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Emily Sirotkin
4/19/10
TEAC 451R
Learner Autobiography
For as long as I can remember, my parents knew I would be a teacher. It started when I
was three years old; I would line up my stuffed animals and teach them stories and songs before I
went to bed. Then a couple years later, my younger sister became my new pupil. I enjoyed
teaching her, especially because she learned more quickly and was a significant improvement to
my inanimate toys. When I came home from school, one of my favorite games to play was
imaginary school. I would always be the teacher and I would staple papers together for
notebooks, collect some important books, and create worksheets for her to complete. Before she
was in kindergarten, I was teaching her letters, numbers, basic math, and interesting information
that I had learned at school. By the time I reached third grade and tried to teach long division,
she finally demanded an end to my school. I remember she was angry and said, “I get so bored at
school – you’ve already taught me everything!” Fortunately, by upper elementary school, I
started to help out with the younger grades and was paired with a first grade student as his tutor,
which was a more appreciated outlet for my teaching efforts.
I think partly what drew my interest in teaching was my strong desire to help other
people. I usually understood the classroom content relatively quickly, and I enjoyed explaining it
to others. Through enjoying these informal teaching experiences, in high school I became a
teacher in several different capacities. I became a tutor at an after school center for elementary
school students, mentored a girl through Big Brothers Big Sisters, and tutored students struggling
with Spanish at my high school. One elementary school contacted my Spanish teacher to find
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help with their after school Spanish program. I loved being able to play games and communicate
with the students in Spanish; the kids learned so quickly and enjoyed the activities, so their
enthusiasm became contagious. The students were learning very quickly in an environment with
a low affective filter, which helped them to communicate more without a paralyzing fear of
making mistakes.
Despite these fun memories, throughout most of high school I had never really
considered becoming a Spanish teacher, because it was a subject that didn’t naturally come as
easily to me. I felt as though I learned really slowly compared to other students. Vocabulary lists
never stuck in my memory. I couldn’t seem to pronounce anything correctly and presentations in
Spanish made me extremely nervous. Grammar rules confused me. Now I realize that this is
because our Spanish lessons were not taught in context. The vocabulary we learned was isolated
from a real world context, which made it much more difficult to learn. Grammar rules were
taught through explicit instruction, which didn’t leave any room for higher-level thinking or
implicit analysis. So while other people could make intelligent guesses about unfamiliar
vocabulary, I was completely lost in a sea of foreign words. Very slowly and very gradually, as I
continued to achieve classroom success, I think that by the end of my fifth year of Spanish, my
Spanish skills developed and I overcame my academic fears of Spanish.
My passion for Spanish came from outside of the classroom where I had authentic input
and I was able to practice using the target language. The summer after my junior year of high
school, I traveled to Dominican Republic with my youth group for two weeks. I was so excited
when I got off the plane because I was suddenly surrounded by a new, exciting, and beautiful
culture. I saw huge, colorful advertisements – in Spanish; listened to upbeat music on the radio –
in Spanish; overhead friendly conversations – in Spanish. Suddenly I realized that Spanish was
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not just part of my course requirements to get a high school diploma. When I saw the culture and
real use of Spanish in an everyday context, I realized that the language was not simply rules or
lists of words, but a way to communicate and connect with other people around the world.
Instead I began to view Spanish as a beautiful language, a new avenue for communication, and
as part of the Hispanic culture.
The summer before my senior year of high school, my church began to partner with a
Hispanic church to offer free English lessons. We didn’t have any certified teachers, but three
other adults and I went. Each of us received a binder full of textbook materials and lessons, and
then we were left on our own to determine the class format the next three hours. I was the only
one with any Spanish experience, and many of the students were adults who had come to
America only a couple months, or even days, earlier. We tried to follow the curriculum, but by
the third week the lesson was about zoo animals and farm animals. For adults who are concerned
with basic necessities, getting a job, and helping their children, the topics didn’t seem relevant.
The lessons that we were given were not meaningful or authentic for the audience of students.
We decided to toss out the lessons and create our own based on topics the students chose – going
to the doctor, job applications, and grocery store basics. When the students were able to affect the
classroom and bring their own questions, background knowledge, and experience, they were
much more motivated to learn the material. Using real-life context made the information
relevant to these adult learners. Although it was not the most organized classroom, I loved it.
After that semester, I decided that I would love to teach Spanish and English as a Second
Language.
As I mentioned before, learning Spanish was not an easy process for me. I think that the
best way to learn a language is to become completely immersed in it. The two weeks I spent in
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the Dominican Republic taught me more than I had learned in my first three years of Spanish in
the classroom. I think this can be simulated in the classroom, but real life can’t be reproduced at
school. My Spanish II teacher, Señora Lenz, demanded that we only speak Spanish in her
classroom, and she did the same. Even when we were learning difficult or confusing concepts,
she taught us completely in Spanish. This increased our interest because we had to use context
clues, gestures, and higher-level reasoning to figure out what others were saying. Sometimes she
would have to explain it to us three or four times using different words each time. Even when it
took us longer to understand, the confidence she had in our Spanish abilities helped me become
more motivated to learn. Also, because we were completely immersed, we were forced to
communicate in Spanish. This increased our language learning because we weren’t just
receiving input, but we were also interacting and outputting the information so that we could
develop more communicative language skills. Although it seemed difficult at first, over time it
became really exciting and I felt quite accomplished; since we could see the results of our
efforts, it became fun because we were really communicating in Spanish!
I think that another key aspect of learning a language is making the information relevant
to real life situations. In my AP Spanish class, we had class discussions in Spanish. The topics in
our textbook seemed outdated and unrelated, so my teacher, Señora DeWispelare, would assign
television shows to watch before our class discussions. Sometimes we would watch Survivor:
Amazon or Grey’s Anatomy; other times we would discuss the recent Husker football game or
our favorite restaurants. We prepared ahead of time by writing down ideas to discuss and also
looking up key vocabulary or phrases that we wanted to use in the discussion. I think that these
words and phrases taught me more than most of my previous vocabulary lists, because I learned
them in a relevant and meaningful context. Lots of times I would cram study time for the
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vocabulary list right before the quiz and then quickly forget the words by the next day or two.
However, the words that I wanted to use in the discussion were important to me, so I had more
motivation to learn them. Then, since we actually used the words several times throughout the
discussion, I would be more likely to remember them later. Through meaningful interaction and
output, the concepts and vocabulary were reinforced during class.
These discussions supported my own personal learning and motivation because I could
see how the discussions were relevant to everyday conversation. I wanted to learn how to
communicate in everyday life, and pop culture discussions are a great way to do that. It also will
lower the affective filter because students will be more interested and excited to talk about the
information, especially if humor can be incorporated. At the grocery store or working out at the
gym, you will rarely hear people talking in formal English or following a textbook conversation.
Through some of our classroom discussion, I learned more about how to have a real life
conversation. Using pop culture was exciting, because I began to realize that the things I wanted
to say to my friends in high school hallways could be communicated in Spanish too.
Although I haven’t done official study abroad, my experiences overseas in Spanish
speaking countries were amazing and very different than formal classroom experience. I am
looking forward to spending my summer returning to Dominican Republic and spending time in
Mexico City. Instead of filling out worksheets or completing verb conjugations, I overheard
conversations. I had to use gestures to communicate and talk around the vocabulary that I didn’t
know. Suddenly it became much more important to try to speak Spanish, because it was all
around me. I also remember taking a day trip to Haiti, where the national languages are French
and Creole. This immersion was even more staggering because I didn’t know any of the words
being spoken around me. Again, it was through gestures and nonverbal communication that I
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began to learn some basic words to communicate with the children at the orphanage. These are
important tools that teachers can explain and use in the classroom to help students use learning
strategies with language learning.
I think that in a formal classroom setting, I rely on finding the “right answers” and trying
to complete the blanks on the worksheet. Also, there are several aids, such as dictionaries,
posters, and answer keys that make classroom learning much different. In a complete immersion
experience, often there are no external aids to rely on. For me, another major difference is the
urgency of learning the language. In high school, I knew that the bell would ring at the end of the
period and then I was free to go into the hallway and speak English with my friends, go home
and write my papers in English, and interact with English-speakers in the community. Being
overseas, there really aren’t any other options than trying to figure out how to best communicate
with the skills that you have, which makes the input more meaningful.
In a study abroad experience, I think that my language strategies are different than in the
classroom. One important difference for me is risk-taking. When I had no other option than
speaking in Spanish, I was willing to take more risks because I wanted to be able to
communicate. I had to use circumlocution, gestures, or other strategies to communicate. On the
other hand, in the classroom I become much shyer because I don’t want to make mistakes in a
formal learning environment. My affective filter was much higher because I feared making
mistakes in front of my peers or teachers. This impacts my language learning strategies because
overseas I realized that it was okay to make mistakes, which lowered my affective filter and
helped me to make more effort to talk with the words that I knew and incorporate hand motions
and gestures to communicate the rest of my message.
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Through my experiences learning a foreign language myself, as well as my observations
while helping students who are learning English as a second language, I have developed some
beliefs about language learning and teaching. I believe that every student should be treated fairly
and equally, but this does not mean that everyone learns the same way. I want to use a variety of
teaching methods in order to reach students with different learning styles. For example, using
multiple intelligences in the classroom can be an important way to help students learn
information in a way that is best for them. I want to give multiple opportunities for students to
learn the information in a variety of activities. For visual students, it may be helpful to have
pictures and maps to go along with the material. For kinesthetic learners, it may be more helpful
to actually do actions for the words, such as with the TPR method. For logical-mathematical
learners, I could provide an outline or clear structure. I think that it is really important as a
teacher to keep the variety of student backgrounds and intelligences in mind.
Additionally, I believe that language is learned better from immersion than from a
textbook. Languages aren’t meant just for paper, but I believe languages are the pathway for
communication among people. In order to communicate in a foreign language, students will need
to communicate, both auditory and visually, as well as be able to communicate effectively with
others, both spoken and written.
I think that teachers also need to be interested and passionate about the subject area.
Teachers are role models and set the pace for the classroom. If the teacher is involved and
engaged in the topic, then their students will be more curious and interested as well. If teachers
set the pace with a positive attitude and a good learning environment, the affective filter will be
lower which will increase students’ overall learning. Teachers not only present information, but
they are in the classroom to facilitate learning, which can take a variety of forms. This means
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that teachers will need to initiate classroom discussion, small group projects, and individual
activities. Teacher-facilitated learning is important, because the classroom should be learnercentered. The goal is for the students to learn the information rather than just have the teacher
tell them. Students will only remember 10% of what they read and 20% of what they hear;
however, they will remember 90% of what they actually do. This means that teachers are
extremely important in the classroom to guide and facilitate learning so that students can
discover language and use it in real communication.
I believe that language should not be taught separately from the rich history and society
that contribute to the larger culture behind the language. Spanish language came alive for me
when I began to see it in real life, hear it spoken by real people, and have real conversations in
Spanish. Although study abroad experience cannot be exactly replicated in the classroom, I think
that students can still gain an appreciation of culture and history through authentic culture
lessons, bringing in realia, use of multimedia, and engaging, interactive lessons. The spoken or
written language cannot be separated from the cultural heritage that accompanies the people who
use it. I want to continue to gain an appreciation for Spanish culture and allow my students to
explore Spanish culture as well. It is very important for students to realize that there is more to
Spanish culture than fiestas and siestas. Rather, there is both macro-culture, which involves
music, art, literature, and history, as well as micro-culture, which involves everyday life. Many
high school students don’t have an awareness of the variety of cultural practices and customs,
but the Spanish language can provide a unique opportunity to learn about Spanish culture.
Another important belief about teaching and learning is that students will learn best by
interacting with the information. I think that through fun, interactive learning and self-discovery,
students will gain a much deeper understanding of material. Using implicit rather than explicit
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instruction will also increase students’ motivation because it will give them a challenge.
Especially with Spanish, I don’t think that students will ever really see the value of Spanish until
they can use it to communicate. So this means that I want to strive to give them many
opportunities to hear, read, speak, write, draw, create, present, dialogue, and teach the Spanish
that they learn in my classroom. This goes along with the previous example of classroom
discussion. Even if my teacher had an amazing lecture on medical terminology, I really wouldn’t
have learned anything until I was forced to look up vocabulary on my own, decide how to use it
in complete sentences, and discuss my thoughts in front of the class.
The most effective teacher I had was Mr. Heys for my AP United States History class.
Mr. Heys is brilliant, both as a teacher and as a history buff. He has a passion for history and gets
excited about the information that he teaches. That passion is matched only when he sees history
come alive for his students. We never knew what to expect going into class; every day was new
and different. His passion increased our own motivation and lowered the affective filter because
we were excited to enter an open learning environment without the pressure of performing for
grades. Even if it was another day of lecture, he never just talked to us for the entire hour and a
half. He always had a list on the board with what we would learn that day, but it wasn’t a
traditional list. Instead he would draw pictures or symbols to illustrate the main points that we
would learn. Often we would come into class puzzled by the pictures and then ponder how it
would link to the textbook reading. This increased our interest because we wouldn’t know what
to expect, but he left ambiguity to peak our interest. He would always be extremely prepared, and
often incorporated visuals into the lesson, including movies, photos, word webs, and drawings.
Having visuals along with the lecture provided dual coding, which helped us to process the
information more deeply and remember it better long-term.
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The classroom was very interactive; we weren’t forced to participate, but because it was
exciting and engaging, every person in the room was involved. We didn’t do the same activities
twice – there was always a new twist, even on similar activities. Even though I took the class
almost five years ago, I still remember many specific activities that we did. We debated the
ethics of Christopher Columbus and other explorers. We role played a colonial town before the
Revolutionary War and had conversations between Patriot and Loyalist neighbors. We put
Thomas Jefferson on trial for hypocrisy in owning slaves, yet assisting with the Declaration of
Independence. Some days were less role playing, but we still never filled out worksheets.
Sometimes we would get a fake document and then correct the errors. Other times, he would
make a Jeopardy game or interactive game on his computer. These were all meaningful learning
activities and we completed them in an authentic context. Often there was an incentive for
participating; when we did a treasure hunt, we uncovered a clue to the next test! Everyone was
excited to go to Mr. Heys’ class, which rarely happened at my high school.
I also really appreciated that we had essay tests that required higher levels of thinking.
The questions were never “explain what happened in such-and-such a battle” or a regurgitation
of the facts. Instead, we had compare/contrast and analysis questions to prove that we really
knew the material. Mr. Heys has extremely high expectations for every student, but he firmly
believes that each person can achieve them. He made us want to succeed more than we thought
possible, and I think that every person in my class passed the AP exam with a 3 or better. His
quirky personality created a fun, open atmosphere in the classroom, which lowered the affective
filter. He also definitely has the “with-it”ness factor, because he always knew who was paying
attention, who was trying to sneak in their homework, who had their cell phone out, and who was
daydreaming. He had an astonishing ability to call students out for not paying attention, and
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everyone knew that if something was going on, Mr. Heys would find out. Despite my fear of
history classes, I absolutely loved Mr. Heys’ class, and I hope that someday my classes can make
a difference for my students in the same way.
On the other hand, I have had several ineffective teachers. I really liked many of them as
people and friends, and even as advisors or coaches, but not as classroom teachers. Specifically, I
think about the opposite characteristics of what I just described with Mr. Heys. Many teachers
come to class unprepared; possibly without a specific plan for the day or without the necessary
materials to start the class. Sometimes technology has problems or slows class down, but
sometimes I think that teachers could have easily saved links to websites instead of wasting class
time searching Google or clicking random links to find the right information. Some teachers
seemed disinterested in their subject. I know one teacher was forced to teach classes that he
wasn’t interested in, and his bored, apathetic attitude rubbed off on most of the class. I have
learned that these teachers were ineffective not only because they were uninterested, but also
because they failed to provide meaningful context for their students to learn.
Another teacher I had simply didn’t care if we did the assignments. We would come into
class with breakfast and a pillow and literally lay down for a nap. She let us play computer
games, eat breakfast, take a nap, whatever we wanted to do. It was like a study hall because she
didn’t want to put any effort into teaching the class. This class lacked measurable, achievable
objectives. One day we had a substitute teacher for that class, so we were given a packet of
worksheets to complete. A group of guys decided to only fill out the top worksheet and then turn
them in. Everyone in the class received 100% on the assignment – even the students who only
did one of the seven pages! I cannot imagine having this level of disengagement or disinterest
from my classes, and I hopefully will avoid some of these pitfalls of ineffective teaching.