For those of you who have already checked out my lectures on teaching English as a second language might already know – I think we need to get REAL with the way we teach. We need to engage with our students and inspire (and be inspired by) them. We also need to view our students not just as students, but also as people. People with dreams and passions. People with fears and doubts. People not dissimilar to people like you and me.
In today’s blog post I would like to introduce you to an Associate Professor from Columbia University - Dr. Christopher Emdin.
In his talk Dr. Emdin discusses the idea of ‘reality pedagogy’ and explains this exciting approach using the ‘5 Cs’ (no – this is not the same as my ‘3 Cs’ of English teaching):
Cypher – conversations with young people about their experiences in the classroom
Co-teaching – a learner needs an opportunity to teach (and the teacher to learn)
Cosmopolitanism – every student must feel like they are part of the class and responsible for each other
Context – make sure your class is relevant to your students’ varied contexts
Content – choose relevant content and don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something (use this as an opportunity to co-learn)
And there we have it – I hope the video inspired you as it did me.
Empower your students. Engage your students. Involve your students. Care for your students.
Have a great day,
Josh
Keep English Real!