3 years later...

Is there anybody out there?

3 years since my last post - now that's embarrassing!
So what's happened in the last 3 and a bit years, you ask?
Shortly after my last post, life threw a massive curve ball and knocked me sideways, in so much that I left the CELTA course and was signed off work. One of those. I took time out and made some big life decisions. But life has settled. This blog is not about those times, but about the adventures of teaching English, and, since my last post I re-enrolled and completed the CELTA, passing with a 'Pass B', quit my job as a 'Creative Designer' and have been teaching for just under a year!!
I have to say, I love my job and am SO happy I took the scary jump back into studying, proudly completed it with a good grade and a month and a bit later started working in my new job!
So, June 2015 I started working for Stafford House at their Summer School, initially offering me 15 hours for 4 weeks, which got increased to 30 hours and extended to the whole summer. So I must have been doing something good.
Following the end of Summer School, I got a contract with English in Action and flew to Austria 2 days after the end of Summer School, oh and moved home the day before...! In short: taxi didn't show, kind strangers drove me to the train station, late for train, almost late for flight, flew to Vienna, suitcase didn't make the flight, Austria was having a heat wave and England was not, borrowed clothes from teachers I'd just met, taught for 3 days, case arrived, contract extended, suitcase broke, trained the entire length of Austria overnight, didn't sleep, worked for 1 week, bought new suitcase, popped to Liechtenstein, trained to Salzburg for 24 hours, trained back to Vienna, taught for another week, flew home. End.
I then, after a chokka 4 months, had about 2 months of quiet, doing the odd cover teaching for Stafford House, and a spot of freelance designing. We then flew to Spain and spent 3 months there, started a new blog for those adventures: Frutos de las Cucharas, made some plans for our future, flew home and started work for Stafford House again. Since returning 2 months ago, I've been teaching Austrians, Italians and Thai juniors, and just LOVE it! Next week, is my last full week, I have more Italians and am taking on an Elem/Pre-Int Grammar adult module. Then bits and bobs until summer starts all over again!
And breathe. So it's been funny and amazing 3 and a bit years. I wonder what the next 3 and a bit years has in store...
I'll try and post again next week and not in 3 years' time...

Love Lady Spoon x

*From stressed to elated*

Right, so. 5 days to fill you in on...
It went from being too busy to even look at my last lesson notes, to having just finished my first teaching practice this evening.

So last Tuesday we had our 2 seminars, Developing Listening Skills and Assisted Lesson Planning (ALP). Both of which were productive and constructive.

The following days were filled to the hilt: Wednesday, is a full day at work followed by helping at Brownies, then over to Mr. Spoon's for dinner and a snooze.

Thursday is another full work day and the evening should have been working on my lesson plan, but I was relinquished of my plan when Mrs. Fox sent an enquiring message as to my availability. I hadn't seen her since Mr. Spoon's surprise party on the 4th! Shocking when we used to see each other almost every week, but to quote Bowie "Ch ch ch changes". It's all go with my peeps at the mo, but this time in an positive and self-initiated way. So I was absolved of my guilt. So Mrs. Fox came over for soup making and a catch up and we had a lovely evening.

Friday morning was spent at work to counter taking Tuesday off for the observation. Then on to uni (Teaching Grammar, high and low levels and Concept Checking), my teaching practice team had been organised after the ALP on Tuesday and had arranged to meet up and discuss the group part of our lesson, we attempted to discuss it before class by arriving early and even in the break, to very little success. So I took it upon myself to type up the ideas we'd discussed and email over the weekend. Friday evening I was invited to Mr. Spoon's night he compares in Margate "Big Talk", but I chose to "study", in this case translates to going to bed at about 9pm, such a rock-and-roll life I lead!

Anyhoo, Saturday began with a very continental breakfast with Mr. Spoon at Cafe St. Pierre as he'd gone home after his Margate night, we than perused the charity shops of Canters with a few successes, plus some more to go back and try on, I just was not in to mood try stuff on. Saturday was a chillax day with Mr. Spoon, we did a bit of concocting and I touched on lesson planning.

I didn't get my head into gear until Sunday, this lesson plan malarkey is a bit complex. The 'procedure' makes sense, but the jargon that we have to put with it...I guessed at, the main thing I'm hoping is that we plan a lesson and get used to the jargon which accompanies...yer, let's say that. So Mr. Spoon went off to 'Pot Luck' at the Gulbenkian, which I was also invited to, and declined, probably wise in this instance as my lesson I was planning for was the following day. I stayed in, alone, on my uncomfortable chair (which I sit upon now in discomfort) and prepped for about 4/5 hours planning  for a 20 minute lesson. I gave myself a deadline and finished 20 mins early and I also gave myself a thumping headache, so I went to bed!

And now it's today...Mondays are half-ish days and I had to do a spot of concocting a worksheet and flash cards for my lesson, I snuck off a little early as I was pacing and needed to actively get on with the lesson. After a detour to buy blue tack I met the team and we talked through what we were going to do, reassuring each other, we were all going to be fine!
It was a little of a jumbled lesson in comparison to what will normally happen as one of our team was arriving late and it was the first one so we wanted a little team support. The first 15 minutes was done together; 3 of us, and we then launched into individual teaching. I was 3rd up so had time to sit and calm down, first team member ran by 15 minutes, that's a 35 minute lesson, not 20...oops! I was called up to help 2nd team member be an audio as the computer wasn't working (of course). And then it was me!!
So, I missed my cue to go on, which was a great start. I shuffled my papers and got myself in order. And breathe. I was a bit apprehensive before the class began, but with the intro and assisting with audio, I was much more myself and really enjoyed teaching. I was really aware of the timing, but kept to my 20 minutes. I had a few things to do, and modelled and drilled vocabulary, and I think it flowed quite well; ultimately I followed the book, so there is much to be said for course books! I did have to cut my planned lesson short as I hadn't accurately timed the activities, but I had no point of reference; now I know! I think I had another 10 mins I could have done with them, which works out for the 30 minute lesson I'll be doing next week!
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it in the end, I'm glad I planned as much as I did and added an extra getting up activity as due to the timing it meant I couldn't do the other get up and practice activity.
I'm also really impressed with the range of students that are attending, from the 11 students there were 10 different nationalities, and a range of levels too.

We were also given feedback straight away which we weren't expecting, so we stayed about 45 mins longer than had planned, but I liked the direct creative criticism. I kept it fresh in our minds. My feedback was that the modelling and drilling was good, as was the type of activities, but when writing on the board I wasn't monitoring the task I'd set them, to remember to grade language to the lower level and not accounting for space for resources: I'd written out a list of jobs on the board which the students had to match and blue tack the pictures next too, there was not enough room and everything over lapped...we learn, we learn, we learn!
So I will take may a thing from the last 5 days and I'm so pleased all the effort and that bloody headache was worth it!!

So tomorrow: Presenting Vocabulary and Articles and Nouns...damn, that would have been useful before today's lesson, have to see what they've got to say...

Photo from: http://services.flikie.com/view/v3/android/wallpapers/33559962

*Observation One*

Cor I'm knakered! But really enjoyed today, starting with our first Classroom Observation.
It was awesome to have the opportunity to see the place we'll be teaching and the kind of thing which goes on, even if we won't be teaching the same level.
Teacher was not the normal one and is covering, which meant she didn't have quite so much of a rapport with the class and kept to the syllabus. However this is of course a real situation which may occour or we have to deal with. She was very polite and spoke a lot more than the students, but she interacted and heavilly promoted conversation, presuming due to the level...
Will update with notes soon!
Kx

Photo from: http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/196343-More-U-boat-photos-Forums

*First Classroom Observations*

Tomorrow is when it gets serious and we up the ante.
Tomorrow I commence "Classroom Observations". As part of the CELTA I have to watch 6 hours of classes of 3 different levels over the next few months. My first is tomorrow morning observing an advanced class, we have been asked to "focus on a particular aspect of teaching and learning", Observation 1 is "Classroom Management", of which we discussed in our Friday seminar.
To note on: The classroom; the teacher; the students; the activities.
I wonder what it's going to be like...I'm quite excited, I wonder if we'll get to be involved or just sit from the back; it is a 2 hour lesson...hmmmmm. Will report back.

Photo from: http://misslaurarichards.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/qualities-of-an-english-teacher/

*So it begins*

I am 3 weeks into my CELTA course, part-time I might add - oh the joys of being an adult and having to pay bills.
I'm really enjoying it so far and actually think part-time is going to work out better for my learning style, or at least what I think is my learning style, plus having not studied in a while and what I did study was vocational, only time will tell.
We are not quite on to the really tough stuff yet, but I have commenced with avid organisation and even started looking at my first written assignment plus getting out the recommended reading from the library!
Teaching practice starts this time next week, and yes, I'm crapping myself a bit.
I'll let you know how the week goes!
Kx