I am a recent graduate from the Masters of Teaching Program through the University of Calgary. I was originally presented with the opportunity to choose a placement with the Aga Khan Foundation. I was placed in Eastern Africa, more specifically, Nairobi Kenya. I was scheduled to leave January 8th and return mid July. Following the election that occurred December 27th of 2007, Kenya became very unstable and many violent riots occurred. My placement at the Aga Khan School ultimately ended up being cancelled. The International Office began working very hard to find me a new placement abroad and to ensure I still had the overseas experience. I was alternatively placed in Macau, China. I began teaching in February to students ranging from 3-17 years of age.
I was originally assigned teaching in Kenya that related to my specialization within the Masters of Teaching, which is secondary Physical Education. As I was teaching to smaller aged children with the Aga Khan Foundation, I was still within my specialization field. Going to Macau, I had the opportunity to teach English as a second language as well as English at a senior level. Not only was I challenged with teaching English at a senior level, which was clearly out of my specialization, but I had to teach it to students that were sill learning ESL. This proved to be a bit difficult at times due to the language barrier, however I had to discover new ways to communicate not only through language. Finding teaching methods that were successful were often achieved through a trial and error process. Some days lessons went really well and other days, unfortunately, were not as successful. I was sure that my students had understood the assignment that I created for them, and I would sometimes receive something totally different! It was truly a learning process for all of us!
For the younger students, my main responsibility was to help improve their English language skills, which consisted of vocabulary and oral lessons. The challenge here was definitely their age and skill level. We often had to have a translator to help us explain activities and games that we had created to teach them new vocabulary. We worked with many, many wonderful people that had given us full support and provided us with all the help we needed to make our lessons successful.
Some of the major projects we worked on while in China included an English Noah’s Ark play for the Kindergarten students, a 3 day 2 night all English camp for the Grade 6 students, and a full semester of senior level grammar to the Grade 10 students. I took great pride in watching the progression and final outcome from all the students involved. They were all so hard working and eager to learn the international language as well as achieving high grades throughout the remainder of the subjects.
Experience in teaching English as a second language with a L2 environment (an environment that English is not the first language) is truly priceless and I feel that I have taken so many valuable lessons not only from the students but the teachers at the school as well. Learning about strategies in teaching ESL students doesn’t matter until you are able to apply them to the classroom. I feel I have gained insight into how difficult it may be for a student to enter an environment where their language is not the first language and the difficulties that may arise from this. I have been equipped with tools to help those students become more successful while in the public school system, as well as seeing the importance of continual professional development in this area.
I had been placed at Tom Baines Junior High School for the third semester of the MT program and developed a great relationship with the staff and students there. I took some of their school uniforms over to Macau with me where I handed them out to some of the students. I was able to send back the pictures for Tom Baines students to see. The students in Macau were also able to experience a bit of what a Canadian school is like. They were thrilled to have received a gift from a Canadian school and they were also surprised to see the students in Canada also had to wear a uniform for Phys. Ed. Classes.
I appreciate the scholarship I have received to help make my experience overseas even better. I believe the experience that I have gained from going overseas for the last semester could not have been achieved through a class at the university. Although I am truly grateful for everything that I have learned from the MT program, the most valuable lessons were achieved from the practicum work that I have done throughout the two year program. Also, providing the international connection between the two schools was a wonderful bonus that I was also able to go help with. Maybe one day a student may travel overseas and experience the world through education!
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