#Challenges in ESOL Teaching

[thisisgraeme]

Empowering Success: Transformative Foundations of ESOL Teaching for Tertiary Educators in Aotearoa NZ – Part 1

xplore the foundations of ESOL teaching in this comprehensive course module. Learn about second language acquisition principles, cultural diversity, challenges, and integrating first languages. Enhance your teaching practice today.

I’m writing a series of modules on the foundations of teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). This is long overdue as I was an ESOL teacher for many years, but it feels good to be looking at this content again with fresh eyes. I have roughly six chunks planned which I will draft and post here like I normally do with new content: Introduction to ESOL Teaching (this…

[1lostone]

sigh

Hiya folks! Yes, I am still around! I have some updates (actually, some stuff I might have already shared, but my memory is garbage, so here we are.)

I am no longer a volunteer for Ao3, which is very weird after doing it for so long. I thought that would open up some time, but then everything sort of exploded at once, which has been... challenging! I miss it, though, but I'm afraid if I try to go back my doc would make that face and talk about my stress levels.

I am an editor for the KiScon zine! Submissions are starting to roll in! Holy crapnuggets this is exciting!!!! I get to see such amazing fandom contributions and am so humbled by such creativity.

I know summer is supposed to be my "free time," but someone forgot to tell someone who also forgot to tell someone....and I've been so swamped. Today (June 12) is literally the first time I've had to really sit down and go back through posts, so if you see a post from a year ago with an enthusiastic comment from me that would be why.

I am teaching an ESOL class which is really challenging- teaching adults has its own benefits but there are definitely some unique challenges right now. See: Florida. I can guarantee as soon as some bureaucratic fuck asks me to tell someone's status, I'm absolutely out.

Speaking of Florida, and on a personal note, having a kid (a minor) who is in the middle of transitioning is fucking terrifying. For awhile the bill that says the already overworked state can take my kid out of my house because I love and support their gender-affirming care is like .... I don't think I can accurately describe everything we've gone through in our house for the past few months. I think that fuckery has been blocked on the federal side, but that doesn't really do anything for the people in my neighborhood who are vandalizing our pride stuff, or keying our car, or anything else. My kid has gone from out and proud, to scared and very, very quiet and it breaks my heart. Also I want to stab things. (to be fair that's like 70% of my experience of motherhood lol) I know of so many people who are fleeing this fucking cesspool of a state, but I am not one who can do so financially, which... yeah.

On a sadder note, my dad, an og-star trek nerd, has recently had some really scary medical issues. He was on life support for almost 3 months. If anyone wants to toss some good thoughts his way, feel free.

As for my own side of fandom, that deafening silence you have heard for like..... a year..... is totally going to go away. Uh huh. Yep. Any minute now.

(Also if you're looking for the zombie spirk fic, I took it down- no worries, I will eventually get it back up, but I need to work on it more so I don't have such anxiety about not updating!!)

[pgcestuff]

26 Jan 2023: Things to check/ action...

'Starter activity' evidence (embedding English, Maths, Digital, E&D)

'Prevent' evidence?

'Peer-Observation activity' evidence (rationale and reflection on usage/ application in practice) - on completion upload into section 5!

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'Adaptive teaching' V Differentiation (What is the Difference?)

NEW ACTVITY: You need to consider the challenges faced in your subject specialism and discuss how you adopting inclusive pedagogic approaches in your classrooms...

'Adaptive Teaching?' Task : Identify where and how this is relevant in your subject specialism (issues may include: meeting higher level learning needs, students with EAL or challenging behaviours, SEND/ other learning needs such as students on dyslexia, ADHD and autism spectrums, or it might be those students who demonstrate low confidence/ negative prior learning experiences etc...). (On completion, upload this evidence into Section 1/ and reflect on ILP).

Some useful resources if relevant:

Decolonising the curriculum toolkit

Decolonising the curriculum – how to get started

ETF ESOL resources

ETF resources for those teaching pre-entry ESOL

EAL Pedagogy

Teaching English, maths and ESOL post-covid ETF resource

SEND Code of Practice.gov

Conference interview with Palfrey on Safe Spaces, Brave Spaces

OU resources on diversity in the curriculum

Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 

Social Care Institute of Excellence

DHSC full set of factsheets

EEF resource on adaptive teaching

E-book written for those with Asperger Syndrome

British Dyslexia Association website

Case studies of supporting those with dyslexia / SpLD friendly approaches for FE The National Autistic Society – links to their magazine.

Note: this may well feed into your selected 'wider perspectives'' assignment? Just a thought...

[education30and40blog]

AI Exercise Generator for English Teachers-Big Time Saver #ai #teachenglish

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[linguistlist-blog]

TOC, International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL) Vol. 61, No. 2 (2023)

ICYMI: Exploring ESOL teachers’ perspectives on the language learning experiences, challenges, and motivations of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK Gloria Chamorro, María del Carmen Garrido-Hornos, María Vázquez-Amador pp. 201-226 Thai tonal confusion patterns in the production of L1 Chinese Zhuang students Siriluck Hoonsringam Phonphanich pp. 227-255 Open Access Lexical measures as a proxy for bilingual language dominance? Audrey Bonvin, Ladina Brugger, Raphael Berthele pp. 257-285 Elicited met http://dlvr.it/Sqn6Md

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[marketreportss]

K-12 International Schools: Up-and-Coming Technologies

Global K-12 International Schools Market Outlook

“According to this latest study, the growth in the K-12 International Schools market will change significantly from the previous year. Over the next six years, K-12 International Schools will register a CAGR in terms of revenue, and the global market size will reach USD in millions by 2028.”

K-12 International Schools Market applies the most effective of each primary and secondary analysis to weigh upon the competitive landscape and also the outstanding market players expected to dominate K-12 International Schools Market place for the forecast 2022-2028.

K-12 International Schools Market Insights:

A K-12 international school is a K-12 (spoken as "k twelve", "k through twelve", or "k to twelve"), from kindergarten to 12th grade school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting a curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate, Edexcel, Cambridge Assessment International Education or International Primary Curriculum, or by following a national curriculum different from that of the school's country of residence. The most common international schools represent Education in the United Kingdom, Education in the United States or are based on curricula specially designed for international schools such as the International General Certificate of Secondary Education or the IB Diploma Programme. These international curricula are committed to internationalism, developing the global citizen, providing an environment for optimal learning, and teaching in an international setting that fosters understanding, independence, interdependence, and cooperation. Like other schools, international schools teach language arts, mathematics, the sciences, humanities, the arts, physical education, information technology, and design technology.

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The global K-12 International Schools market provides qualitative and quantitative information on growth rate, market segmentation, market size, future trends and regional prospects. The research study represents a modern perspective aimed at securing the future potential of the K-12 International Schools market. This report analyzes and evaluates the latest prospects for the new retail space, as well as the general and future market performance of Covid-19. In addition, this report provides a detailed overview of competition between some industries and others.

K-12 International Schools Market - Size, Competitive Landscape and Segmentation Analysis:

K-12 International Schools Market Reports provide a high-level overview of market segments by product type, applications, leading key players, and regions, as well as market statistics. The research insights focus on the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on performance and offers a thorough examination of the current market and market dynamics. This crucial understanding of the report's objective can help you make better strategic decisions about investment markets by assessing elements that may affect current and future market circumstances. The leading key players in the Global and Regional market are summarized in a research to understand their future strategies for growth in the market.

Top Company Profiles Include in this K-12 International Schools Market report:

Cognita Schools,GEMS Education,Maple Leaf Educational Systems,Nord Anglia Education,ACS International Schools,Braeburn Schools,Dulwich College International,Esol Education,Harrow International Schools,Shrewsbury International School,Wellington College,Yew Chung Education Foundation

Objectives of the Study:

·         To forecast the size of the market segments with respect to 4 main regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC)

·         To provide detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the Home   (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges)

·         To analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contribution to the total market

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Segmentation Of K-12 International Schools Market:

In market segmentation by Type , the K-12 International Schools Market report covers:

English Language International School, Other Language International School

In market segmentation by Applications, the K-12 International Schools Market report covers:

Pre-primary School, Primary School, Middle School, High School

Market Segment by Regions and Countries Level Analysis:

·         North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Rest of  U.S)

·         Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe)

·         Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Southeast Asia, Rest of APAC)

·         Middle East & Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa, Rest of MEA)

·         South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America)

Scope Of The K-12 International Schools Market Research Report

  Report Metric

Details

Market size available for years

2022-2028

Base year considered

2021

Forecast period

2022-2028

Forecast units

Million (USD)

 IMR NEWS:

·         https://www.newsmantraa.us/global-collaboration-software-market-segmentation-size-shares-industry-outlook-driving-factors-by-leading-players-growth-and-forecast-analysis-2028/

  ·         https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-meglumine-market-size-latest-technological-advancement-industry-trends-competitive-landscape-explosive-factors-of-revenue-by-key-vendors-size-forecast-analysis-2022--2028-2022-05-31?mod=search_headline

  ·         https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-cranberry-powder-market-size-latest-technological-advancement-industry-trends-competitive-landscape-explosive-factors-of-revenue-by-key-vendors-size-forecast-analysis-2022--2028-2022-05-31?mod=search_headline

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[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/convocation-speaker-urges-incoming-class-at-au-to-change-the-world-news-the-evening-tribune/

Convocation speaker urges incoming class at AU to ‘change the world’ - News - The Evening Tribune

ALFRED — Dr. Robert Johnson, a 1968 Alfred University graduate who co-founded a program serving underprivileged youngsters in New York City and has enjoyed a distinguished career as an educator of medical school administrator, reminded the incoming class of students at his alma mater of the responsibility they have in affecting positive change in the world.

“Alfred students, these are indeed exciting times,” Johnson said in his keynote address for Sunday evening’s Convocation ceremony, which was held online. “May you never forget the enormity of your responsibility to change the world, to show compassion for those less fortunate, and to give back by mentoring the generation that will come after you.”

Johnson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Alfred University, is dean of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ, and interim dean of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ (he is of no relation to the namesake of the latter). He is the only dean in our nation’s history to oversee two medical schools simultaneously.

In his remarks Sunday, Johnson drew a parallel between the time he arrived on the Alfred University campus in 1964 to that of the current generation of students. Johnson was at Alfred at the height of the Civil Rights movement, with the uncertainty of an unpopular war in Vietnam hanging over the nation. Today’s generation of students face mounting challenges relating to issues of racial and social justice and an unclear future caused by a global pandemic.

“I started college at a time of great change in our nation. We were in the middle of the Civil Rights era. People and communities of color were mobilizing, organizing, and protesting hundreds of years of injustice, and demanding that laws as well as attitudes change,” Johnson said. “As we began our adult lives, the world was changing and growing in ways we couldn’t imagine. Today, you start you academic careers at Alfred under somewhat similar and unusual disruptive circumstances.”

Johnson encouraged students to uphold their responsibility to work for positive change throughout the world. “You are beginning your time at Alfred during a time of societal growth. Much like the Civil Rights leaders from my college era, it is your generation that will now take the lead to insure that attitudes continue to change and that we become a more perfect society which respects the dignity of every human being.”

Johnson—a professor of pediatrics and Director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School—has used his career in medicine to further the public good. After earning his medical degree from the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now the New Jersey Medical School) in 1972, he was among a group of young professionals working in the fields of medicine, psychiatry, law, education, social work, and the arts who recognized a need to invest in New York City’s youth. That year, the group started The Door, a program aimed at helping a diverse and growing population of disconnected adolescents gain the resources needed to succeed in school, work, and life.

Today, The Door annually serves nearly 11,000 young people from all over New York City. The program provides a wide range of free services including reproductive health care and education, mental health counseling and crisis assistance, legal assistance, GED and ESOL classes, tutoring and homework help, college preparation services, career development, job training and placement, supportive housing, sports and recreational activities, arts, and nutritious meals. Johnson still sees patients at The Door twice weekly.

Johnson has enjoyed a teaching career that spans more than four decades. Since joining the faculty of the New Jersey Medical School in 1976, he has taught nearly 25 percent of all medical doctors currently practicing in New Jersey. His impact on the school’s growth and success has been significant, particularly in the area of research. When he took over as dean in 2005, the New Jersey Medical School was struggling in its research efforts. Under Johnson’s leadership, the school now ranks 38th in the country in research spending.

Mark Zupan, Alfred University president, opened the Convocation with an address to students.

“I join our faculty and staff in conveying how excited we are to virtually see our 185th class here at Alfred University. We look forward to working with you over the years to come—first as students and then as then as alumni—to fulfill our mission, which is transforming student lives and thereby bettering our world,” Zupan said. “I cannot tell you how heartened we are by your presence here with us, and by your interest in investing in education here at Alfred University. That investment will bear fruit, both here and in the broader world.”

Merveille Bulonza, Student Senate president, welcomed students to Alfred University and encouraged them to take advantage of all the opportunities available to them.

“Here at Alfred University, we are a family—all of us from different cultures and locations, with diverse beliefs. But once we are here together, we become a family, with one goal: to grow with exceptional quality and abiding values, utilizing academy and extracurricular activities,” she said. “You will face challenges, but remember that is what will build you up into the intellectual and robust person you ought to be. Explore, expand and exploit the resources at your disposal here at AU. Do not limit yourselves, because the future is in the beauty of your dreams.”

Zupan emphasized to students the important role they will play in promoting a safe and healthy campus environment, and in keeping the University open throughout the fall semester. Due to COVID-19, Alfred University, like most institutions of higher education, adopted a virtual model of instruction in late March. Faculty and staff worked diligently over the ensuing months to develop a safe and effective reopening plan, the effectiveness of which depends on all members of the University fulfilling their shared responsibilities.

“We each have to play our parts well,” Zupan said, referring to students’ commitment to the Alfred University pledge, which includes a commitment to important actions, including wearing masks, socially distancing, and appropriately engaging in personal hygiene.

“We are only as strong as our weakest link, so it is incumbent on all of us to play our parts well,” he continued. “None of us wants to return to the new norm that was established in March. The surest way to keep that from happening is by playing out parts well.”

[officialrichlandcollege]

Richland College Alumna Follows Her Dreams to Become a Biomedical Engineer, Crediting Richland With Much of Her Success

With an adventurous heart, a brave spirit and a little help from Richland College, Mouna Taroua is living her dreams. A Richland College alumna, Taroua is a lead anatomy engineer at Lazarus 3D, a startup company in Houston, TX. While people may see Taroua as an accomplished biomedical engineer, working on medical training simulators, presenting at conferences and regularly speaking up in board meetings, many would never know that when she first moved to Dallas from Casablanca, Morocco, in 2010, she did not know how to speak English.

Taroua moved to the U.S. as an 18-year-old college graduate. “It was a scary and exciting adventure at the same time–I didn’t know anyone here, and I wasn’t speaking English either. I spent my first year taking English for Speakers of Other Languages classes at Richland College and the following years getting my associate degree in science and fulfilling all the prerequisites for biomedical engineering.”

Taroua made lifelong memories at Richland. She had her first driving lessons in the Richland College parking lot. She met “life-changing” people while waiting at the bus station and practicing her English. She played golf for the first time during a P.E. class here. She worked her first ever job at the Richland College bookstore, starting as a temporary associate before working her way up to the team lead of floor operation. Taroua also loved the annual Multicultural Festival, looking forward to exploring different cultures and trying delicious food at the annual spring event.

“The campus is gorgeous,” said Taroua. “I loved walking around, especially in the early morning by the lake and looking at the geese and ducks. All the professors were always so helpful inside and outside the classroom. Also, it was very nice having a small number of students in each class; it made it easier to connect and meet with everyone. Easy access to tutoring for different subjects was also a huge plus. In addition, the STEM advisors were so great guiding me on my professional path. I always knew I wanted to pursue engineering, but I didn’t really know which field. I remember Mrs. Teresa Lynd walking me through each program along with each degree plan and answering all my questions until I made a final decision.”

One of the instructors who stood out the most to Taroua while at Richland College was Jennifer Millspaugh Gray, who teaches speech communication. After finishing her ESOL classes, Taroua took a speech class from Gray. It was a time during which Taroua didn’t feel very articulate or expressive with speaking English. “Jennifer Millspaugh Gray helped me overcome my fear of public speaking,” said Taroua. “I used to have extreme anxiety before each presentation–especially knowing that I would be talking in front of native speakers. I think she noticed my struggle, since I began every speech with, ‘I am sorry, English is not my primary language.’ After every speech, she would congratulate me and other international students on how well we did. Her encouragement and advice helped boost my self-esteem and made me want to speak and share my ideas with others, without feeling apologetic about my speaking mistakes.”

Gray fondly remembers Taroua as well. “I was just thinking about Mouna because I came across her LinkedIn profile, and I was stunned at how accomplished she’s become in such a short time,” said Gray. “I shouldn’t be surprised though–she really was a standout student. I have a traditional Moroccan plate in my office that she brought me as a gift, and she inspired me to travel to Morrocco several years ago. To this day, Mouna remains one of my most memorable and impressive students. She was–and still is–a confident and competent leader among her peers, an extremely determined student, and a compassionate, kind-hearted person. Thanks to technology, I can still keep in touch with Mouna, and I burst with pride every time I see her progress in her life and career. I am so honored to have been a part of her journey!”

In 2014, Taroua was among 18 Dallas County Community College students who were selected to be part of the Transition Summer Program at UNT Howard Hughes Medical Institute Program. The group spent five weeks performing genetic analysis on the genome sequence of different phages. In addition, she helped work on isolating bacteriophages from soil.

After earning her associate degree, Taroua transferred to the University of Texas at Dallas, where she graduated with a bachelor degree in biomedical engineering in 2017. At her job with Lazarus 3D, she works with 3D printing to create copies of extreme medical cases of patients’ organs so surgeons can prepare for upcoming operations. She also helps make medical training simulators that feel like real human tissue and mimic the mechanical properties of real anatomy. “Our products are different than the ones on the market because they are made of soft material instead of plastic; they can bleed, suture and be cut,” explained Taroua. “Doctors today practice on fruits and vegetables, which are very different from our anatomy, to learn how to perform many procedures. To decrease medical errors, we come up with suitable training models so doctors can operate with confidence.”

While the science classes Taroua took at Richland College helped her prepare for her future career, she didn’t realize until after she began working in the real-world how important her non-science classes were as well.

“The diverse classes that I took, such as public speaking, psychology, sociology and art, helped me develop my soft skills and my general knowledge, which are indispensable to the technical skills,” explained Taroua. “In sociology for example, we learned how to deal with and manage social conflict, which is common in my field. My public speaking class helped me overcome my fear of speaking in front of a big crowd, which is important when I am representing my company at conferences and when I express my professional opinion freely during a board meeting.”

Taroua’s best advice for international students at Richland College is to keep focusing on their goals, even if a million challenges come their way. “Moving to another country for college is a big step full of hiccups; however, it is a well-worth it experience, especially at Richland College where you will get all the support you need to succeed personally and professionally.”

[linguistlist-blog]

TOC, International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL) Vol. 61, No. 2 (2023)

Exploring ESOL teachers’ perspectives on the language learning experiences, challenges, and motivations of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK Gloria Chamorro, María del Carmen Garrido-Hornos, María Vázquez-Amador pp. 201-226 Thai tonal confusion patterns in the production of L1 Chinese Zhuang students Siriluck Hoonsringam Phonphanich pp. 227-255 Open Access Lexical measures as a proxy for bilingual language dominance? Audrey Bonvin, Ladina Brugger, Raphael Berthele pp. 257-285 Elicited met http://dlvr.it/SqkDj4

[keepthingslocal]

Evergreen Education: First-Class Tuition

Davinder Lally Flexible teaching in core curriculum subjects, lessons in English language proficiency and creative arts and crafts workshops ‘We’re delighted that all the children have returned for the new academic year. Our approach is to challenge and inspire students, give them personal attention and make learning enjoyable.’ Following a 25-year career in teaching, training and adult education roles, Davinder Lally opened Evergreen Education (with her son, Rajar) in March to provide individually tailored classes in Maths, English, Creative Writing, Biology, Chemistry and Physics for students aged five to 18. ‘The lessons, which are held after school, at weekends and during the holidays, can be designed to prepare for exams, such as the 7+, 11+, GCSEs, A-Levels and International Baccalaureate,’ explains Davinder. ‘We assess every student and devise a teaching plan that meets their needs and is in line with the National Curriculum and their schoolwork. Students of a similar age work at their own pace in small or one-to-one classes with experienced teachers who challenge them and offer constructive support in areas that require improvement.’ Before the students arrive, Evergreen hosts a daytime programme that gives adults the chance to learn or refresh lost creative skills – sewing and embroidery, cake decoration, floristry – alongside English proficiency classes for native and non-native speakers. ‘We’re planning to expand our range of arts and crafts workshops and, locally, there’s a high demand for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and International English Language Testing (IELT) among foreign professionals,’ says Davinder. ‘In addition, we teach Functional Skills English and Math courses for native speakers who wish to develop basic skills and upgrade their employment prospects. ‘Using our method students of all ages and abilities will reach their academic and personal goals. It’s been so encouraging to see familiar faces returning for the autumn term and we hope to welcome more. And look out for Evergreen Science and Maths Holiday Clubs!’

Read the full article

[graduatechronicles]

Week Two Reading List

My second week of graduate school has come to a close. Despite being sick, for the second week in a row, I felt very content with the progress that I’ve made this week. To summarize this week, I’ll just briefly reflect on the things that I’ve read this week. 

Academic Reading

What Research District Leaders Find Useful (Penuel, Farrell, Allen, Toyama, Coburn, 2018). This study examined what educational research is used by district leaders and how. The top uses of educational research are: to support district leader’s own professional learning, to provide instructional leadership, to design policies, programs, and initiatives, and to support and monitor implementation efforts. We are currently critiquing this study in small groups during class time. 

Marching Forward, Marching in Circles: A History of Problems and Dilemmas in Teacher Preparation (Schneider, 2017). This essay provides a historical account of teacher preparation in the United States. The history is split into four eras: Teaching Unregulated (1800-1860), Early Bureaucracy (1860-1920), Late Bureaucracy (1920-1980), and Resurgent Deregulation (1980 - Present). Throughout the descriptions of the eras, Schneider poses problems and dilemmas of teacher preparation over time. The difference between problems and dilemmas is that problems and be solved, dilemmas can only be managed. For example, a problem in Era I was that standards for teacher preparation were null; this was fixed over time with increasing standards. But the associated dilemma is that we must balance with these standards with teaching remaining an accessible career, lest we are left with a shortage of teachers. Personally, I enjoyed the articles historical methods. It inspired me to start thinking about writing a similar piece to highlight the challenges of classical education in the United States, particularly in the university setting. I have been interested in writing a higher education piece about the state of the humanities Classics for awhile now, and I think this would be a great starting point.

The Case for Self-Care as a Core Practice for Teaching (Peercy, 2019). Peercy highlights the particular challenges of novice ESOL teachers in secondary schools. Their unique struggles include having to work with students that are emotional traumatized, prove themselves and their worth in the school system, and counteract the perceptions of other professionals, which frequently will use ESOL teachers for grunt work. Just coming out of my first year of teaching ESOL in the private sector, this article was particularly interesting to me. It encouraged me to think about the struggles that I had as a novice teacher, namely: a feeling of dispensability as a teacher, a lack of trust and support in staff, and expectations for unpaid administrative work and preparation. I’m curious to how much research has been done on other private sector teachers. In seminar on Thursday, Peercy herself spoke to us via webcam and discussed her research methods, qualitative and inclusive of self-study. The most interesting part of the conversation was that she and the participants “co-generated knowledge” involved in this study. Until the teachers involved in the study started discussing what was happening with other teachers, they didn’t necessarily realize that self-care was what they each were missing to counteract their stress.

I also read Piaget’s Theory of Development and I also have a few extra associated readings that I have not attended to yet. I will likely follow up later on these, but what I will mention now is that I was really challenged by Piaget. I have never read anything in the field of development, psychology, cognition, etc., etc.! 

In terms of Greek this week, we translated an adaption of Herodotus. I fervorously studied principal parts and subjunctive forms for yesterday’s quiz...but it ended up just being more Herodotus. 

Personal Reading

Empress (Shan Sa). I’m about halfway through this novel. At first I was disinterested by it, but the pace picked up pretty quickly and the dynamics of the Inner Court during the Tang Dynasty became fascinating to me. I’m pretty hooked on it now.

The Academic Self (Donald Eugene Hall). I’ve only read the introduction, but I’m also hooked on this read. So far, it’s just been a commentary on the struggles of life in academia. That’s of course relevant to me, so I’m looking forward to continuing through and posting some reflections every once in awhile. 

“Gin, Sex, Malaria, and the Hunt for Academic Prestige” (Charles King). I loved this excerpt from King’s book regarding the adventures of early anthropologists and how their studies influenced not just anthropology, but social science at large. My biggest takeaway from this reading is the length of which an academic’s work is an extension of his or herself. Margaret Mead wrote in a letter: “I’m more than ever convinced that the only logical place for the anthropologist is in the field — most of the time — for the first ten years, or even fifteen years of his anthropological life.” To me, Mead’s use of “logical” indicates urgency, and this reminds me of myself; I have often felt an urgency to needing to be on campus, in classrooms, among library shelves. As anthropologists must be in the field, academics must be in the academy.

I’ve read even more this week, undoubtedly, but I’m content to wrap up here. This weekend, I want to do more than what is expected of me and meet progress towards my goals. For today, I have to complete my Piaget readings, write discussion questions, and hopefully finish two abstracts so I can review them with my advisor and submit them to their respective conferences! I’m so excited!

[imaginedmelody]

Life update!

I haven’t done any real-life posts in a while- which is actually usually a sign that things are going well, to be honest. I tend to make text posts to complain rather than to do any kind of positive update. :) But I figured I’d keep you all in touch with where I am in life. You know, new year and all that.

So on the one hand, I’m in a better place right now than I’ve been in a long while. Although it doesn’t always feel like it, I started off 2017 pretty strong. I’ve made a pretty good effort at getting household chores to a manageable level, I’m doing better at conforming to a meal plan and getting the basic physical activity of at least stretching every day, I’m doing slightly better keeping up with work responsibilities, and at least until inauguration time (when I think everyone’s mood took a turn for the worse), I was definitely having more good days than bad. It’s more stability than I’ve had in months- maybe years.

On the other hand, “better than I’ve been in a long while” is still...not the same thing as “good.” The latter half of the month has been a slow mental health downward spiral. This isn’t entirely surprising- it happened last year too, for many of the same reasons I’ll explain here, and I’m pretty sure if you were to chart out some observations from previous years, you’d probably find I decline at about this time every year. It’s not just the political upheaval that’s got me floundering, although that definitely contributes; the stress of living in an increasingly oppressive and unrest-plagued nation- especially the center of all the storm, since I live right near Washington D.C.- gets to you really quick. And it’s not just the cold winter season, though that doesn’t help things either.

You all know I don’t cope well with stress. You also know that I don’t handle transitions well- particularly if those transitions come hand in hand with additional responsibilities and pressure. This is especially true if the news of the transition is sudden, although having more advance notice doesn’t entirely alleviate it (you could tell me four months in advance about a change in circumstances and I’ll still be plagued with anxiety when the time comes). Last year, I entered probably my worst mental health low ever in the second week of February, when I ended up having to stay on for the rest of the year and cover the classes that I’d been long-term subbing and was supposed to give back the following week. It was a good transition- more work isn’t a bad thing- but my anxiety and discomfort with transitions has nothing to do with whether they’re good or bad.

I’m hired at a really great school as a part-time employee, with two classes of my own on my roster; the original plan was that I teach those two classes in the morning, then leave after lunch and do my short-term substitute teaching in the afternoons. I like this plan. It’s less money and less steady work, but it minimizes my anxiety and keeps my life manageable. Since late October I’ve been long-term subbing 3 additional classes, which is fine; I can handle it. This Friday was when I was supposed to give them back and return to part-time status.

But regardless of whether you want it or not, when you’re offered more steady work, you don’t refuse. So when my department head and the assistant principal called me into the office about 2 weeks ago and said they had 3 classes available for 2nd semester that they wanted me to take, of course I said yes. So now in addition to my 2 9th grade morning classes, I have 1 study skills class, 1 resource class for English language learners, and 1 11th grade class. The short notice meant I had approximately a week and a half to prepare myself for these completely unfamiliar classes and the increased workload that would come with them- at a time when I had just been looking forward to the relief of going back to a part-time schedule.

I knew my mental health would take a downturn- and, predictably, it did. (Again, the fact that it coincided perfectly with the inauguration and all its fallout didn’t help.) But the classes themselves are also quite challenging. I have no idea what to do with either of the study skills/resource classes. There’s no curriculum, so it’s up to me to impose my own structure, which I can’t seem to figure out how to do on my own. None of the classes are especially badly behaved, but I am having a few challenges in the first study skills class, particularly with students leaving the room without permission. The ESOL class is all students on the early end of learning the language, which means they have almost no English; I have a Spanish-speaking co-teacher in there to help me, but we’re making very slow progress.

The kicker is my 11th-grade class, though. In the interest of keeping me in the same room all afternoon, the administration decided to put my 11th grade English class in the same room that I teach resource in. At the time, that sounded like a good idea, and I agreed with it.

That was before they put a whopping 35 students in the class.

If you’re not familiar with the public school system: 35 kids in a class is a LOT. The class enrollment is supposed to cap at 29. To make matters worse, the resource room is a little windowless alcove in the middle of nowhere. It’s loud (chorus room and another loud class on either side), not well ventilated, and ill-equipped: a projector screen but no projector, chalkboard but no chalk, 2 computers but no laptop cart (each English classroom has a class set of Chromebooks in it- we’re a privileged county in a wealthy community, yeah, I know). Into this tiny room, the administration has crammed 33 desks (I have 2 kids sitting at the computers) and decided this is sufficient.

It’s not.

I know a lot of teachers get by with a lot less in other places, but this just feels like a hot mess to me. I did not think this is what I was signing on for. Finally, after more and more concerned emails to admin (and some complaining to the department- I don’t want to be the thorn in anyone’s side as a fairly new employee, but a little well-placed griping can yield results), another teacher whose room is free that period said that I could use her room. So now we’re out of the dark windowless cavern of the resource room. Today’s class felt more like a class than any other this week. But I still think I’m set up for failure here. I don’t know how to effectively get a 35-person class to achieve results. I’m afraid everything will take us forever. Maybe this is just my own lack of self-confidence speaking, but I am just feeling pretty hopeless about it all.

The toughest part is that I can feel the improved mental health I’d been counting on slowly drifting away. I’d envisioned going back to part-time as an opportunity to really excel 2nd semester, to devote my full attention to my 2 classes and come out with everyone looking really good. Now my attention is torn in 5 different directions- because each of these classes (Honors English 9, On-Level English 9, Study Skills, ESOL Resource, and English 11) are completely different from one another- and I don’t really have much of a handle on anything other than my honors class. On-level isn’t responding well to anything I give them. And for the afternoon ones, my own aimless attempts at running these classes are the problem. But I’m out of my limited prep time, with virtually no days off in sight to catch up, so I’ve jumped in with both feet and I’m just hoping I don’t drown.

I’m trying really hard. I’m trying to not freak out and have a meltdown about work. I’m trying to balance out my home life and make room for fun things. It’s not going incredibly well, but I am trying. Even though there’s no break on the horizon during which I could feasibly take a step back and claw myself out of this rut. I’ll find a way. I just hope all this doesn’t get run into the ground in the process of me figuring it out. Because I know all too well what happens when the combination of increased stress and pressure hits my usual mental downturn: I become overwhelmed, grow completely incapable of motivating myself to do anything, fall so far behind I can’t catch up, and then watch everything unravel and grow more fraught and chaotic around me as a result, which only worsens the apathy and stress and anxiety. There’s such a profound risk, if precedent can be relied on, of that happening to this situation, even though I’m doing everything I can to prevent it.

So...that’s where I am right now?