On Monday, we had our first Spanish class at CPI in Monte Verde. As soon as we began class, our teacher spoke only Spanish and would not speak in English at all! I have never felt more intimidated and more stupid in my life. I discovered that with absolutely no English to help us transition and learn, I was unable to learn.
This is the first moment I have
felt completely helpless and I felt like shutting down and quitting. I can completely empathize with ELL students
or any student with special needs who cannot understand under direct
instruction. After the three of us
basically all shut down and one of us walked out in tears, the teacher finally
understood that we needed a different method of teaching in order for us to
learn. He still seemed condescending,
but after our coffee break, he seemed more patient and learning began to
actually happen. Also, it really helped me realize that first impressions with students are crucial!
The very moment that I
felt worthless and shut down mentally, is something I will remember for my
entire teaching career. If I can bring
myself back to that exact moment whenever I have a student that is struggling,
I will know how they feel and I will be able to work with them to give them
what they need to learn.
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