Preparing the Class

        As with all new endeavors, I feel that one should take a moment to look around the environment before charging into the fray.  It is the same manner that one might approach entering a new classroom full of eager ELL students.  In the case of my new position both ideas are applicable.  I am about to enter into a new classroom full of students, while at the same time, I will be teaching an entirely new course.  It seems I often find myself in these new places.  I have become sort of a jack-of-all-trades.  In the world of ESOL education one has to be inherently flexible when seeking out job opportunities.  I always believe that I can teach any course, given a bit of preparation.  In this case, I will have a couple weeks to prepare to teach.  This seems like a tremendous amount of time considering other experiences I have had.  I was once asked on a Thursday if I was free to teach a class with a start date of the following Monday.  That was an adventure.

       I wanted to just address how I prepare.  Maybe there is someone out there who might pick up on a useful concept to apply to their own preparation.  I almost always go to the internet and try to do some research on the area where I will be working.  I find that just being able to talk, in general terms, about a place or environment often helps as an icebreaker.  I also like to see what the internet might say about any texts or instructional materials I might be using.  I especially enjoy reading reviews of texts.  In many cases it can help one sort of pre-identify any issues that others may have had with the materials and help to mitigate them as well.  I definitely spend a bit of time testing out my classroom tech and any online sources that I might be planning to use.  URLs, web addresses, and content often change and there is nothing more embarrassing that clicking a link to nowhere.  Also, it is a good idea to do a dry run on the tech support that is in your specific classroom.  Lately, however, I have gotten into the habit of bringing my own.  I found a very nice small, portable projector that I can pair with similarly small speakers which I carry with me everywhere I teach.  I have looked into actually teaching from my tablet as well.  I am certain this will be a next step for me at some point in the future.   Finally I try to time myself while rehearsing a typical lecture I have planned.  This accomplishes two things.  First, it enables me to see where I might need to add or subtract from the material I have prepped and make changes to future lesson plans accordingly.  Second, it gives me a chance to see if I pass the “smell test”, so to speak.  It can validate or invalidate that what I am saying makes sense to me personally.  If I confuse myself, then obviously the students will be lost as well. 

I will leave this post here and prepare a bit to talk about meeting new students in my next effort.