Thursday, January 21, 2010

Mr Robert Reid Hawley.. Esquire...

Hello folks....well what is new in Old Man Robb land? Well i got my first marks back for my course Education 4673- Teaching English as a Second Language and lo and behold i made 84%!!!! A-!!! Well well well after 4 + years of not being a student it is DAMN good to know that i can still perform at an academic level...i was expecting maybe a B- or C+ because i have to admit i am a bit rusty..but an A- is fine with me...now i am on Module 2 which is focusing on Classroom Management and  Dealing with questions on questions like what classroom problems have you observed  in language classes? How did the instructor deal with them?  My response was What i witnessed in language classes are students who like to entertain other students. They would entertain some students while proving to be a distraction to others who were wanting to learn. The instructor would simply stop talking and stare at the disturber. Other students would take note of this and stop as well. If the problem student does not have an audience to entertain, then the problem usually stops and the class can resume.

Other parts of the new chapter is about motivation in the classroom and about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Motivation can be a serious problem with classroom learning if you have students who do wish to be there and are only there if they are told to be there. There are more issues that just student indifference, there can be problems with a lack of resources for the teacher in the classroom, which was something that i experienced while teaching overseas, particularly in South Korea. Teachers have to improve the classroom environment by motivating their students. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside, what is benificial for students themselves. Extrinsic motivation are rewards, students whom are competitive. With intrinsic motivation your students know the benifits of learning a new language. Other students can be reminded of the benifits, that there are opportunities that learning the language brings. There are jobs like being an interpreter, tourism jobs. Students can be extrincally motivated with rewards for homework being done, tests. Sometimes however rewards can take over and damage the learning process, student will get competitive and try to win at games and the simplest tasks in the classroom.


Something i was taken to task about by one of the other students on the messageboard was the concept of Art-Craft Approaches in the classroom and how does it work while teaching foreign students? Well I found when i was teaching in South Korea that there were limited resources for the teachers. Making copies was limited, alot of times i even had to go out and buy materials for the classroom out of my own pocket. I personalized the classroom, every day i started out by asking each individual student how they were, what did they do last night? I would demonstrate this by writing "What Did You Do?" on the whiteboard and brainstorm with the class. I found it brought a personal level into the classroom. I was showing interest in the students and what they did outside of the classroom. The students were relaxed, from there we would do a homework check and then into the classroom lesson. Now the lessons were all pre-planned for me as in the textbook, but i would use alot of my own techniques, alot of group work and everyone getting a chance to speak to avoid repetition, the younger children liked singing and alot of games, the older students were interested in speaking and group work. Different strategies were used around the workbook to make the class interesting for the students.
 
I have to say im quite disgusted with scammers are trying to exploit the situation in Haiti...what the hell is wrong with people? People from all over are trying to help out and now there are scumbags setting up websties asking for $$$ from people. Trying to solicit whether it be e-mail, letters, phone calls or hell even showing up at your door! There are always people trying to profit from tragedy, there have always been dishonest people and there always will be. I am no saint, but to steal from this is just inhumane. Of course now we got the French accusing the Americans of taking over Haiti.. Didn't the Americans save their asses in World War II?!?!?! The ones who do the least are always the ones who criticize the most eh?
 
So what else is new? Well i gots people lipping off about me behind my back...what is new eh? A friend of mine was told the other night to stay away from me and that i was TROUBLE?!?!?!?! Excuse me? Sometimes you just have to consider the source on these things i think. Here i am...38, sure i do not have the job of my dreams..yet. However i worked hard for what i got, i graduated high school at least, went to university, got out and saw the world and now i am back and doing something that NO ONE said i could do and that is do courses at the EDUCATION level...what the fuck have you ever done man? That's it..go smoke or snort something else..steal from and sponge off the goodwill people and now listen to me carefully, this is something my Dad used to say to me...he would say "Robbie stick your hand in a pail of water, what do you got when you pull it out? NOTHING..." Some people should just not talk...
 

 
 
Well what is on tap for the weekend? Well tonight i finish up my 5th straight night of work and then it is onto the weekend..might be going Glow Bowling on Friday night...yes yes Old Man Robb has NEVER been Glow Bowling...im missing out eh? The bowling alley in Greenwood has it and i haven't been there since at least like 1996...should be fun.. of course the Axemen are in action Saturday night against Dal and i would like to go to that as well. The Axemen lost a close one to # 1 ranked UNB on Saturday and are looking to rebound.

 
Of course i have to give my hats off to the Capitol Lounge & Grill here in town as i went to their first ever breakfest brunch on Sunday and they are going to be having this brunch every Sunday from 11:00-2:00... damn good stuff i must say, everything you could ask for was on the menu- Scambled egg, Eggs Benny, Pancakes, French Toast,Sausage, Ham, bacon,Homefries, Fruit Salad, Toast ,Orange Juice and lots of coffee and i had 2 or so refills.. good stuff.
 

 
Would love to go to see UCW Wrestling on the 30th in Timberlea of all places at the Firehall..however i got GnR coming up on the 4th of Feb and that would be two trips..budget budget budget my man..would love to see them run a show in Middleton, we got the NSCC gym across the street and they could easily run a card there im sure of it. Make it a fundraiser for a good cause and advertise it and the people would show. Would be nice to get up there and meet Brutus Beefcake, but i don't think it will be happening...however never count Old Man Robb out for being spontanious... :)
 

Anyways folks..that is all for now..have a good one!

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