Unit 2: Teaching Strategies

This unit reminded me of the type of teaching and learning environment I would like to build in my classroom. It was an opportunity to revisit some of the strategies that we had studied about in previous lessons. I think that icebreakers are an underrated tool in the classroom. They can be used at the start of the class, during a class or at the end of the class as a review. When you are just getting to know the learners this is an opportunity to build community. I think especially this fall it will be important to spend some time developing a safe and inclusive learning environment and one of the best ways to do this is by learning about each other.

In Unit 1 I was introduced to the topic of 'cultural intelligence' (thanks Tatiana!) which prompted me to explore more about the topic as I think it is closely linked to the strategies that we will use in our classrooms. For instance the opinion exchange activity (Brown & Lee, 2014, p. 281) is one when a teacher would need to be quite knowledgeable about her students' backgrounds. It would be important to know what topics might trigger emotional responses from students. The 'dinner party' activity also was a reminder that we need to carefully select the scenarios that are chosen to use in class.

A book that I am looking forward to reading is Expand Your Borders by David Livermore. He looks at 10 cultural clusters, offering insight into cultural values, do's and taboos and key differences. I see it as another way for me to become informed about the students that I will be teaching. Of course, these are general terms but it is a start to understanding other cultures. I have some links under Unit 1 for articles on the topic. It is an interesting area to explore.

Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy

     (4th ed). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Livermore, D. (2013). Expand your borders. Michigan: Cultural Intelligence Centre