It seemed like ages ago when we were getting ready for first day of school at New Haven Chinese Language School. What a transforming year we had last year! As more teachers with like minds joined us at NHCLS, we worked together on everything, from curriculum to school-wide policies, from scheduling to professional development. (I love our teachers!) This is only our second week back, and I am seeing a difference in the rigor each teacher is bringing to her classroom. This is when I think it's rewarding being an administrator. You see it in all of the teachers and students.
Some of our little successes include, the heightened enthusiasm in the entire community, an increased enrollment in all of the classes, the continuation of our afternoon class, a beginning adult class, and a large pre-K class that had to be split into two classes, and maybe three in the very near future! How I hope all of our students will persevere through the years and keep up with coming to school every Sunday!
As a teacher - I have a class of first graders this year. They are so happy participating in game after game of character recognition. I often ponder, what is the difference between educating heritage v/s non-heritage students? Yes, heritage speakers often need more reinforcement with reading and writing, as opposed to syntax and oral abilities. But is that all? I ask myself, what do I want to see Chinese school teachers work on with my own children? I think it goes beyond teaching them how to read and write. I want my children to identify with their cultural heritage. I want them to appreciate what my native culture has to offer. Having said that, I care all so much too for my non-heritage students. They show me that children have such open minds to new cultures and to things different to their own. They show my children that our culture is important, interesting, beautiful and, most of all, accepted in the world. I appreciate their motivation and their desire to venture into something different. I learn so much from my students everyday.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
My take on teaching tones
It's funny how we always think of tones as a huge 'chapter' in teaching Chinese. This is the first year that I have not been so plagued by "how do I teach tones???" I stopped teaching it. No, that's not entirely true. I just don't teach it explicitly after the initial introduction. But how did my students learn them? They learn the sounds experientially. It is, after all, the most natural way we all learned our tones as native speakers.
First, I cannot stress enough the importance of speaking in target language as much as possible in the classroom. Even if students don't understand everything you may say in passing, they will get used to the sound of the language. Have you ever been in a place where people speak a different language and you now have the 'music' of that language in your ear?
This is also the first year that I have stopped using so many songs in my classroom. While singing in the target language helps with remembering sentence structures and vocabulary, I find that they obscure the tones completely. Don't get me wrong, I still sing a couple of songs with my students, but I have now focused my energy on searching and writing highly rhythmic rhymes and raps. A great resource is Practical Rhythmic Chinese published by Foreign Languages Teaching and Research Press (2009). I haven't used any rap from the book yet, but it offers me a lot of inspiration. Gao Jian also published a new book of teaching through rhymes Chinese Breeze that I am purchasing for next fall. One of my own creations 你好吗？ is something I have used in the beginning of each year with great effect. I like it with TPR as a warm-up routine. Let me know if it works for you too.
Some of the other things I do to 'teach tones' are more about my practice in general and not so much any isolated methods or activities. For instance, when I introduce new vocabulary, I sometimes group the words by certain tonal pattern, like huángsè, báisè, hóngsè / zōngsè, huīsè, etc. Everything is intentional, down to the order I introduce each new word.
I like to make use of any 'teachable moments'. Again, not explicitly, I would remind students that they have previously learned something that sounds similar but with different tones. We almost have to anticipate that moment before it passes us by. For instance, the students who already know wǒshì (I am) are now learning wòshì (bedroom). I would make a point to have them differentiate the two. It really helps my students develop the awareness for the tonal differences.
Error correction is a big one too. When my students speak with inaccurate tones I would repeat what he/she says with the correct tones. My students repeat it after me so much that it becomes second nature. I do it so frequently to every student, that my students don't feel singled out. Always keeping a sense of humor is so essential, that way you can lower the students' affective filter while correcting their tones.
Since I decided to speak in target language earlier on, I dramatize and exaggerate the emotions of most things I say to convey meaning. By doing so, the tones, needless to say, are exaggerated and delivered in a clear manner. When the language is spoken with conviction and with meaning, students are likely to learn the context and the sound pattern of the entire sentence. Each sentence is like a mini musical phrase. It is also easier for them to adapt to the longer sentences. Both books I mentioned earlier talk about this.
There are countless practices in my everyday teaching that I think benefit my students' acquisition of tones. My biggest piece of advice is -- nothing exists in isolation. Listen diligently when students speak and set your expectations high, so everything you do in the classroom is purposeful and will help not only with students' sentence structure, communicative ability and pronunciation, but also tones and many other elements of Chinese language acquisition.
Please let me know your take on this by commenting on this blog. I'd love to hear what you think.
First, I cannot stress enough the importance of speaking in target language as much as possible in the classroom. Even if students don't understand everything you may say in passing, they will get used to the sound of the language. Have you ever been in a place where people speak a different language and you now have the 'music' of that language in your ear?
This is also the first year that I have stopped using so many songs in my classroom. While singing in the target language helps with remembering sentence structures and vocabulary, I find that they obscure the tones completely. Don't get me wrong, I still sing a couple of songs with my students, but I have now focused my energy on searching and writing highly rhythmic rhymes and raps. A great resource is Practical Rhythmic Chinese published by Foreign Languages Teaching and Research Press (2009). I haven't used any rap from the book yet, but it offers me a lot of inspiration. Gao Jian also published a new book of teaching through rhymes Chinese Breeze that I am purchasing for next fall. One of my own creations 你好吗？ is something I have used in the beginning of each year with great effect. I like it with TPR as a warm-up routine. Let me know if it works for you too.
Some of the other things I do to 'teach tones' are more about my practice in general and not so much any isolated methods or activities. For instance, when I introduce new vocabulary, I sometimes group the words by certain tonal pattern, like huángsè, báisè, hóngsè / zōngsè, huīsè, etc. Everything is intentional, down to the order I introduce each new word.
I like to make use of any 'teachable moments'. Again, not explicitly, I would remind students that they have previously learned something that sounds similar but with different tones. We almost have to anticipate that moment before it passes us by. For instance, the students who already know wǒshì (I am) are now learning wòshì (bedroom). I would make a point to have them differentiate the two. It really helps my students develop the awareness for the tonal differences.
Error correction is a big one too. When my students speak with inaccurate tones I would repeat what he/she says with the correct tones. My students repeat it after me so much that it becomes second nature. I do it so frequently to every student, that my students don't feel singled out. Always keeping a sense of humor is so essential, that way you can lower the students' affective filter while correcting their tones.
Since I decided to speak in target language earlier on, I dramatize and exaggerate the emotions of most things I say to convey meaning. By doing so, the tones, needless to say, are exaggerated and delivered in a clear manner. When the language is spoken with conviction and with meaning, students are likely to learn the context and the sound pattern of the entire sentence. Each sentence is like a mini musical phrase. It is also easier for them to adapt to the longer sentences. Both books I mentioned earlier talk about this.
There are countless practices in my everyday teaching that I think benefit my students' acquisition of tones. My biggest piece of advice is -- nothing exists in isolation. Listen diligently when students speak and set your expectations high, so everything you do in the classroom is purposeful and will help not only with students' sentence structure, communicative ability and pronunciation, but also tones and many other elements of Chinese language acquisition.
Please let me know your take on this by commenting on this blog. I'd love to hear what you think.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
一年又過去了 Another year...
Another year just ended for all of my schools, NHCLS, HSCLP and Foote. For work that I will return to next fall, I feel all ready to go again (believe or not!), and for that I am leaving, there is tremendous sadness. This is a transitional year for me both as a teacher and administrator.
As a teacher, I have now gained a full scope of working with different populations, age groups and administrations. How I wish I have more time to do more of everything! The different students have different things to offer; some challenge you; some look for your challenges. Every one of them has a different story that I care to discover. The different age groups have different needs and give you different rewards. While my little ones shower me with their hugs and cards, my big kids thank me for pushing them to achieve more. The administrators also have their varying priorities, different styles and amounts of support. It is always interesting to learn about the inner workings of any educational organization.
As an administrator, I look back to where we were a year ago, and where we are now. It's mind-boggling. See Revitalize thy school! I enjoyed working with new teachers because I want to help them in the way that I wish someone would have helped me as I was once a developing teacher. While I don't want my teachers to be reproductions of myself, I want to impress upon them values that drove me to persist as an educator.
My reward is when the teachers believe that education is a mission; it is when they want to hold their students to high standards; it is when they can reflect on what they have done to make a lesson successful or not; it is when they are brave enough to confront their insecurities.
The parents in all of my schools are the most encouraging as well. I appreciate their kind words and support, as I embark on my first year as an administrator. They are tolerant of my uncertainties and constant requests for their feedback. They are invested as we are in their children's education and community.
As for my co-administrator, not only do I thank her for the opportunities she gave me to reflect, she also makes me a better communicator. Without her, I would not have the courage to pick up our school alone. She has been a confidant, a friend, a teacher and a little voice in my head reminding me of all the details of running our little school.
Until next year！
As a teacher, I have now gained a full scope of working with different populations, age groups and administrations. How I wish I have more time to do more of everything! The different students have different things to offer; some challenge you; some look for your challenges. Every one of them has a different story that I care to discover. The different age groups have different needs and give you different rewards. While my little ones shower me with their hugs and cards, my big kids thank me for pushing them to achieve more. The administrators also have their varying priorities, different styles and amounts of support. It is always interesting to learn about the inner workings of any educational organization.
 |
| I love to see when learning is both rigorous and low-stress. |
As an administrator, I look back to where we were a year ago, and where we are now. It's mind-boggling. See Revitalize thy school! I enjoyed working with new teachers because I want to help them in the way that I wish someone would have helped me as I was once a developing teacher. While I don't want my teachers to be reproductions of myself, I want to impress upon them values that drove me to persist as an educator.
 |
| Helen is so conscientious and makes her students shine. |
My reward is when the teachers believe that education is a mission; it is when they want to hold their students to high standards; it is when they can reflect on what they have done to make a lesson successful or not; it is when they are brave enough to confront their insecurities.
 |
| Chien-Ju's class is always full of laughter. |
The parents in all of my schools are the most encouraging as well. I appreciate their kind words and support, as I embark on my first year as an administrator. They are tolerant of my uncertainties and constant requests for their feedback. They are invested as we are in their children's education and community.
As for my co-administrator, not only do I thank her for the opportunities she gave me to reflect, she also makes me a better communicator. Without her, I would not have the courage to pick up our school alone. She has been a confidant, a friend, a teacher and a little voice in my head reminding me of all the details of running our little school.
Until next year！
Monday, May 20, 2013
Learning Centers - Yay!
If you spent any time in lower-grade classrooms, you'd see reading groups, choice time, learning centers, almost all the time, everyday. With all the talk about differentiated instruction, student-directed learning, student choice... I finally took the plunge and set up my learning centers this year. There are things I can definitely improve on, but I was very please with my centers for the most part.
To set it all up took some time and courage. I discovered on the spot that no more than one person can sign in and record on one Voicethread account at any one time. My tech center took a hit on day one. It is very easy for me to abandon this project right there and then, but I got myself together and figured out glitches, requested more VT accounts, modeled before setting students off again. Phew! It turned out to be the most rewarding couple of weeks I have ever had as a teacher.
We would start our 30-min class in a circle. One student would write the date on the board. Another would lead the class in reciting the date. Then we have 5 minutes of meeting, 'chatting' in the target language, in place of an oral drill. I love this time with the students because we talk about real events in students lives, though the scope is sometimes limited due to their language proficiency. However, this is when I see a lot of meaningful learning.
After our meeting, I walked through the centers again with my students. Off they went.
As much as it's a great opportunity for students to learn independently and with a few others, learning centers also provide me with the opportunity to take a small group and work with them on what they need most. I highly recommend it.
To set it all up took some time and courage. I discovered on the spot that no more than one person can sign in and record on one Voicethread account at any one time. My tech center took a hit on day one. It is very easy for me to abandon this project right there and then, but I got myself together and figured out glitches, requested more VT accounts, modeled before setting students off again. Phew! It turned out to be the most rewarding couple of weeks I have ever had as a teacher.
We would start our 30-min class in a circle. One student would write the date on the board. Another would lead the class in reciting the date. Then we have 5 minutes of meeting, 'chatting' in the target language, in place of an oral drill. I love this time with the students because we talk about real events in students lives, though the scope is sometimes limited due to their language proficiency. However, this is when I see a lot of meaningful learning.
After our meeting, I walked through the centers again with my students. Off they went.
As much as it's a great opportunity for students to learn independently and with a few others, learning centers also provide me with the opportunity to take a small group and work with them on what they need most. I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
End of Colors Unit Activities
Because the kids were familiar with the colors by now, I wanted to have them do more with the colors, like using the colors to describe the few objects they know how to say, stating likes and dislikes, and using them in simple sentences. Because modifying objects with an adjective requires a connector between the adjective and the object, I find this unit to be perfect for that.
I would give each group a stack of cards with familiar objects in different colors and have them identify the objects by placing various cards on my graphic organizer. Students are also encouraged to be the ones calling out the objects on the card. On my graphic organizer, I have a big heart for "I like", and another with an X through it for "I don't like". Students need to listen carefully for "I like v/s I don't like", they need to decipher the colors, and then identify the objects. As a closure, students would check their answers by taking turns to state what I like or dislike.
Another activity my third grades got pretty good at while practicing "I like___." was the use of names/colors chart. As each person states what he/she likes, the rest of the class have to locate the person name and check off which color(s) he/she likes. It allows the teacher to hear kids speak on their own and trains the entire class to listen to whoever is speaking.
Another listening/speaking activity is -- We would go around the circle telling everyone something personal (what colors we like, what kind of food we like to eat, etc.). I would pick a person and ask the group his/her preferences. Whoever listened, remembered and answered correctly can be the one others will guess about. It does make kids want to pay more attention to what their peers say.
My second graders enjoy having the tactile thing, so my multi-color giant die is always popular. They would take turn throwing it, and respond to the color with "I like ___." or "I don't like ___." This gets even the shyest child involved.
Because we started learning the colors using 'lollipops' of different colors. At the end of the unit, I colored the ends of craft sticks each with a different color. I told the kids that they have somehow consumed the candies, and there's a little bit of candies left on the sticks. I distributed the sticks to the students 'secretly' so nobody knows what others have. They are to find out what color candies others have by asking them "Do you have (color) candy?" When you do guess someone's candy color correctly, you can have that stick. At the end of the activity, we can see who collected most sticks.
Since learning any group of vocabulary in isolation is pretty useless and students are destined to forget the vocabulary in no time, I like to use the same vocab in different ways, different sentence structures and different contexts.
I would give each group a stack of cards with familiar objects in different colors and have them identify the objects by placing various cards on my graphic organizer. Students are also encouraged to be the ones calling out the objects on the card. On my graphic organizer, I have a big heart for "I like", and another with an X through it for "I don't like". Students need to listen carefully for "I like v/s I don't like", they need to decipher the colors, and then identify the objects. As a closure, students would check their answers by taking turns to state what I like or dislike.
Another activity my third grades got pretty good at while practicing "I like___." was the use of names/colors chart. As each person states what he/she likes, the rest of the class have to locate the person name and check off which color(s) he/she likes. It allows the teacher to hear kids speak on their own and trains the entire class to listen to whoever is speaking.
Another listening/speaking activity is -- We would go around the circle telling everyone something personal (what colors we like, what kind of food we like to eat, etc.). I would pick a person and ask the group his/her preferences. Whoever listened, remembered and answered correctly can be the one others will guess about. It does make kids want to pay more attention to what their peers say.
My second graders enjoy having the tactile thing, so my multi-color giant die is always popular. They would take turn throwing it, and respond to the color with "I like ___." or "I don't like ___." This gets even the shyest child involved.
Because we started learning the colors using 'lollipops' of different colors. At the end of the unit, I colored the ends of craft sticks each with a different color. I told the kids that they have somehow consumed the candies, and there's a little bit of candies left on the sticks. I distributed the sticks to the students 'secretly' so nobody knows what others have. They are to find out what color candies others have by asking them "Do you have (color) candy?" When you do guess someone's candy color correctly, you can have that stick. At the end of the activity, we can see who collected most sticks.
Since learning any group of vocabulary in isolation is pretty useless and students are destined to forget the vocabulary in no time, I like to use the same vocab in different ways, different sentence structures and different contexts.
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