tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828415387916366867.post6604056347074971570..comments2024-03-08T13:06:37.359-08:00Comments on The Joy of ESL Blog: "Unbelievable Waste"Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08182881635816655061noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828415387916366867.post-44448645649748567172017-05-14T06:13:15.990-07:002017-05-14T06:13:15.990-07:00Dear Unknown! OOPS! ALEX Corbitt, not Alec...So.....Dear Unknown! OOPS! ALEX Corbitt, not Alec...So..@Alex_Corbitt. Sorry. It is complicated process editing comments. I could delete whole post, repost with correction. Hopefully this will be enough.Larry Ferlazzo is also great. Its all about the teaching! Claudieclaudiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203496693621797550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828415387916366867.post-36049232016870618652017-05-13T16:59:04.217-07:002017-05-13T16:59:04.217-07:00Dear New Teacher "Unknown",
First - you...Dear New Teacher "Unknown", <br />First - you seem EXACTLY the kind of person who should be a teacher. You are proactive (commented on a blog), communicative, trusting and open (you trusted that there would be a person or persons out there with whom you could talk), and you are realistic and smart (reality checked a situation that threatens to overwhelm you, using your own judgement) and sensitive (sad at the thought of not being able to teach ESL.) So... could you hang in there a little longer, see this as a learning experience and keep the mantra "This too shall pass" in mind? You will will encounter many programs that are, maybe, well intentioned but miss the mark; involve much wasted time, effort and taxpayer dollars. Unless the programs are physically dangerous or morally compromising you will weather them. <br />There is NO SUCH THING AS DOING PBLA properly!!! It is an experiment. There are no "models" in the world to look to ( those who say "Canada is behind, they have been doing this in the States for years" are,well, ingenuous. K-12 in STEM? Yes, there are some attempts to use portfolios. (note I do not capitalize). Results are mixed. The biggest criticism seems to be there is not enough return on the amount of effort and that it is not practical.)<br />PBLA is being made up as they go along...<br />But keeping samples of learners' work is an age old teacher practice, invaluable - and I could not teach without it. But not the prescriptive, checklist, hardcover, heavy (limiting) Portfolio Filled with Artefacts that's central to the "Canadian PBLA" "New Assessment Methodology" that is tied in to "valudating"? the Canadian Language Benchmarks. <br />I guess you have a choice. If you really are at breaking point you could withdraw and wait till this fades away ( or implodes). (It is NOT sustainable). <br />Or you could look at it in a detached way as something peculiar but interesting. Learn as much as you can about it. Do the best you can to comply. And do not doubt YOURSELF. Nothing wrong with you. It is the poorly designed project. Other experienced teachers are at their wits end. A most egregious response I heard was said by one "provider": "Things have to get worse before they can get better." Really!<br />If you have one of those really awful Trainers ( PBLA Police) and if things get really unbearable perhaps you could request a meeting with your employer. (Make sure you log how much extra time you are putting in). As a new teacher you need support and encouragement. I am presuming you are not unionised. <br />Something that helps me is to follow people on Twitter that are practical, but also inspirational - and who constantly value teachers and teaching. Like @Alec_Corbitt <br />I wish you strength, and courage. There may be reasons why you decide that teaching ESL is not for you. That's OK. But hopefully it is not PBLA! Don't let it cheat you out of doing something that has the potential to being so much joy! All the best. Claudieclaudiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203496693621797550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828415387916366867.post-49284194227929204052017-05-10T16:55:45.891-07:002017-05-10T16:55:45.891-07:00Unknown,
Thank you for using a moniker other than ...Unknown,<br />Thank you for using a moniker other than "Anonymous." It helps me to recognize when someone new joins the conversation. And thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to let me know that you like my blog. That floats my boat.<br /><br />Do you teach at an IRCC funded agency? How do your colleagues feel about all that unpaid work? After all, they too were already spending their evenings doing lesson plans and a reasonable amount of marking. Now they are doing lesson plans PLUS so much more marking. I would love to learn more about each commenter's situation. --KKellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08182881635816655061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828415387916366867.post-82427613266448293942017-05-10T07:03:16.692-07:002017-05-10T07:03:16.692-07:00I can vouch for this! Your blog is great. I am a n...I can vouch for this! Your blog is great. I am a new teacher, and sadly, I don't think I can continue teaching ESL mainly because of PBLA. It is so much unpaid work. I knew prep was a part of this work, but I am constantly overwhelmed, new and untrained in PBLA, yet expected to do it properly.new teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15974969405973358532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828415387916366867.post-15284120572907074602017-02-20T11:20:20.937-08:002017-02-20T11:20:20.937-08:00Thank you, Elizabeth! Oddly enough, the big PBLA t...Thank you, Elizabeth! Oddly enough, the big PBLA thread is happening in the comments on another blog post of mine that had nothing to do with PBLA. Oh, well. It's here. http://joyofesl.blogspot.ca/2017/02/an-esl-literacy-teaching-habit.htmlKellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08182881635816655061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828415387916366867.post-62113239941600953212017-02-16T18:58:50.652-08:002017-02-16T18:58:50.652-08:00Thanks for this update and for your honesty. The ...Thanks for this update and for your honesty. The paperwork (and the energy required to generate it) is, indeed, a waste. Your efforts here aren't, though! I often suggest to my peers that they check out your blog if they're feeling overwhelmed and know that your students must benefit from your reflective approach to teaching. Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14863696295337655169noreply@blogger.com