Category Archives: Self-Study

The Role of Writing in the Process of Learning a Foreign Language

Writing and teaching have always been the main drivers of my identity. Doing both at the same time has been, in one way or another, a recurring theme in my life. That is why for my self-study I’ve chosen to focus on how my own experience as a writer has impacted my teaching career throughout the years, making me develop a language program that uses writing as a central component of the practice and acquisition of a foreign tongue.  

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Creative Writing As a Lens for Exploring My Creative Practice

For my tenure self-study, I will focus on my own creative writing practice. This year, I am specializing in the teaching of English/Language Arts rather than Humanities as a whole. This means I am designing new curriculum and a major focus of the year for me is the teaching of writing, both expository and creative writing. Continue reading Creative Writing As a Lens for Exploring My Creative Practice

A Kindergarten Classroom in a Global Pandemic?

Community is at the heart of early childhood education. We rely on our classroom community to connect with one other, to create positive learning environments, to enrich programming, to build and foster strong relationships, and to deepen our understanding of identity and cultural knowledge. By building community in our Kindergarten, students take risks and persevere when faced with a challenge. 

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Self-Study During the Pandemic

When I started my second attempt at the self-study my initial idea was that I would focus on making sure I didn’t become a “dinosaur”. A dinosaur in this context meant faculty member and teacher who was wed to the way he/she has always done things. I was going to re-examine my habits as a teacher and a learner. Continue reading Self-Study During the Pandemic

The Problems of Unexamined Normative Assumptions

Essential Questions:

  • How do we teach students to see historical events through multiple perspectives?
  • How does changing the “voice” of the class materials challenge stereotypes about non-Western civilizations and cultures?
  • How do we teach students to value the achievements of civilizations that are not their (or our) own or that have traditionally been seen through a deficit lens?
  • How can highlighting examples of interactions between oppressed and dominant groups throughout history reveal injustices that affect our students’ lives?

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Towards Interaction and Comprehension

Through this project, I wanted to explore how to make my assignments (homework and in the classroom) even more interactive and centered around listening comprehension and speaking in the target language in order to engage the students, reduce their anxiety (since it will not require a final product) and actually incorporate some mindfulness exercises. Continue reading Towards Interaction and Comprehension