Читать книгу Introduction to TESOL - Kate Reynolds - Страница 53

Many TESOL educators starting in the field begin with academic preparation. Others start their work by accepting a position to teach English through volunteering, serving a mission, or teaching while studying abroad. Still others start their work by helping the English learner or learners at their school when there is not a certified teacher. There are as many routes into the field as there are roots of a tree. No matter how we commence our work in English language teaching, we all need to learn, to collaborate, to have guidance, to have support and affirmation, to grow, and to remain stimulated intellectually. Teaching should be exciting. Kate shares this expression with her student teachers, “When you are bored teaching, your students are 100 times more bored.” For us, there has been no lack of opportunities for professional growth and intellectual engagement because we engage with professional organizations in the field. We are all lifelong learners.

We cannot grow in isolation. Professional engagement allows us to continue to grow after our formal education is completed. We gather new information that builds upon what we already know and from different people and perspectives. We can problem solve and hone our abilities through interaction with peers. We also have opportunities to share our knowledge and experience with others, which benefits all involved. Engaging with colleagues in professional organizations and communities of practice provides opportunities to grow in knowledge and experience in teaching English.

Kate remembers the first conference she attended as being quite exciting because of the hundreds of avenues to explore. She was like a kid in a candy shop with so many decisions to make. So many avenues to choose. Should I choose the sessions on pragmatics in the ESL classroom or pronunciation for beginners? What books have been recently produced for writers at the intermediate proficiency level? The experience helped her generate new ideas of how to engage learners and what and how to teach.

For Kenan, it was a great opportunity to be part of an international organization’s home for English language teachers, teacher trainers and educators, and researchers. He felt privileged to contribute to the development of others and learn from interaction with them as to what can be done to improve the field and how this can be done. We all grow professionally in communities of practice that offer various facilities to improve our communication with people from other countries and gain new insights into our professional practices and area of research. Kenan recognizes three main insights that he gained in such TESOL communities, which include:

 constant exposure to and interaction with volunteers who provide professional guidance;

 free and intensive learning in communities where every member is dealing with different domains and aspect of the same field; and

 ongoing professional development that requires multiple opportunities to engage in tasks that are shared, developed, and sustained to cultivate identity and nurture our professional vision.

Beyond the learning, collaboration, and support we receive from participation, when we engage professionally, it legitimizes us as an ESL/EFL/ELT professional. Other educators and individuals we encounter often recognize our commitment and engagement as a sign of our professionalism. Finally, many individuals start in the field as teachers and over time grow professionally into more specialized career paths. For example, they may become interested in preparing teachers to teach ESL/EFL or in writing ESL/EFL textbooks. Below are some of the organizations that help individuals to develop their skills and progress throughout their careers.