5.What questions are you living at this stage of your life from “How can I get up in the morning? To “ How can I become a good teacher? Are the questions you are now living the ones you want to live? If not, what questions would you like to be living? How might you hold these questions at the center of your attention?

 All the mornings I get up with news goals in my mind about teaching, because my life is constantly changing, now I have the responsibilities on my hands. I want to be a good teacher, a person who my students may truth. Not only as teacher but also  as person.  I want to use several tools which are going to be meaningful in the process of teaching. I want to become an effective teacher to help my students to develop their skills,  I am living every single experiences as a teacher, I am get accustomed to have a good communication with my students, so I try to do my best and build effective lesson plans for apply into the classroom. I have been learning techniques, tools that I considered useful for my students into the classroom. 

     4  Palmer discusses six paradoxes of pedagogical design (pp.73-83).Choose one to focus on.  Share examples of teaching environments you have experienced where this paradox is honored.  Have you ever been in a classroom where only half of the paradox was honored while the other half was ignored? Describe what that classroom was like.

In this case I chose “space should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group” why? Because, I’m practitioner at Insa , and in this place is so difficult to do an activity where studets may feel motivated to participate or ask some questions that I do in classes, it’s not easy to work with this kind of students because they are afraid to talk or share their ideas with their classmates, Sometimes students don’t feel good or comfortable for express their ideas, but we as teachers must help them to improve their skills.

      3.Describe a moment in teaching when things went so well you knew you were “born to teach” and compare it to a moment in which things went so poorly you wished you had never been born! Name the gifts that made this good moment possible—not the techniques you used or the moves you made, but your qualities.

The moment that I felt so good in teaching was the most wonderful day. I considered that I was able to teach, because I like to establish communication with children, teenagers and adults if it can be the case. It was more than my dream. It was my life. I think many positive things. I was exciting to be an English teacher; I believe that everything in teaching have to be perfect but my second class was a disaster. I felt bad and I didn’t want to continue with my major. I felt that I couldn’t be a teacher because I didn’t have the ability to teach. Students couldn’t pay attention to me. They talked too much in class and took the class as a game. So, it was terrible for me I didn’t feel motivate in that moment because I couldn’t control the class. All of these emotions made me reflect about the way aren’t easy, if I want to be a teacher, I must face several problems or doubts. Those moments were tools for understand my goals and how I can get it. 

2. Name some of your key gifts or strengths as a teacher. Now name a struggle or difficulty you commonly have in teaching.  How do you understand the relation between your profile of giftedness and the kind of trouble you typically get into in the classroom?

 

I can identify some strengths , that I have in this process of teaching for example: I have the ability to talk in front of many people, so I don’t feel nervous, when I teach in front of my students, something else is the struggles, that I have at the momento to explain a topic , because I explain everything clear, discipline into the classroom is so important, and i consider  that I can controll the class, activities, participation,exercises,etc. But I have my difficulties to teach a class, this is that I cant write well on the board, this is the most difficult thing for me , because I don’t consider that I have an excellent letter, as a result I’m not a creative teacher, I consider that prepare many materials can be frustated for me, I don’t develop this skill, I prefer to work without colorful materials.

       1.   In what ways have you experienced “suffering” as a student teacher? Has your suffering had any redemptive quality to it; that is, has it made you heart larger? What would help you deepen the redemptive quality of the suffering your experience in your work?

To be a teacher is so difficult, sometimes we suffer into the classroom with some students at the momento to teach , they don’t want top ay attention to us for any reason, or they talk to much in class. I remind that the last week, I was teaching the topic “THERE IS”, I began the class asa always with a warm up, and there was a boy , he was making noisy in class, and he did’nt want to participate in that activity , when I began the warm up, he told me “teacher, don¡t you have to do anything else?, because I want to have a free hour, in that momento i felt so bad, I felt nervous, because all the students looked at me, and I could’nt do anything, i dind’nt want to answer his question, only i said “ok who want to be in the class, please pay attention”, It can be a way to suffering as a students teacher, It is not a comfortable momento for me, but we as a teacher will face many others problems in this process in teaching , we must over come and improve this situation in a better way. All of this problems make me learn about every silgle mistakes, and then they will be experiences, so these exeperiences will help me to reflect about “what I’m doing as a teacher” or which things I may change and recognize in which areas I can be fail.

CHAPTER III THE HIDDEN WHOLENESS: PARADOX IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Palmer writes that we are trained to “think the world apart,”dissecting it into either-ors, but we need to learn to “think the world together,” embracing opposites and appreciating paradoxes.
The principle of paradox can guide us in thinking about classroom dynamics—and in designing a teaching and learning space that can hold the community of truth.

Evelyn Fox Keller says of Nobel Prize—winner Barbara McClintock that her knowing came from “the highest form of love, love that allows for intimacy without the annihilation of difference” (pp. 55).  Does this kind of love have a place in education? If not, why not? If so, how might it be taught? How might it make a difference if we could teach students to love the world in this way?

In my point of view this love takes place in education because teachers must educate their students with love, and must treat all students equally without preference. Equity is important in the classroom as all students have the ability to learn in an environment full of love, understanding, respect, responsibility. Every teacher can prepare this process as best as we can, first we must approach this love into the  classroom teaching so that our students can focus this love with others. We can make a difference starting in the classroom and that is where it starts to create an atmosphere of harmony and teaching and our students can learn not only knowledge if not humanity with others

III. Write about a fear, not necessarily related to teaching that once controlled you, but no longer does.  What caused you to confront that fear? What helped you get loose from it? What were theresults? What did you learn?
 

Well, my biggest fear in my life is to fail my mom, because she didn’t want me to study this career, for me my mom is the most important person, she is my world, and everything that I do is for her,  every single day I think about all the dreams that I want to get, I know that it not easy for me , maybe I will face some problems or obstacles, but when I remind that my mom is with me all the time, and tell me that I can able to be a better person, professional etc, she motivates me to go ahead, to get my goals, and improve myself, all of this things make me feel frustrated, because I believe that I couldn’t get my mom’s perspectives, and she could feel disappointed of me, but one day I comprehend that I can’t to indulge to everybody , I had to learn by myself and take into account my needs and what I want for my future, I learned about this experience many things, that I can get my dreams, I’m able to decide about my future and everybody must respect my ideas and thoughts.

II.     Palmer writes, “Good teaching is an act of hospitality toward the young, and hospitality is always an act that benefits the host even more than the guest” (p. 50). In what specific ways do you think a teacher has to be hospitable to students? In what ways do they treat them as unwelcome guests? How do teachers benefit from practicing hospitality toward students?

The school is the second house for our students, because they spend a lot of time there, they share their ideas, knowledge, etc, we as teachers must prepare a good environment for them , where they may feel comfortable at the moment to learn, for getting this point, teachers must have a good relationship with their students, it doesn’t mean that we have to be their friends, but we may listen to them, we can try to understand them, and help them in this process. We need to remind that we are their examples into the classroom and outside as a result teachers must have  a good behavior . In some cases we can’t establish a good communication with our students, so we may have some problems with them, maybe they don’t respect to us into the classroom, or they don’t want to do their best, and prefer to make noisy in this cases we can feel uncomfortable but it doesn’t mean that we discriminate this type of students, we have to look for tools to solve the problem, and they have to feel good in our classes and learn about their mistakes. There are some benefits practicing hospitality toward students, because of this way our students learn in a better way, they are able to develop their skills in a good environment where they can express their ideas and feel that they are important in the class, if we do our best we will be an effective teacher.

I     What are some of your fears in the classroom? How have you dealt with them? What have you learned about yourself and about fear as a result?
 

At the moment to teach , I have many fears in front of the students, I think that it was one of the most difficult experience that I had never have in my life, It’s a different  inviroment where I must learn to be a teacher. In this enviroment into the classroom, we have the responsability of stablish a good comunication with our students, and care them not only as a student  but also as person, we have take into account our students’ knowledge and what they can learn depend of our lesson plan, the way that we teach and the tools that  we can use in this process. The first day that I had to teach, I got the first fear , If I was able to catch my students’ attention, the second one, I asked myself if I could be able to explain a topic; in order that my students could understand to me, at the beginning , I tried to change my attitude, I tried to be enthusiastic in the class for catch their attention, I prepared myself for face any situation in the class, so i learn about every single mistakes and how to use some tools for do an effective class, I learned to improve my weaknesses when I was teaching . The word of education has manya reas where we can face fears, but we as teachers must look the way to improve this fears , and make them experiences.

Jane Tompkins discovered that her goal as a teacher had been to put on “performance,” thus distancing herself from students and subject (pp.28-29).  Do you identify with her self-criticism? If so, do you share Tompkins’s diagnosis of fear as the driving force behind this distancing? In what ways other than “performance” do teachers set themselves apart?

I don’t feel identified with herself criticism because I don’t think that I am different from my students probably I am older than them and I know more but my ambition is to help them as much as possible also, I want to improve my knowledge in order to get a better education in my student and try to give them a meaningful learning. Try to develop their cognitive ideas, affective area, and their manner. For that reason I don’t share her diagnosis because I think that when you feel that you are bigger than other persons is when you lose your humanity.

All the teachers have different ways to set themselves apart. Some of these ways are good but others are really bad. For example some of them act like military and they only share information with their students.

Others never establish a good rapport with their students and they never take care of their students, because they never take in to account their students’ needs.

III.    Reflect on your earliest encounters with teaching.  If you are drawn to teaching, when did you first feel drawn to it? What was it that drew you? What within you was evoked by teaching—its values, its methods, the way it names and frames reality? What does the nature of teaching reveal about who you are? If you aren’t, share a story about one of your favorite teachers.  What do you recall most vividly about that teacher? What was his / her relation to the subject taught? What was the ethos of his/ her classroom?

When i was a teenager I can remain that I like the ways of method that my teacher apply into de classroom, and how he treated us. He didn’t look his students as an object, he looked them as persons. I really enjoyed all of his classes; it was the reason why I feel drawn to do it. After high school, I decided to go to the university and to be an English teacher. I began to get experiences when I had the opportunity to be a practitioner and observe many students’ behaviors and different models of learning. In that moment, I said that I was in the correct way because I enjoy this environment and every single things around of them; so, I am sure that I want to be an effective teacher and I want to be a better person and my students can be proud of me. I want to have a good communication with them into and outside the classroom. Nowadays, every single day that I went to INSA and observe all the techniques that I can apply with them in order that they may keep their knowledge into their minds, improve their skills, and help them.

II.      Palmer writes: “ My ability to connect with my students and to connect them with the subject, depends less on the methods I use than on the degree to which I know and trust my selfhood—and I am willing to make it available and vulnerable in the service of learning” (p.10). What does it mean to rely on your selfhood rather than methods?

There are several techniques to implement in the teaching process and we must know how to teach for those who teach, when and where they are very important questions within this process, in my opinion methods are important for application in the classroom but more important is knowing use and not only that if you do not put them into practice and improve proper way, we must remember that we are not only teachers if we are people too and also our students, we must try to connect them that way. Establish good communication ensures a successful learning and good results for them and us, by using our individualities as teachers, we realize that our students trust us and themselves.

                                                             

I.       Write a personal statement trying to express what is at the heart of your life as a future teacher.  Consider the following questions: Why do I want to become a teacher? What do I stand for as a student teacher?  What do I want my legacy as a teacher to be? What can I do to keep track of myself, to “remember” my own heart? When did you first realize that you wanted to be a teacher? What were the circumstances of this realization? How close are you to those feelings today?

For me the most important thing is help other people because I like it , I remember that when I was a child I liked to help my friends with their homework I explained how they had to do the exercises and I think that it was my motivation to be a teacher, I think that I represent something good to my students because when they asked my age they felt happy because they think that I would be a good teacher because I can understand their thought because I am young like they are, for me is important what my students learn about me so I tried to give my best in my class because when you did your best students will learn for all his or her life not only for an exam so I tried to do my best in every class , another important thing is that I have to remember   everyday which are my goals as a teacher like help people, and in that way give my best every time that I give a class and right now I am in a process but I think that I will be a good teacher if  I always remember my goal that is help other people to be a better person.

Venn Diagram

What seems to be more difficult: teaching teens or teaching large classes? Reason your answer and think outside the box.

Teach large classes is more difficult than to teach teens because when you teach large classes you have to take into account their different needs but it is more difficult to do with large groups because is more difficult to maintain a good relationship with them, also you will have a lot of troubles inside the classroom; Moreover you will not achieve your objectives and your classes will be a disaster likewise, your students will lose their goals in your classes. on the other hand teaching teenagers but requires a big effort when you establish rules and the discipline takes place you will have a good class and you will achieve your objectives.

How would you deal with error correction in your classroom?

There are many options in which you can correct your students: immediately, after a few minutes, at the end of the activity, later in the lesson, at the end of the lesson, in the next lesson, later in the course, never. And for me, the best option is immediately. When I teach I ask to my pupils about the topic because I like to hear their opinions. The reason is because in that way I can take notes about their mistakes. I know I am not perfect yet, but if I don’t the correct pronunciation of a word I search on my dictionary and it helps me to correct my students. I correct them immediately because in that form the rest of the students learn through of their classmates’ errors. When they are doing a group activity I walk around of them and I correct their mistakes but with gentleness because if I laugh or if I do a gesture they feel uncomfortable. Then they don’t want to participate in classes because they feel shame of their mistakes and maybe they can lose the interest to learn English.

How can we raise student awareness about how students can best learn and help them find more ways of learning English more effectively and productively? Exemplify this through the lens of a student and prospective ELT practitioner.

Teaching is difficult to many teachers but I consider it an art, because we are able to do something in our students‘ mind. Sometimes, it is a little bit hard to increase student’s achievements but it is not impossible to get good students with a good attitude to learn. I am a practitioner and I can see some problems into the classroom at the moment to learn. So, I try to look an effective way to improve their skills. I use readings in my classes to introduce new vocabulary within the context of the reading. Then, the students read silently and they try to understand by themselves what the reading is about. After that, I ask them if they have any question and check understanding the new vocabulary because I introduce the new vocabulary beforehand, or have students encounter the new words. Some minutes later, I write on the board the words that they don’t know. We must take into a count our lesson because is the tool for make good students.