive concepts or ideas. These more inclusive concepts or ideas are advance organizers. Advance organizers can be verbal phrases (the paragraph you are about to read is about Albert Einstein), or a graphic. In any case, the advance organizer is designed to provide, what cognitive psychologists call, the "mental scaffolding: to learn new information. What David Ausubel says is that meaningful learning is the kind of learning which a student related to the new information which he has. I mean you join a new learning to your previous knowledge. Meaning learning is when you learn something new and you storage then you retrieval the new learning I mean you storage and then you use the new learning. What David Ausubel is against learning by repetition or mechanical learning. Now we know what is a meaningful learning and in order to learn meaningfully there are several factors that teachers have to know in order students learn meaningfully. One of them is that teachers have to know that if teachers make students work in pairs or groups in order they share what they learned and discuss about it, it is likely they learn meaningfully. Create conditions in order students work in pairs or groups Williams M. (1997) I think that work in pair or groups have considerable benefit for all learners. If a student does not know to work in pair or group can result in cognitive difficulties because when students work in pairs or groups they share information, they share their points of view, they discuss on topics, they defend their statements I mean they become critical but if they do not know to work in pair or group they will not become critical, they will become memoirists I mean they just memorize being that they do not used to analyze, think, discuss is obviously that if you ask him to discuss on some topic they will have problems to discuss on topics. For that I think working in groups or pairs is essential in language learning. If teachers want students work in pairs or groups teachers have to work in order students help each other, to listen each other, to respect feelings of others, to work together, to

respect points of view of other because as I said cooperation is a big help to have an effective learning, Teachers should be the guide and facilitator in this process. Other factor that teachers have to know in order students learn meaningfully is that teachers have to connect what they teaches to the personals life student in order to make a meaningful learning. Teachers have to connect what they teaches to the personals life student in order to make a meaningful learning Williams M. (1997) With my experience I can say that it is true because if you learn some think and do it or practice in your activities you will learn effectible. I think this is the way students can learn connecting what they learned in class with their real life. If a student do not find

something that is interesting or with significance to him he just will forget it so it will be a waste of time. The activity or task should be important, interesting and significant to him. This task should motivate him to do it well. The task or activity which teacher gives should like students. One of the roles of teachers is help students to perceive how the activity is of value to students. Teacher has to help students in order they make their own learning taken into account their context. Students have to create their own learning Williams M. (1997) I agree because for many years teachers transmit information by repetition to students. Teachers think that students learn better in this way but that is wrong because students think, they have skills to construct their own learning and teachers should let them discover the information. Teacher is just a guide and facilitator. Nowadays we see that teachers continue transmitting knowledge to students and I think this is one of the main reasons which our education is in troubles. One thing I can say is: Teachers should not give complete information to students. Teachers have to help students to discover that information because if teachers give the complete information students will not learn anything. For that, teachers should select tasks which permit students to express what they think in order students analyze think and criticize. It is something that happens in schools, teachers talk and talk and finally they say: exam the next class what is this? It is not a class it is a discourse. Teachers should give tasks in a real context in order they activate previous knowledge for example when I was at school teachers used to teach about Smith family who are they? Nobody knows them I mean they do not belong to our context they belong to a foreign context that is the

problem How I am going to motivate students if they do not know anything about Smith family so what teachers have to do is to teach about Peres family or Sanchez family in a place that students knows. This is a real, this is something they know, something I can ask them about it, because they have previous knowledge about it so they can express what they think but if you teach about Smith family it is not going to be of much help to students. To learn meaningfully It is important to make a feedback because this make you remember and at the same time feedback make you work again on the topic you did but harder in order to raise the level to get better in the task. Usually happens that a student make a class for example about how to describe a house but the next class he forgot how to describe a house. Therefore what a teacher has to do is for example: A teacher has to make a class on Monday about how to describe a house so on Wednesday teacher has to do a feedback about the same topic but now he will describe a school in order student improve his skill about how describe a places. I think if teachers make a feedback students will learn meaningfully.

4. Teacher enthusiasm
This is an important topic in language learning process because if a teacher enter to your classroom and he is boring, sad, shy and serious. The result is an unmotivated student so student will not pay attention to class in conclusion he will not learn. This is the topic we are going to talk about now. In order to do it teachers have to smile, to be enthusiastic and patient and to be constantly looking for new ways of getting his message across their pupils (Wright T. 1997). I think smile is important because you transmit confidence and happiness so students will feel comfortable and they will feel their teachers are friendly so students are likely to participate more. Smile, patient, to be enthusiastic will contribute in quality of the relationship in classrooms. There is evidence that teachers who are predisposed towards communicating with students and who are interested in leaners as people are more likely to succeed in class than those who regard teaching only as the routine of transmission of knowledge. Teacher must be confident because students feel the personal emotional structure of the teacher and have to build the self-esteem of students and if teachers lack self-esteem it

will be impossible to build the self-esteem of students. Teachers have to establish an empathy with students Williams M. (1997) One recommendation I can give for my experience is: If a student share something like an anecdote or maybe he tell you what he does after class, Do not criticize him because he might feel offended. Instead of offend him teachers can tell a story about their own experience which teach him about what is right and what is wrong. If you criticize students, they will never tell you anything about them that action will break the confidence between teacher and student. Other thing a teacher should do is to show interest on the students to earn their trust.

5. Variety of activities during the class

Variety of activities during the class is very important and necessary because if a teacher come to class and bring one activity students will get bored and unmotivated that is something teacher do not want so what do teachers have to do? Teachers have to bring a variety of activities during the lesson all these activities must belong to one framework because teachers have to make several trials on the same type of problem several activities in order students keep stimulated and motivated on the class. Williams M. (1997) I completely agree because if a teacher get to class with pictures, crosswords, educational games, and educational videos is very likely students learn because each student learns in a different way some of them learn by listening and others by writing and others by reading or speaking. I mean teachers have to make several trials with the same type of problem, several activities with the same type of task students is more likely to learn within of our context. This is true teachers have to bring several activities because students learn in a different way I mean each student build up his own learning in his own way and every activity should have an objective. Teacher has to set objectives of the class. One recommendation is: After each activity students should answer: Why I did it? How I did it? What was the objective of the activity? Another important thing is teachers should make the plan of the class before coming to class because if he prepares the class with time it would be a better class. Teacher has to know that everything that the teacher says or do in class it has a significant impact on the

personal growth of students so teacher should organize the class setting the objectives of the class. In the process of the class teacher has to raise the learning level Little by Little in order student improve their skills and Teachers have to use technology in language learning process because they have to take advantage of new technology. For example surf on the net in order look for information is good for students. Teacher should help students to know how to use internet. The activities which teachers choose must belong to one framework. Now I am going to explain this with more details. Why theory is important for learning process? All the activities must belong to a Theory because theory is very important for my teaching practice because I need a framework to know how to help my students to learn. Theory is useful to improve each day on the way I teach. Theory makes me see my weak points and good points in order to get better. Teachers intentions and actions, learning process itself, individual personalities of the students and their context, culture, the learning environment and other aspects. The theory help teachers to connect between these different aspects I have just said in order to make good decisions about how to help students to learn obviously everything from a framework. I think teacher should use schemas theory because it helps me a lot in my English classes Teachers must remember that schemas are a big help for language classes so I think that we must use schemas in class because if we depart from a schema we can build up a communicative situation we must remember that a schema is not static. Schemas can change. With more schemas students can understand more topics, texts, conversations. Do not forget the more schemas students have, the more topics can understand. Teachers must be the facilitators of a lot of schemas I mean teachers should help students to acquire more schemas. One thing we should remember is that teachers should not give schemas to students. Teachers have to help students in order students discover more schemas. . Thanks to schema theory I can give my students schemas (general knowledge) for the purpose to prepare them for a specific topic. For example if the next week we will have to talk about animals today I can show students animals pictures in order students have schemas for the next week class with this they will connect old

information with new information. We must remember that schemas are in constant change .schemas are in constant development and transformation, Every new information we receive make a change in our schemas. The more schemas students have, the better they understand texts.

6. Teachersroles
Teachers have to show and tell students that they are responsible for everything that happens to them in their lives because is demonstrated that feeling of being of control of events are associated with greater achievement Williams M. (1997) This is true because students have to think they are responsible for everything that happens in their lives because if they think that they got a good score because they were lucky they will not make an effort to study to get better because they think that everything that happen is for luck. One survey says these kinds of students who think they are responsible of their actions show tendencies to seek information and use it appropriately in solve problems; they are more active and assertive. In conclusion they are better students than those who feel that event in their lives are all determined by forces beyond their control for example: luck or other people. Teachers have to encourage students to raise their expectations of themselves in order they feel confident and solve problems. This is a way to do learning an enriching experience. Williams M. (1997) I think this is very important to make student feel confident by telling good thing like: I knew you can do it or something like: You are capable to do that these kinds of phrases raise a positive self-image and a positive self-esteem so students will feel comfortable. Teachers have to praise students appropriately in order they improve. Everything in order they participate in class. One recommendation is: teachers should value all responses of students, with this students will feel confident about their answers so they will participate more and they will know they are able to solve problems alone and maybe teachers should display students homework on the walls of the classroom in order encourage pride in achievements of students. Teachers must bring the auto reflection to the classroom teachers can help students to be aware of their strengths and their weaknesses of language learning. Williams M. (1997)

This is necessary to be aware of your progress in class maybe every month students should make an auto reflection about what they are doing well and what is wrong in order to correct their mistakes. Teacher must be the guide in this process. Teacher is a facilitator of learning and may need to perform in a variety of roles separately or simultaneously. Guide, assessor and facilitator. (Littlewood 1981). Teacher is a facilitator setting up tasks and providing the materials and teacher has to organize the activities and tasks and help students in doing these tasks. He is also a guide in the process of discovery and understanding. The teacher is also an assessor but only in so far as he is helping to clarify concepts and knowledge where it seems to be appropriately and necessary. Look for putting in the center of educative act the formulation of attitude and internalization of values on students (Arias M. 1985).Wright T.( 1987) It is important to focus on this topic about values because this is one of the main objectives of teachers to form human beings. I mean is not just that teachers teach knowledge. Teachers help students to develop their attitude, values, thought to be good people. Therefore teachers have to show themselves as model so teachers have to be transparent, honest. Students will trust on teachers if they see a teacher who does not tell lies. But if teachers lie, students will not trust on them and It is important that teachers bring their leadership to classrooms

7. Teachers have to create a friendly atmosphere

They can use the language without embarrassment and all contributions are valued and activities lead to feelings of success, not failure. Williams M. (1997) I think teachers have to make everybody participate without fear. Students have to know they can make mistakes. Students should not laugh if someone pronounces the word incorrectly. If someone laugh in that moment is likely that the person who spoke badly will not want to participate again and the others students will do the same. In conclusion nobody will want participate in class so the teacher must emphasize on this point. Teachers should provide opportunities for all students to participate in class because they have capacity to think and solve problems.

8. Personal appraisal
What I want to say with this work is that the most important element that teachers have to do is: help students to acquire communication skills in order to be critical. It is not about to join knowledge grammatical with useless objectives which result in transmitting information but in learn meaningfully. For that is important teachers be responsible on their work because their beliefs about education will influence their action in class I mean what he thinks about education will affect everything what he do in class.

9. Conclusion
For all I said I can conclude if teachers continue in the way they teach education will continue in crisis. Those teachers who continue talking and talking for hours in class with inactive students should change the way they teach because they are doing a big damage to education. Therefore in this work I have tried to expose some of the many elements which will serve to the reflection and dialogue which teachers should foster and put into practice.

10. Bibliography
William, M. and Burden, R. 1997, Psychology for Language teachers: a Social Constructivist Approach, Cambridge University Press. Wright T. 1987 Roles of Teachers, Oxford University Press www.csudh.edu www.slideshare.com www.scribd.com www.myenglishpages.com