Today was the beginning of my online Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) practicum teaching experience. My fellow TRU student and I were asked to develop an activity to introduce ourselves to the class in order to create a sense of connection between us and the students.
Previous to leading the activity, my fellow TRU student and I met with the CUAM teacher and discussed specifics of the class. She shared that there were approximately 25 students in the class who have a close relationship to each other having been in the same school with each other for many years. This close relationship results in the students being quite comfortable with volunteering when asked, debating topics and also challenging the teacher. With this knowledge my fellow TRU student and I decided we should focus on raising awareness of who we are and where we are from as we would be perceived as outsiders from the beginning.
In order to raise awareness of who we are, while respecting professional boundaries, my fellow TRU student and I built upon the focus of previous lessons related to stereotypes and the stereotypes associated with life in Canada. We ended the activity with leading two truths and a lie and the students responded positively and demonstrated excitement through commenting in the online chat and volunteering to guess which statement was the lie through turning on their microphones and camera.
Overall my first teaching experience was a positive one. While I was a bit nervous about the technology operating correctly, my fellow TRU student and I were able to implement our activity and encourage engagement of students in order for them to practice their English language skills (writing and speaking). Our overall objectives were met and a connection with the students was established. A job well done!