Reflection and

Systematization of the
Teaching Process.

Jos Gustavo Espinoza Morales.





Universidad Gerardo Barrios.
Teaching Practice I
Elmer Jorge Guardado.
June 15
th
, 2014.

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Reflection and Systematization of the Teaching Process.

The following document is just a brief description about how to start the teaching
process, taking in consideration that teaching is one of the most powerful weapon to
help and educate people. Teaching and learning is the fundament in how a society
changes. Nowadays, we are leaving in the 21
rd
century and the differences that we
can see is because teaching has had great influences in us. Everybody knows that
teaching in the past was different from today, but always it helped to have a great
development in every society. Many philosophers, doctors, teachers have given their
contribution in many areas of sciences, technology and so on. It is here where
everyone can see the importance of teachers in this world. There had been many
important people that gave his contribution to our world presidents, Scientifics,
politicians but everyone knows that those great people were with a teacher before in
a classroom or out of it, but teachers influenced them and they influenced in the
whole society.

Beside, of the systematization of the teaching process I will explain other things
related to this field always with teaching based in my teaching practice. Here I write
the all contents that this document has:

Systematization of the teaching process.
Critical reflection about my teaching practice.
Application of E-portfolio approach in the new learning environment ELT.
The lack of technology in this classroom.

All this explanation will be important for everyone that has working as a teacher
and reading this kind of document will have how my teaching process started and
how I changed in the way.

Systematization of the teaching process.

Teaching refers to the process of imparting knowledge and skills from a teacher
to a learner. It encompasses the activities of educating or instructing. An act or
experience has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an
individual. (Ask.com, 2014) Without a teacher is not teaching and without learners
are not teacher, so, each one is fundamental in this process. In addition, a teacher is
someone that has knowledge about a topic or issue and a learner is the person that
take the main point on this process because he receives this knowledge from the

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teachers. Nevertheless, this process starts with the preparation of the teacher. When
I say preparation, I do not mean that the requirement of this is the teacher career
because the teaching process does not start when someone has graduated of any
field, and neither this process does not start when the teacher gets to the classroom
and meet his student. The teaching process starts when the teacher begins to plan
his material documents, resources and scheduling every topic that he has to develop
in class.

First, when a teacher is going to start the teaching process he needs to consider
what kind of students he will have in this process, I mean ages, levels and so on.
Those factors are crucial for this process because every teacher has to be
knowledgeable about students and decide what kind of methodology use with
them. In this point, the teacher can realize if he will have different ages, different
levels and this factor is one of the most important because initiate with this, teacher
can start to plan and organize it. When a teacher is going to the classroom and he
does not know anything about it, this is like going to a battle without any weapon.
Just imagine that the teacher could find different ages in the classroom, he was
thinking to do an activity with teenagers, and when he gets to the classroom, he will
be frustrated because children and teenagers have different ways of thinking and
different purposes. He can solve this, but if the teacher is knowledgeable about what
kind of students he will have, then he will have a better result.

Secondly, in the teaching systematization other thing that the teacher needs is to
design his methodology. After to know the group that he will have and defining
what approach to use in the process, it comes now the time to design the teaching
methodology. Here I put the definition about it in order to have a best
understanding. (WiseGeek, 2014). A teaching methodology is essentially the way in
which a teacher chooses to explain or teach material to students so they can learn the
material. There are many different methodologies that can be utilized by a teacher,
and the methods chosen often depend on the educational philosophy and
preferences of a teacher. As the definition says, this is personal and every teacher
chooses his methodology, according what he knows and has learned. Another thing
that has to do with the methodology is the teaching style; every teacher has his
teaching style that he/she has adopted through his professional life.

In the teaching methodology are included the methods that the teacher will use
in his teaching practice and every technique in order to have success in teaching. On
the other hand, teaching principles have an essential role in this process because if a
teacher is guided by principles then he will have control not just about the subject

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but also his students: behaviors, feeling and so. Teaching is not just based on topics,
I put this one before because this has to do with students and they are the most
important factor of the teaching process. I could have said that the first step to take
about the teaching process are topics and stuff like that, but that is wrong because
first of all you need to know your students. I mean ages levels that is why a teacher
always will need to take a diagnostic evaluation about his students in this way he
can know them not in a deeper way because this is the beginning, the process is
starting and the challenging is in the door just for taking it.

This is essential before to go to a classroom, just the diagnostic evaluation takes
place in the classroom, this was the way how I did in my teaching practice but this
depends of you because before to start the classes or the courses you can make this
evaluation one by one. The next step to take in the teaching process is to set down
your objectives. Setting your objectives you will know what you want to achieve
and you will know the end of the class. Someone that does not have objective is like
someone that does not know where to go and a teacher needs to know this way and
how to get the objectives. In every class, I always set an objective but before to start
the teaching process we must have objectives. I think that in the whole process we
are going to think in an objective but remember that set objectives but also achieve
them.

The following step in the TP are strategies of teaching that you will implement in
the classroom. I use the word classroom because this is the most common place that
a class occurs. Some of the strategies that I am using in my teaching practices are the
following; I write this is present because I am still in it.

Lectures: In this, I am using a textbook where my students read short paragraph,
presentation where my student can develop the reading skill. Discussions: where
they can share what they think and at the same time developing the speaking skill.
Writing: With this, my students are developing their writing skill with the use or
grammar, exercises, and so on. Group Projects: Working in groups, they are
sharing knowledge each other and at the same time, they are improving their
speaking skill. Independent Student Projects: We say in other word individually.
Those are just examples that I am implementing in my teaching practice and this
step takes a great role in my teaching process because this help me to develop in a
better way this process and my students are the center of all.

In addition, other important step after of strategy is about the subject or topics
that you are going to teach. In my teaching practice. I am teaching English as a

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foreign language. My course takes six months and I am developing six unit with
teenagers. The classification of topics were before to start the course. Every step in
the teaching process is important because everyone help to each other to achieve the
objectives; this step is called: Description of Course Material (Syllabi, Handouts,
and Assignments). The first thing to develop in this step is the Program. In the
program, you set down the topics that you are going to develop in the whole course.
Then, the syllabus in it, you identify what are the skills that you are going to
develop in your students through every topic. A syllabus is a document that a
professor writes and distributes to provide students with an overview of a college
course. The syllabus is usually distributed on the first day of class. (Fleming, 2014).

One of the most difficult to think is the outline because in this you establish
every activity that you will perform in the class. This looks difficult but when you
have finished, this will be a useful tool in the classroom because everything is
organized and much better explained. Now that the outline is done just it is messing
to do the planning, this will be easier because in this you just have to schedule every
activity class, topic and evaluation. In this, you just need your calendar and plan
what will be the date for every topic, activity and so on. Remember that, this is the
beginning of the teaching process. Every day we as a teacher can find many
problems and issues to solve, and this will be a challenge for us but as teacher, we
need to be prepared. In every class, we need the lesson plan and this will be done
according to the time and situation.

Critical reflection about my teaching practice.

When we are out of the teaching process, we have many thoughts about it.
However, the reality is different. I have noticed that all is not about students and I as
a teacher my roles is not a simple thing. When I started this teaching process I
considered teachers just as explainers of something, but now I know that is not true.
This reflection serve as guide or evaluation about myself. I want to tell you that this
could be a hard thing because this is not about students it is about me. I am
improving everyday but taking both controls it is not easy because I as a teacher
sometimes I am focused just in students and I forget my presence in the classroom.
In my way now, I am better prepared than before I know that students are human as
me. Sometimes I am a teacher, sometimes I am a friend, brother, psychologist and
other roles. Being a teacher involves many thing to do.

One of the thing that I most realized was that at the beginning I did not prepared
my classes, I improvised many times and I felt that way was not correct. I could

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control this through self-reflection and asking students feedback of the class. Now I
always prepare my class with dynamic, active vocabulary and active techniques. I
know that reflection has to be always because people change and time change.
Updating is one of the challenges that I am taking and this helps me because in this
way I can know where I need to change and how. In my class of teaching practice I
have realized through the help of the teacher and reflection that we as a teacher
need to read a lot because a teacher is always prepared with knowledge and that is
one of my challenges right now to change in order to understand much better how
the teaching process is.

Application of E-portfolio approach in the new learning environment ELT.

Before to start to talk about E-portfolio it is important to know the definition of
this. (University., 2014). A portfolio is a collection of work developed across varied
contexts over time. The portfolio can advance learning by providing students
and/or faculty with a way to organize, archive and display pieces of work. I as a
teacher think that e-portfolio is an advantage for everyone because in this way I can
reduce many physical documents in an electronic way. I will implement with my
student this form because I can check their works just with a little click. In addition,
they can save important evidences of their works, homeworks and so on.

Types of E-portfolios according to (University., 2014). Developmental Portfolios:
demonstrate the advancement and development of student skills over a period.
Assessment Portfolios: demonstrate student competence and skill for well-defined
areas. Showcase Portfolios: demonstrate exemplary work and student skills. This
type of portfolio is created at the end of a program to highlight the quality of student
work. As you know those are advantages of students works and teachers works.
E-portfolio helps to have a better organization and students can demonstrate their
abilities evidences and even at the end of the course, they can add a personal
reflection on the e-portfolio and I as a teacher can know how they feel and how
much they have learned in this process. Technology is a good tool, most of my
students are digital natives, and I will take advance of this new learning
environment.

The lack of technology in this classroom.

One of the things that are more peculiar here in El Salvador is the lack of
technology in the classroom and sometimes this seems a problem for the teacher. We
know that technology helps us to give a better presentation of the class and better

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understanding. In English language teaching technology is useful to teach it because
as we know here in this country we do not have an English environment, and with
technology, we create our English environment. The need of technology depends of
the teacher goal maybe he wants to develop the listening skill in the classroom but
in this, there are not radios, equipment and other thing that he can use. Another
example could be that he wants to show them a presentation but the data projector
is not in the school.

The possible solutions that I would implement in those cases are the solution that
I have used before. It was a time when I was in the classroom with my students and
in that occasion I wanted to use a music in order to teach vocabulary. But the thing
was that in the school there were not radios, mp3 and the solution that I thought
was to carry my cellphone and used a little mp3 player in the classroom and I got
my goal. They listened the music and it was a good day. If I have the same problem
again, I would think in the same thing. In the problem of the data projector, I would
prefer to get copies about it and give to my students the copies.

In conclusion, the teaching process is one of the most important for teachers and
students. This is not easy and takes many steps in order to have a good teaching
performing. The work as a teacher does not start in the classroom and in this
document is an evidence how a teacher works and the responsibilities that this
takes. As you see, a teacher faces many things not just the preparation of the class,
but also the preparation of the new lives, exactly the new society. With the new
technology nowadays, this becomes in a challenge for every teacher because society
is using it and sometimes for the teacher this becomes hard but with the good
preparation, teachers will have success.














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References:

Ask.com. (12 de June de 2014). Ask. Obtenido de Ask.: http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-
teaching
Fleming, G. (13 de june de 2014). about.com. Obtenido de about.com:
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/preparingforcollege/qt/syllabus.htm
University., R. (14 de june de 2014). Electronic portfolio project. Obtenido de Electronic portfolio
project.: http://academic.regis.edu/LAAP/eportfolio/basics_what.htm
WiseGeek. (12 de June de 2014). WiseGeek. Obtenido de WiseGeek:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-teaching-methodology.htm