Do you know the anwer to these questions?

Jennifer Farmer   Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:06 pm GMT
Hi! My name is Jennifer I am a kindergarten teacher in Hemet, Ca. This summer I have been working on becoming a better teacher to children who are learning English as a second language (ESL students). I was hoping someone would take the time to answer a couple of questions for a paper I am writing.
Has your public school experience helped you learn English in an effective way?
Do you have a memory of a certain teacher who was most helpful to you?
How was that teacher helpful?
Do you have a memory of a teacher who made your school experience difficult? What happened?
What would be the most important advise you would like to give to a teacher that is working with someone who is new to the US and English?

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me! :)
"Learn to be happy with what you have while pursuing what you want" Author unknown
pussycat   Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:11 pm GMT
I have a memory of a teacher who made my school experience difficult. Instead of helping me after school with my English, he touched me in naughty places. :-(
Guest   Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:53 pm GMT
HA HA, thnks for being so helpful.
Pos   Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:34 pm GMT
<Has your public school experience helped you learn English in an effective way? >

Nope.

<Do you have a memory of a certain teacher who was most helpful to you? >

Yes, the art teacher. He taught me that language is much more than words.

<Do you have a memory of a teacher who made your school experience difficult? What happened?>


He used to beat the living daylights out of those who did not wish to play rugby.

<What would be the most important advise you would like to give to a teacher that is working with someone who is new to the US and English?>

Lear how to spell "advice". LOL! Just teasing.
Gwest   Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:35 pm GMT
I have a memory of a teacher who made my school experience difficult. Instead of helping me after school with my English, he touched me in naughty places. :-(

Was his name Mr Par...¿
ESL   Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:13 pm GMT
Has your public school experience helped you learn English in an effective way?

Not at all. Going through the same boring drills and quizzes in the text book. I did not learn the language a bit.
Do you have a memory of a certain teacher who was most helpful to you?
In terms of learning a language like English, none.

How was that teacher helpful?
see above.

Do you have a memory of a teacher who made your school experience difficult? What happened?
Their lack of skills for teaching a language had made my school experience difficult.

What would be the most important advise you would like to give to a teacher that is working with someone who is new to the US and English?

Interact him/her at a personal level and provide them lots of comprehensible input instead of forcing them to go through useless textbook drills. Also motivate them for learning the language and culture of their new country. Make them an autonomous learner of the language outside your personal classes.
Pos   Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:20 pm GMT
<Their lack of skills for teaching a language had made my school experience difficult. >

Your poor use of "had made" is an example of that. I feel for you.
K. T.   Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:28 pm GMT
"Lear how to spell "advice". LOL! Just teasing."-Pos

"Advise" Verb
"Advice" Noun

Do you have any advice?

I'd advise you to spell "learn" with an "n", but I imagine this was just a typo.

Jennifer, smile and be sincere. Believe it or not, that's what ESL students will remember. People often remember when you are kind to them.
Cleveland   Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:43 pm GMT
Janifer, I think my experience doesn't apply to your country's situation, oooooooooooer are you from a oriental country? my experience with teachers was really bad, in oriental countries (China, Korea, Japanese, Taiwan) teachers they expect the full respect from their students. with teachers you have to sit straightly and no laugh, no noise, no looking around. If you misbehaved you would get slaps immediately or they would point one of other child to slap you, sometimes use rulers, books, or their feet (I think Korean and Taiwanese was even harder than Chinese/Japanese). They told me now it's getting better, but you can still hear somebody's kid was beaten badly sometimes sooo.....

Has your public school experience helped you learn English in an effective way?
No, they all have very strong accents and they are prescriptivists, all I had done was to pass the exams and tell myself "you beat the rap, you luck boy"

Do you have a memory of a certain teacher who was most helpful to you?
Yes a male teacher, he beat me sooo badly with his boots and bludgeon, so It should have been useful for my English I think.....

How was that teacher helpful?
He dragged my collar and lifted me up with his hairy hands, and kicked me with his boots, It's a really good way to make a boy behaved good

Do you have a memory of a teacher who made your school experience difficult? What happened?
Yes, she was a timid girl teacher, she never beat me or anybody else, so she was fired very soon, and I was protecting her and they beat me so hardly, it's no good
Cleveland   Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:52 pm GMT
well you were talking about kindergarten.... I thought was primary school, sorry
Pos   Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:54 pm GMT
<I'd advise you to spell "learn" with an "n", but I imagine this was just a typo. >

No, it was a joke on Spanish speakers of English.
Diablo   Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:55 pm GMT
<People often remember when you are kind to them. >

I remember those who have been unkind.
K. T.   Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:35 pm GMT
"I remember those who have been unkind."

Well, yes, this is probably true as well.

1. Spell names correctly.
2. Pronounce names correctly
3. Buy appropriate amounts of treats or crafts. NEVER leave a student
out because there aren't enough supplies or food.
4. Don't make promises you can't keep.
5. Don't forget that your classroom may be the only place a child learns
manners and customs. Model good English and good manners.
6. Make sure that you get a good medical history.
Jennifer Farmer   Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:05 am GMT
Thanks for your honest answers. Sorry for the misspelling...its never been one of my strong points. Sorry some of you had bad school experiences, I too was a victim of bad teachers. My goal is to be an exceptional one. I'm sure I've let students and parents down and will to so again. Never done intentionally, I'm learning too. Best of Luck to all. :)
K. T.   Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:44 am GMT
It's kind of bad that you got such mean answers. I didn't think your spelling was all that bad. I noticed "anwer" and the verb form of "advise" instead of the noun form. You asked nicely and some of the folks here really "dumped" on you. This is the English forum, though, and people come here all the time to have their English corrected.

I taught for about four years. The little kids are wonderful. Just be kind to them and be fair.