Category Archives: ESL teaching

Accounts of my experiences as an English teacher and developing ideas about this interesting and forever growing field.

Spring has Sprung

Written by on April 22, 2012

Life in Toronto has been busy this past month.  The days are getting longer, the sun is shining brighter, and I’m meeting more and more students in my classrooms.

ScottMcCloudVisit_8989_editI’ve really settled into my new life at English School of Canada.  My hours of prep work have paid off since I’m into my second cycle of curriculum and can use my previous lesson plans with minor alterations.  The class dynamics continue to change, however, since I have new students coming and going on a weekly basis.

Although I am no longer abroad, I get my taste of new cultures on daily basis, and it feels fantastic.  I seem to have built a strong relationship with staff and students and have become interested in participating in the school’s  student activities.  Everyday, I continue to learn new ways to reach students, test my creativity, and understand the world of language learning.

On that note, another big event happened this month.  I received my offer of admissions to complete my Bachelor of Education.  It was exciting news, but it meant that another decision had to be made.  I have finally found a school where I feel great- why would I want to leave to go back to school?  Yes, I also enjoy learning and gaining new experiences and perspectives, but I haven’t been able to sink my feet into a long term job since Korea, and I was beginning to look forward to it.

So, eventually I made the choice to accept the offer and request a deferral for one year.  I will see what the reply is and make another decision if the time comes.

My Easter Bunny Cake 2012

Another great event this month was my weekend home for Easter.  I’ve been happily joining family traditions this year as they are the first after many years of best wishes from across the ocean.  My sister, who’s expecting her first child this spring, allowed me to feel her belly a few times (an overwhelming experience it itself!).

In addition to busy school work, reunions with old friends, and a nicely growing social network, I am attending regular rehearsals for a production of Moliere’s “The Hypochondriac” for which I’m Assistant Stage Manager.  It has been an amazing process so far, and I am excited for final touches to be put on over the next month before we hit the theatre space at the end of May.

Overall, Toronto has been treating us well as winter goes back to sleep for another year and the summer is pushing ahead.

Next step: pull out my yoga mat to welcome the new season!

Creative Commons License photo credit: Rowan University Publications

Creative Commons License photo credit: Debbie(Woodlands Texas)

T is for Teacher and Theatre

Written by on March 10, 2012

“Teacher” – the name I have adopted since I stepped into my first classroom, and the title I have come to love.

I am well into my second month of teaching in my new classrooms.  It has been busy, hectic, and overwhelming; on the other hand, it has been exciting, inspiring, and fun!  These days, the little ESL seed I planted back in Korea over four years ago is really starting to bloom.  I am feeling great in the classroom.  Despite the workload, this setting is definitely feeling like a place in which I want–I need–to be.

Teaching ESL to adults in an English-speaking city–my reason for returning to Canada in the first place– is incredibly rewarding.  The students are old enough that I don’t (usually) have to babysit, but they are young enough that we can discuss topics that are socially and worldly relevant.  They can ask real questions about real life for which I can provide real answers.  Students come from everywhere, so without leaving the city of Toronto, I get to travel around the world each day in my classroom.  In addition, I get new students coming and going each week, which is sad, but refreshing at the same time.

I feel confident in bringing a sense of authority to the classroom (which every teacher needs to do), but I also bring a kind of peer attitude: we are all here together to learn; I will give you my best and I hope you will bring yours, so that we can all get the most out of these seventy-five minutes.

With the lesson preparation comes time-consuming research but also a new appreciation for language learning.  I get a chance to focus on and grasp a teaching perspective for the different aspects,–reading, writing, speaking, listening– therefore receiving a well-rounded experience as a classroom leader.

On a different level, but still related to my classroom performances, I will begin my position as Assistant Stage Manager for a show with a Toronto community theatre group.  I can’t wait to jump in and help manage this upcoming show (I even get to have a stage appearance!).  Theatre remains a passion, of course, but one I will tend to after I leave my daily classroom.

I am still waiting for the results of my Teacher’s College applications, and I still don’t know what my decision will be, but I am beginning to come to terms with the fact that I will live with one foot in the classroom and one foot on the stage!

 

Smile….Love is in the Air

Written by on February 15, 2012

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine heart for you from an (Italian) square in SalernoLike yesterday and the day before, I’m feelin’ lots of love for my best friend who I’m lucky to wake up next to every day.  And like today and tomorrow,  I’m also feelin’ love for my best friends who live across the city, the country, and on the other side of the world.

So I suppose, today, I’m sending a little extra your way.

Surprisingly, I’m also feelin’ lots of writers’ block.  I wanted to write about today’s theme: Love.  Happiness.  Comfort.  Excitement.  But all I can do is smile when I dig down deep.

Perhaps it’s because Edwin and I celebrated our anniversary not long ago, with a wonderful day of culture, music, and delicious food and wine.  Or maybe it’s because I landed a great job this month that has me remembering why I want to set foot in a classroom everyday.  Or it could even be that over that past few days, I’ve had some amazing reunions that remind me how friendships can stand the test of time.

Either way, I’m just going to allow my writer’s block to take up its space and concentrate on enjoying my smile.  Because sometimes you just have to let your mind do its thing.  I’m looking around our picture-filled apartment from our 2011 travels, and I can’t help but feel the coziness our little Toronto home has come to provide us with.  I look at our fading Christmas cards still on the window ledge next to our “Happy Anniversary” and “Happy Valentine’s Day” cards and smile at my luck for getting to experience such joy.

I have never been one to fall victim to the commercialism of February 14th; I’m simply excited for my boyfriend to get home and share a home-cooked dinner with a few cinnamon hearts on the side.

So, regardless of if you received a dozen roses, a few valentines, or shared a hello with a stranger–smile, it’s Valentine’s Day.  Love is in the air.  All kinds of love!

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Awards

Kristin’s Backpack won 1st Prize for TESL Ontario’s 2011 ESL Week Blog Contest.
About Me


Welcome to Kristin’s Backpack! I jumped on the blogging bandwagon in 2010 to share my Canadian-theatrical-backpacking perspective on my world adventures. With my return to Canada, I will continue to dig into my pockets and reflect on life as it has come to involve ESL Teaching, Travel, and Theatre. Lights up!
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Kristin's Library
I’ve been on a reading rampage.  Looking for some interesting material? Check out my Reading Picks and Bookworm post for some ideas!
Currently, I’m diving into a book I found at an airport bookstore: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. 
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