Balance

“The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner.” 
― Gordon B. Hinckley

The term is now in full swing and I am feeling the effects of it. I've got a heavy load and balancing everything is going to be challenging. I felt challenged all last week. Teaching online, conducting six Skype calls with participants from rural areas of the world, and being responsible for developing curriculum, while leading a team through the process and teaching face to face, keeps me quite busy. I've realized that balance will be key in me surviving this term. In fact, I believe that balance is a key ingredient to surviving life.

Last week in Webskills, participants created objectives according to the ABCD objective model. Writing objectives according to this model can be tedious, and providing feedback can be as well. I always learn so much when providing feedback to my online participants, and a lot of being a facilitator of learning in this capacity is feedback. When I find myself giving feedback to highly qualified teachers, it is a great reminder that teaching is learning; it never ends.

Skype was not cooperating last week. Three out of six calls had good connectivity, which was a shame because the topic was sharing travel adventures, specifically circumstances where we had found ourselves hindered by language or cultural barriers. Moreover, travel adventures where we may have found ourselves in an undesirable situation and mankind had prevailed, leading us to safety and helping resolve the problem.

I told the story of how I ended up having lunch in an old German couple's bedroom.

In short, after a solo adventure to Austria to go kayaking, during the summer that I was in Germany teaching English, I found myself stranded in Innsbruck. My ride had left me, and I had no money. I needed to be back in Germany the following morning to teach. As the reality of my situation became more evident, I began to panic; tears in my eyes, head in my hands, I looked up to see a tall, thin man standing before me. He asked if I was alright. Thrilled to hear the sweet sound of English, I explained my situation to him. Manfred, the gentleman's name, listened intently, and then offered to buy me a train ticket back to Germany under one circumstance. He wanted me to agree to have lunch with his parents, who used to spend every summer in Florida. He wanted to give them the opportunity to reminisce about pastimes and travels with a person who would know of the places they had been. Of course, I agreed to this. When I asked where his parents lived, he explained that the crazy thing was that they lived in the next town over from me in Germany. Two weeks later, I found myself at Manfred's parents house, along with Manfred, for a traditional German lunch. The afternoon began in the living room, where we visited for awhile before lunch was ready. When Manfred's mom announced that it was time for lunch, I thought we would relocate to the dining room. However, we walked down the hallway to the back bedroom, where a table and chairs were set up. There in the bedroom of an old German couple's home, I ate lunch and listened while they shared memories about their time in the U.S.  Their eyes sparkled as they spoke of places and events that they hadn't thought about for many years. It was lovely.

That story is one that I will never forget. Manfred helped me, so I helped his parents by igniting memories that they hadn't thought about in years. What a small world, and a world where good still exists. A world where people are still willing to lend a helping hand.

I wish the Skype calls could have been better, so that all my participants could hear my story and I theirs.

Skpye may not have wanted to perform at a high quality last week, but I experienced a high quality of learning among my oral skills students. They did their first presentations. The topic they presented on was their favorite vacation. Presenting was challenging for them, as I pushed them to speak for 2 minutes, which is a long time for learners of their proficiency. When I gave them the assignment, they were sure that they couldn't do it. After preparation throughout the week, each of them did an excellent job. They made me proud, but more importantly, they made themselves proud. It was a joy to witness.

After a somewhat stressful week, and teaching for two hours on Friday, I had a couple of meetings to attend before finishing work for the week; one I was leading, one I was attending. The meetings were rejuvenating after a long challenging week. My oral skills 2 team were all excited about the presentations their students had done as well, and everyone came to the meeting ready to share ideas and collaborate. They truly are helping me build a stronger curriculum. It is amazing how much effective productivity happens with the right group dynamic. I felt exhilarated leaving that meeting as I headed to a meeting with the Webskills team, where I am fortunate to work with some extremely talented individuals. I found myself learning things I had no idea I was about to learn. By the end of the day on Friday, I didn't feel stressed by all the challenges I had faced, I felt lucky. Lucky to be working with individuals who inspire me; from my students in oral skills, Webskills, and PALSS courses, to the colleagues I collaborate with, I couldn't stay balanced, if it weren't for these individuals.

I also couldn't stay balanced if it weren't for my active lifestyle. I managed to take a couple of nice hikes last week, as well as joining my first Zumba class. I love Zumba. Dancing an hour away with a group of ladies, SO fun!

Walking out of last week and into a new week, I am reminded of how important it is to balance everything. I have to manage my time, ask for help when I need it, and take care of myself both physically and mentally. As long as I stay balanced, I can handle all the challenges that come my way.

Celebrate Diversity

“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap.” 
― Ani DiFranco

After the first week of face to face classes and the second week of online classes, it is ever apparent the benefits that diversity in your learners and the people you work with brings. 

The Webskills participants are quickly forming a productive virtual learning community. This week they've been exploring Noodle Tools, which is a portal of search engines. As we all tend to lean on our good friend, Google, the goal of the week is to find search engines that cater to more specific searches.

Participants have been sharing their experiences and guiding each other through the course material in their online discussion board. The discussion is rich with unique experiences both in the quest for effective search engines and the different kinds of searches that each person is conducting and sharing based on their needs and interests. A great deal has been learned in the search process through sharing and collaborating. It is always amazing to witness the productive communication that occurs in this online platform. In addition to my Webskills participants, I continued my weekly Skpye calls with the PALSS participants. This week we shared information about our childhood, comparing and contrasting how different our lives have been. It is a joy to be able to connect on a world wide scale!

Diversity in my face to face class is going to offer itself to yet another productive learning community. My learners come from a variety of different backgrounds, yet they all share the experience of adjusting to a new culture, living in the United States. They are eager to learn all that they can about the language and the world around them. Last week, we developed a comfortable classroom environment by learning about one another through introductions, interviews, as well as pair and group work. I'm looking forward to watching them learn and grow throughout the next eight weeks.

I realized how valuable it is to have diverse perspectives from the colleagues you work with. I'm leading the Oral Skills 2 team this term, and there needs to be a great deal of work done to the curriculum. I know that it will be a work in progress for many terms to come and that it will need continual revamping in order to stay current with student interests and needs. I feel fortunate to have a talented group of individuals working on my team this term. Through our collaboration, the curriculum will be stronger, in turn, enhancing the education that our students receive. 

There is no doubt that it will be a busy term, but I know that growth is on the horizon. With all of the new students and perspectives, comes an opportunity for me to broaden, to expand my breadth of knowledge and learn from the diversity that surrounds me.

New Beginnings

Whatever you do or dream you can do – begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Last week began the first week of the Winter 2013 term. With this new term comes new students, new perspectives, a new beginning.

This term I'm teaching Webskills, and last week was the beginning of that course. We have participants from all over the world including Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Lithuania, Maldives, Nepal, Paraguay, Romania, Senegal, Slovakia, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen. Having a diverse group to share experiences, collaborate with and learn from is a wonderful opportunity to broaden our perspectives and open our minds. I'm looking forward to building a productive learning community with these participants in the coming weeks.

In addition to beginning the Webskills course last week, I also had the pleasure of beginning the Skype calls with the PALSS (Practical Applications of Listening and Speaking Skills) participants. I have six groups that I conduct calls with each week. The calls are focused on a variety of different weekly topics. It is truly fascinating to be able to connect with people from all over the world, to hear each other's voices, and listen to the diverse experiences and points of view we all have.

My face to face classes begin tomorrow, so I have been busy planning for the first week. I'm leading a team of five instructors, including myself, in teaching Oral Skills 2 in the Intensive English Program (IEP) this term. Our students will be high beginner to low intermediate in proficiency and our goal during the first week will be to build a strong classroom community, so that our students feel comfortable and confident using English. I'm excited to be leading this level and have the opportunity to develop curriculum and guide some newer teachers in sound pedagogical practices, so that our students grow and learn to the best of their abilities.

The new students that will be in the IEP arrived last week. These students have entered a whole new world. They have left their countries, their homes, and families and traveled to the United States to learn English with the hopes of entering an American University. Everything is new for them. They have begun a new chapter in their lives.

I assisted with the Academic Orientation that these students are required to attend. I sat with a group of five new students; two from China, one from Saudi Arabia, one from Japan, and one from Korea. I was there to inform them about education in the United States, tell them what to expect from university life, and more than anything to warmly welcome them.

I love being a part of their new beginning. Making them feel comfortable and answering their questions, witnessing their fear and excitement, it is a real pleasure. I think they are an inspiration and am lucky that I will be teaching these students; these people who are so willing to enter such a huge challenge.

In the midst of a busy week, I managed to get out and enjoy some winter sports. I snowboarded and cross country skied. I feel so fortunate to live in a place that offers me rewarding and challenging work, as well as outdoor activities. Being able to incorporate these activities into my weekly routine keeps me happy and balanced, which are key to success in all aspects of my life.

It is a new year filled with new beginnings. When we are faced with new beginnings, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we may have approached similar beginnings in the past and determine how we may do things differently, hopefully, better. There is always excitement and enthusiasm associated with new beginnings for me. There is also a sense of anticipation about the unexpected. I enjoy all the feelings surrounding new beginnings. They are challenging and challenge is a great starting point for growth. I feel positive about all that is happening and all that is in store for the future!