TESOL Practicum - Jo Doran, Ph.D., M.F.A.



TESOL Practicum

EN 591 Graduate Directed Study

Course Syllabus Winter 2014

Grammar & Language Applications

Credit Hours: 4 credits

Instructor: Dr. Jo Doran

Office: Whitman 163

Phone: 227.2594

Office Hours: By appointment

Email: cdoran@nmu.edu

Webpage:

Required Text: Teaching Grammar in Second Language Classrooms: Integrating Form-Focused Instruction in Communicative Context. Hossein Nassaji, Sandra S. Fotos. Routledge Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978-0-415-80205-5 (paperback $47.95 through Routledge; $42.91 through Amazon)

Course Description

EN 591 is a Directed Study course for NMU students working toward TESOL certification. The course involves teaching, observation, reading, application of previous learning, and reflection. This course is graded as a pass/fail course only.

This course involves working closely with a designated instructor for the course: This designated instructor is the assigned instructor for the NELI course. This course also involves meeting with Dr. Doran three times throughout the semester: An initial meeting to discuss the syllabus, etc. and two additional times to assess your progress and give you feedback on your work. These meetings may be face-to-face or online.

Please note that your designated instructor will be assigned to you by the NELI Director. Throughout this syllabus, “designated instructor” will be referred to as DI.

Course Objectives

• Application: This course is designed to help you to apply the methodological principles learned in your TESOL program courses in a real classroom context.

• Teaching: Practicum students must teach a minimum of twelve class sessions of 60 minutes or more. Four of these twelve must be four, consecutive teaching days in one week. You may teach more classes if you wish – but only on approval from the DI.

• Observations of Your Teaching: The DI will observe you each time you teach and complete an observation form. Additionally, the NELI Director, Dr. Jo Doran, will try to observe you twice during the practicum – early on in the Block and later on in the Block. This requires the following:

o Submit your teaching schedule to your DI and to the NELI Director near the beginning of the semester Block. Once the Director has chosen a date for observation, she will notify you.

o Email the following to the Director via email – at least 24 hours in advance:

▪ A copy of your completed lesson plan

▪ Any handouts you plan to use

▪ A concise and observable list of three criteria you want the Director to consider when observing you

• Observations by You: Practicum students must observe a minimum of twelve class sessions. These twelve observations must include two other NELI classes taught by two instructors other than your DI.

o For these two classes, you must write up a one-page observation of each class. Observations of your DI will help you in both practical and theoretical learning.

o Be sure to write down your general observations of your DI to describe her methods using terminology learned from your methodology courses. Additionally, you may want to focus on a topic or theme from your required textbook, when observing.

• Reflection Assignment: I am open to ideas you have about this assignment. Additionally, I have included possible foci at the end of this syllabus.

• Teaching Philosophy: Practicum students must create a teaching philosophy statement. Please limit this statement to one page, single-spaced. Required readings for this assignment are here:

• Organization of Course: You may organize the course in one of two ways:

o You may divide your teaching and observations between the two semesters – while reading the required text and taking notes for your reflection assignment and teaching philosophy.

o You may spend the first semester on reading and observation – and the second semester on teaching and writing

o Your two written assignments are not due until May 3. That said, you must turn in at least two drafts of your teaching philosophy before I see the final paper on May 3. I do not need to see a draft of your reflection paper, unless you wish to revise it.

Highly Recommended Texts

• Teaching by Principles: An Integrative Approach to language Pedagogy, H. D. Brown. Longman Publishing. 2001/Second Edition

• Curriculum Development in Language Teaching, Jack C. Richards. Cambridge Publishing. 2003

Requirements for the Course – and Due Dates

• 12 hours of volunteer teaching, including observations filled out by your DI – by May 3

• One copy of your completed lesson plan, applicable handouts, and list of three criteria for observation – emailed or turned in as a hard copy to the NELI Coordinator before each observation of you by the NELI Coordinator

• 12 hours of observation, including notes from your observations – Due May 3

• Your lesson plans: to be completed before the class period that you teach. All copies of your lesson plans are due to the NELI Director by May 3.

• Textbook: Read all (see “Required Textbook”) – Read before you write your Reflective Paper

• Reflective Paper: 3-5 pages, single spaced, Times New Roman, size 11 font – Due May 3

• Teaching Philosophy: 1 page, single spaced, Times New Roman, size 11 font – Due May 3

• Lesson Plans for all classes taught: Please staple these or place them in a folder to turn in.

• Recording of Hours and Activities: Please keep a record of your hours (see Guidelines, below): Please type this up as a Word document – Due May 3

Citation Style

Please use MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citation style for your papers. I have no preference between the three.

Guidelines

• Meet with your DI early - and before the beginning of the practicum semester.

• Please set up a teaching schedule as soon as possible with your DI. There might be days that your DI wishes to teach the class herself for some reason. Therefore, plan to spend time with your DI to understand how she would like to design the course around your practicum needs.

• Fulfill your required practicum hours and keep a log of your time:

o Time spent in the classroom

o Time spent in class preparation and grading

o Time spent in meetings with your DI

o Time spent reading, reflecting, and writing

• Create detailed lesson plans for each class you teach. Review these plans with your DI – before you teach.

• Be prompt, open to learning, cooperative, and practice professional ethics. Be early for class. Do not be late for class. We have serious attendance and time issues with our NELI students and it is paramount that we set a professional example. Additionally, multiple absences and/or tardies are grounds for your removal from the Practicum. You must notify your DI the night before if you will not be to school the next day. This is for emergencies only.

• Make sure that you are supervised at all times.

• Please remember that your DI may use different approaches that you may have learned in the TESOL program. Please note that you will be expected to adapt to your DI’s methods of teaching and honor her procedures and the policies and curriculum of the NELI program. If you have questions about the type of methodology your DI uses, please ask her in private. Please note that you will be removed from the Practicum with a failing grade if you question or challenge the DI’s methodology in front of students. Your presence in the classroom must never compromise the education of the NELI students.

• Feel free to share methodologically-based ideas that you would like to develop through your lesson plans with your DI, but remember that your DI has the final say. The DI is responsible for the instruction of the NELI students.

• The DI is not your teacher. She has volunteered her time to allow you to work with her and her students at no extra pay. Please respect her time, as she teaches multiple classes.

• Dress appropriately for teaching and use proper hygiene. Please note that we do not dress casually (blue jeans, sweatshirts, etc.) in the NELI program. Additionally, do not wear any low-cut tanks, tops, or blouses or any too-short skirts. In addition to normal ethical considerations, we are teaching students from cultures that have different views on dress, etc. than we do in the U.S. Wearing more overly modest clothing is required in the NELI program.

• Please note that some of our students do not have a sense of what is and what is not appropriate to talk about in public. Objectively route the conversation to an appropriate topic if this occurs.

• Contact the NELI Director regarding any problems that may arise with your DI – after – you have seriously attempted to work out any problems in a professional manner with your DI. Treating a DI disrespectfully will be grounds for removal from the Practicum.

• Review FERPA before teaching. Maintain proper confidentiality with students and colleagues.

Course Policies

ADA STATEMENT

If you have a need for disability-related accommodations or services, please inform the coordinator of Disability Services in the Disability Office at 2001 C.B. Hedgecock (227-1700). Reasonable and effective accommodations and services will be provided to students if requests are made in a timely manner, with appropriate documentation, in accordance with federal, state, and University guidelines.

Also – please inform me if you have a disability and need-related accommodation/services.

NMU’s Non-Discrimination Policy

Northern Michigan University does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, height, weight, marital status, familial status, handicap/disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status in employment or the provision of services, and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities.

Anyone having civil rights inquiries may contact the Equal Opportunity Office, 502 Cohodas Hall, telephone number 906-227-2420.

Teaching Resources

Please make sure that you pick up copies of Recommendations for Classroom Teaching and Guidelines for Unit Lesson Plans from the NELI Director before you begin your Practicum.

Be sure to contact the NELI Director with any questions or concerns you may have.

Possible Ideas for your Reflection Paper

A portion of your reflection paper should address your experiences in teaching the NELI students. Additionally, a portion of your reflection paper should include an emphasis on methodology. Here are some possible considerations for this section of your paper:

• What methodological principles, which you have been learning, did you see emphasized within the classroom context?

• What ‘inconsistencies’ did you see between methodological principles you have been learning and what you observed in the NELI classroom? Please go beyond listing them – and discuss them in detail. This may entail a discussion about possible successes or failures of theoretical materials compared to real-life application.

• Consider the proportion of teacher talk to learner talk in the NELI classroom through your observations. In your opinion, how did the proportion affect the student’s learning?

• Consider the proportion of teacher talk to learner talk in the NELI classes you taught. Compare this to your observation of your DI and discuss this.

• Choose a key idea from the required textbook and show its application to the real-world classroom context through your observations and practicum teaching.

• Consider what you have been learning regarding the theories of second language teaching and discuss the relationship between those theories and actual classroom planning.

This is a sample observation form that your designated instructor will use when observing you:

PRACTICUM OBSERVATION FORM

This form is designed to be used by the Designated Instructor when observing lessons taught in his or her classroom.

Practicum Student:

Designated Instructor:

Date of Observation:

Please list 1-3 strengths observed in this lesson:

Please list 1-3 areas for improvement based on this lesson:

Any other comments – on backside of paper:

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