Co-Teaching

1. Co-Teaching A Presentation for New English Educators in Taiwan Presented by Mercia de Souza

2. “You have to adjust to theenvironment and the culture, do not expect the culture and environment to adjust to you”–Chinese Teacher Janet (10 years English teaching experience in Taiwan, grew up in Australia)

3. Agenda Co-teaching - Where two cultures meet • Results of SWOT Analysis • What can I do? Co-Teaching that works • What we discovered • Teaching Demonstration • Useful Website Addresses • Questions and Comments

5. Co-teaching – Where two cultures meet “Broadly, speaking, Western society strives to find and prove "the truth", while Eastern society accepts the truth as given and is more interested in finding the balance. Westerners put more stock in individual rights; Easterners in social responsibly.” -Vadim Kotelnikov

6. Co-teaching – Where two cultures meet Your first expectations? • Interpersonal relations like you have at home? • Perfect English? • Wonderful classroom discipline? • Collegial respect and recognition?

7. Co-teaching – Where two cultures meet Stereotyping (often has a good reason) • All foreign teachers speak American English • All English speakers have the same (American) culture • Young teachers come to Taiwan to drink, womanize and party. • A foreign teacher may be unreliable and leave after a few months • Foreign teachers only care for the money and not for the kids • A teacher from South Africa lived in a hut, surrounded by wild animals, before coming to Taiwan, and has no idea about modern conveniences. (Source: Very frank interviews with Chinese Teachers)

8. Co-teaching – Where two cultures meet Where do we find the Golden Midway? • Mutual respect • Communication • Share information • Discuss small issues before they become big confrontations

9. How do I build this trust? • Always have lesson plans ready on time • Always be on time for a class, if something happens to delay you, send a kid, or call the co-teacher • If something bothers you, talk to the co-teacher • Discuss problems in your meetings • Remember: NEVER BE AGGRESSIVE

10. SWOT Analysis Results Strengths • All the teachers are qualified, registered educators. • Co-teachers share the workload and responsibility • “Two minds are better than one” • Twice the teaching resources are available to teachers and students • Discipline kept by two teachers is better than by one • Demonstrations of lesson materials are easier when two people do them • Two different people teach the same work in their different ways, it rules out boredom. • The students have two mentors. • Synergy and shared ideas make for better teaching • Mutual respect between Chinese and foreign colleagues. • Both teachers work towards student well-being • Many relationships are positive and become strong friendships across cultural boarders

11. SWOT Analysis Results Weaknesses • Open communication is sometimes a difficult issue. • Various co-teachers have different styles and personalities, which makes it difficult to teach together. • Chinese teachers often lack sensitivity for Western culture, but expect foreigners to be sensitive to their culture all the time. • Adaptability (both ways) is difficult • Distrust of the competencies and professionalism of foreign teachers • No set model for collaboration and consultation. • Perceived pay differences make Chinese co-teachers resentful • Power struggles and conflicting goals that disadvantage students.

13. SWOT Analysis Results Opportunities • Better collaboration and brainstorming is possible with two cultures involved • Language learning from one another. • Information that is shared from two viewpoints becomes double the information • Respect for other cultures is cultivated • Goals can be achieved more efficiently • There are good classroom materials • Students benefit from the good relationships

14. SWOT Analysis Results Threats • Late pay and bad administration of foreign teachers’ affairs • Shoddy management of the English Program that cause good teachers to leave. • Change without consultation • An unsupportive environment • Disorganisation in some schools • Monthly evaluations that foreign teachers never see • No opportunity for foreign teachers to evaluate their co-teachers • Cultural differences and stereotyping of foreign teachers • Personality conflicts • Too much Chinese spoken in English classrooms. • The text books are “measly”, “inadequate”,”inappropriate”

15. What can I do? How can we work towards building good relationships? • With a partner, please write down at least two ideas that will improve the co-teaching experience • Tell us about them.

17. Part 2Co-teaching that works

18. “Foreign teachers think they know English so well that it is not necessary to do thorough planning” • Teacher Wendy (Five years’ experience as a Chinese Co-teacher)

19. What we discovered • Plan lessons together • Make sure the lesson plan is ready on time – discuss changes with your co-teacher • Share the responsibility for additional materials or teaching aids • Make sure things that have to be copied have due dates on them

20. Teaching Demonstration • Sandy and Mercia will demonstrate a short story telling lesson. • Please pretend that you are in Grade 1

21. Useful Website addresses • http://www.mes-english • http://www.sitesforteachers.com/index.html • http://www.cabrillo.edu/academics/esl/resources.html#Free • www.bogglesworldesl.com • http://eslus.com/esl/resource2.htm

23. Do you have any questions or comments?