Reflection from Chris

Chris Tomasich (Mr. T)                                    June, 2010

I came to Macau this year not knowing what to expect. I knew only a very little about the city, but what I found was beyond anything I could have prepared myself for. Macau is a unique blend of cultures in such a small space, and therefore I was able to walk through the city and take in my surroundings at a slower pace and truly absorb what a different world this is compared to the one I am from..

I have found Macau to be a city of much hidden beauty as there was something interesting down every side street I turned. The different buildings and shops always offered something to see, and the gardens and public spaces always offered somewhere to go. The food of course is great and everybody was always trying to feed me or have me try many of the local specialties which are so delicious.

Teaching at St. Joseph’s has been a great experience for me. The students have been a lot of fun. Many students will come up to me in the hallways in school and say hello, and some will even try to practice their English with me. I have always tried to make English fun, and I hope the students have felt like they have gotten to know me. If my students can take one thing from my teaching I hope it is that you should always try, and not be afraid to make mistakes because making mistakes is how you get better. In my teaching the students who have tried have improved a great deal while the students who were too afraid didn’t benefit as much. It is my hope that more students continue to try so more students can feel comfortable speaking and working towards improvement.

I have asked many of my students about themselves and about living in Macau and through this I have learned a great deal about what sort of things interest the students and how they feel about living here in Macau. For the most part every student that I have come across has been willing to learn and hoping to have fun and while doing it. My teaching has been made much easier because of this.

 The staff has been very helpful. People have been very willing to explain to me things about the school, the students or Macau so that I could learn more about the world in which I was teaching. Everybody has gone out of their way to make me feel very comfortable here in Macau and because of this I have felt able to teach and learn in Macau very easily. It was good to see how much the teachers encouraged their students to speak and hope that the students will continue to practice their English when they get the opportunity to.

        When I leave to go back home to Canada I’m sure I will miss the food of Macau and how I am able to walk everywhere here, but most all I will miss the people who have been so kind to me during my stay.

Reflection from Connie

Reflection – Connie Yu                                     June, 2010

        I came to Macau as part of the Teaching Across Borders program offered by the University of Calgary in Canada.  The goal of the program is to allow Master of Teaching students to achieve a greater international perspective on education and to understand what it is like to teach in a unique cultural setting.  After living and teaching in Macau for the past five months, I can say with confidence that this has truly been one of the best experiences of my life. Knowing very little about Macau before I came, I was quickly captured by the beauty and history of this small but enchanting city.  The architecture is breathtaking and the food of course is delicious!  However, what I love the most about Macau is its simple and relaxed atmosphere.  Now what I call my home away from home, living in Macau has taught me what it means to embrace a lifestyle different from my own and to take time to appreciate everything the city has to offer.

Without a doubt, teaching at St. Joseph’s or CDSJ has been the highlight of my time here.   I was asked to teach Primary 2 English as well as help facilitate Kindergarten and Primary 6 English activity classes.  Since I have never taught English as a second language before, I was both nervous and excited to get into the classroom.  Meeting my class for the first time was a memorable moment for me.  The Primary 2 students welcomed my presence immediately and seemed eager to learn more about the English language.  Although communication in English was difficult at times, their energy and interest in learning helped overcome any obstacles we encountered.  What I hope my students have come to understand is that learning can be exiting, fun and can even take place outside the classroom. Over time, I have noticed many students feeling more confident in their English abilities.  Students became less shy about speaking English and were eager and willing to try.  Although their vocabulary may still be limited, it was exciting to hear my students try out new words and phrases they have learned both in and out of the classroom.  The students have taught me more things than I can imagine and it is this cooperative learning as teacher and student that has provided me with the greatest reward.   

Through my participation with CDSJ, I have met some remarkable people.  Everyone has been extremely kind and generous in taking the time to help familiarize myself with both the school and the city.  The team of teachers and staff members at CDSJ looked forward to the opportunity to converse with us as a means to practice and improve upon their English. This desire to always continue learning sets a good example for the students and it is evident in the children’s positive attitude towards English classes.  All the instructor’s passion for teaching is undeniable and it is clear that CDSJ is a school that values building strong and lasting relationships with their students and staff members.

 

        I feel extremely grateful that I have been given this opportunity to be a part of St. Joseph’s team of educators.  Through my time here I have experienced tremendous growth as a teacher and as a person.  Although there are many differences between Macau and Canada, it is these differences that have encouraged me to appreciate teaching and learning in a new way. Although I will be returning to Canada at the end of the term, it won’t be long until I call Macau my home once again as I have signed on to continue teaching at CDSJ for the upcoming school year!  I look forward to the experiences that lie ahead and I can’t wait to start teaching in September!

Reflection of Cailean and Melissa Duggan

Reflections on my time in Macau

Today is my last day in Macau, and there are many things I would like to say! 

From the first moment I arrived in Macau, Melissa (Mrs. Duggan) and I began to experience the warm hospitality that Macau and the CDSJ has to offer.  The people from the CDSJ have been very kind to both us, and have helped us with everything we have needed to live and enjoy our time in your city.  You are all very wonderful people – thank you.

Macau itself is a very special place, and we have enjoyed learning about the unique mix of Chinese and Portuguese history and culture.  We encourage all of you to be proud of your city, and to help share it with the world!

Schools in Macau, like the CDSJ, are different from the schools in Canada.  In Canada, there are usually “school zones”.  The school zone in Canada often includes a parking lot for cars, special laws for cars to drive slowly, and a large field for sports and play-time.  Here in Macau, schools seem to blend in with the rest of the shops and buildings. Mrs. Duggan and I found this very interesting!

Teaching at the CDSJ has been very interesting as well.  There are many things that I liked.  I was given a lot of freedom to create my own lessons, and use my own ideas!  This is the first time I have ever had so much freedom, and I am very thankful for it.  However, at times it would have been very helpful to have more direction.  To improve on the quality of my teaching, a clearer set of expectations for my teaching could have been helpful (example: intended learning goals for the students).

I will now share my general teaching philosophy that guided my teaching strategies in Macau.  To improve motivation and students learning, my plan here was to ask my students what they wanted to learn, and then create lesson based on their answers.  This seemed to be a new idea for the students, and it took some time for them to understand the correct way to behave when given more control over their learning.  I believe, though, that if a teacher continues to build strong, positive relationships with students, a teacher can learn about the different strategies, concepts, and topics that work best for each student’s learning needs.  Most importantly, with a sustained commitment to this approach I believe that a stronger sense of mutual respect can start to grow between a teacher and student.   Personally, I believe that showing respect for oneself and others is a very important part of success and happiness in life.

At times it was difficult to put some of my ideas into practice.  Part of this was because I do not speak Cantonese.  However, with patience, and trying different methods (different words, using pictures, etc…) I believe we often achieved success together.  Another obstacle was the lack of space.  Some of my lesson required students to be out of their seats and moving around the classroom.  However, with so many students in a limited amount of space, these lessons were not as successful as they could have been.  Fortunately, the CDSJ is busy building a new campus, and that will definitely help create some needed space!

Nevertheless, I always did my best, and I know my students were able to learn some English and have some fun while doing it!  Certainly, there were some difficult classes, but I had a great time teaching at the CDSJ and I learned a lot about myself as a teacher, and a person.  The students have demonstrated very good oral English skills, and I am confident that with effort they will continue to improve.

Mrs. Duggan and I are sad to leave this very special place, and we will miss all of you very much!  If you ever come for a visit to Canada, please let us know, and we will be happy to see you!

Sincerely,

Mr. Cailean Duggan

Student Assessment Breakdown     

Types of Assessments

-         Diagnostic Assessment

l            Test given at the beginning of the year to determine what level each student is at. Used by teachers to inform their practice and lesson planning.

-         Self assessments

l            Students are given the opportunity to self-evaluate their own work

-         Peer assessments

l            Ex. Exhibition of projects in the classroom, each student is responsible for assessing one of their peers. Can be a simple checklist, or a smiley/sad face type

-         Conferences

l            Met with students one on one, on a regular basis to talk about their progress in class. Allow space and time for students acknowledge for progress and identify areas for improvement. Conferences give students the opportunity to reflect and thus take responsibility for their own learning.

-         Test/Quizzes/Exams

l            Multiple Choice, fill in the blanks, short and long answers, matching etc.

Projects/Assignments to be Assessed

-         Written projects (ex. written stories/sentences with illustrations, essays)

-         Oral presentations (ex. Present family photos, describing pictures)

-         Portfolio (a collection of student’s best work)

-         Journals

-         Class participation & group work (ex. Oral class, asking & answering questions) Group projects

Assessment tools for Projects/Assignments

l            Rating Scales

l            Rubrics (examples below)

l            Checklist

-       Are great for participation marks. They are quick, easy and effective when completed on a regular basis.

l            Anecdotal notes

-       ** Important to provide students with descriptive feedback. Can describe certain situations or general comments about their strengths/areas for improvement, for example. Useful when writing report cards!

Strategies for Anecdotal Note taking

Anecdotal notes are great for assessing the younger age groups, but is time consuming and often subjective. Here are some strategies that have worked for many teachers:

Immediate Note taking

-         Every time a student demonstrates their understanding of a concept or meets the learning objective then record it down on your notepad. If anything stands out, simply record it down, whether it is behavioral or academic. At the end of the day organize your notes.

End of Day Note taking

-         Begin an anecdotal note taking binder by dividing the binder into separate sections dedicated to each of your students. Take 15 minutes after school to sit down and jot quick notes about the student’s behavior, participation or learning progress during the lessons today. Be as specific as possible. By the end of the term you will have a binder filled with observations, comments and feedback to give to the students and their parents.

Colégio Diocesano de São José

Primary 1                         Topic: My Family                      Name:_________________________________

	4. Distinguished	3. Proficient	2. Apprentice	1. Novice
Content-Amount of Information: Topic and length	Work showed understanding of the topic. Work answered the project questions.	Work included many sentences on the topic. Sentences were clear and answer the questions.	Work was about the topic and had sentences that answer the questions.	Work was not about the topic. Sentences were short and did not answer the questions.
Oral Presentation-Overview: Eye contact, confidence	Made lots of eye contact. Spoke clearly and looked very confident.	Made some eye contact. Spoke clearly and looked confident.	Made some eye contact. Voice was too soft. Seemed uncomfortable.	Spoke too softly. Did not stand up straight. Did not look at the audience.
Writing-Ideas: Detailed content supports the main idea	Writing has different and interesting details which support the main idea.	Writing has many supporting and interesting details which support the main idea.	Writing has a few details that support the main idea.	Writing has little to no details.
Writing-Sentence Fluency: Length, variety, and flow	Most sentences were different lengths. Writing had a natural rhythm and flow.	Many sentences were different lengths. Most sentences flowed from one to another.	Many sentences were the same length. Some sentences flowed from one to another.	Most sentences were the same length. There was no flow from one sentence to another.

Colégio Diocesano de São José

Primary 1                         Topic: My Family                    Name:________________________

	P	O
1. His/Her project has many sentences that answer topic questions.
2. His/Her will speak clearly and look at the audience.
3. His/Her writing has details about my topic.
4. His/Her sentences are different lengths and work well together.
5. His/Her writing uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
6. His/Her writing uses descriptive words.

Colégio Diocesano de São José

Primary 6                         Topic: My Dream Job                 Name:_________________________________

	4. Distinguished	3. Proficient	2. Apprentice	1. Novice
Content-Amount of Information: Topic and length	Work showed understanding of the topic. Work answered the project questions.	Work included many sentences on the topic. Sentences were clear and answer the questions.	Work was about the topic and had sentences that answer the questions.	Work was not about the topic. Sentences were short and did not answer the questions.
Oral Presentation-Overview: Eye contact, confidence	Made lots of eye contact. Spoke clearly and looked very confident.	Made some eye contact. Spoke clearly and looked confident.	Made some eye contact. Voice was too soft. Seemed uncomfortable.	Spoke too softly. Did not stand up straight. Did not look at the audience.
Writing-Ideas: Detailed content supports the main idea	Writing has different and interesting details which support the main idea.	Writing has many supporting and interesting details which support the main idea.	Writing has a few details that support the main idea.	Writing has little to no details.
Writing-Sentence Fluency: Length, variety, and flow	Most sentences were different lengths. Writing had a natural rhythm and flow.	Many sentences were different lengths. Most sentences flowed from one to another.	Many sentences were the same length. Some sentences flowed from one to another.	Most sentences were the same length. There was no flow from one sentence to another.