Reflecting on Critical Incidents in Language Education 40 Dilemmas For Novice TESOL Professionals

Novice Teaching English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL) teachers are often surprised by the full range of issues their jobs involve, and learning how to successfully address these issues takes considerable skill and experience, built up throughout a teaching career. This book is about such critical incidents and how a problem-solving mindset can help.

Complex issues covered in this book are often not adequately dealt with in teacher training. This book takes up "critical incidents" which fall into the gap between what the teacher has learned about in their course of study and the classroom realities they face. By directly reflecting on these particular incidents, teachers can be empowered to continue their own professional development.

Each critical incident is based on actual experiences shared by novice TESOL practitioners and the book organizes these incidents in an easy-to-use, structured manner. Within connected themes, the text presents the incident from the teacher's point of view, provides the reader critical background questions, offers insight into how the teacher wrestled with the issue, and shares questions and engagement opportunities to further engage with the topics raised.

TESOL educators frequently confront complex classroom issues due to the social, economic, political and cultural challenges that they and their students confront. This text offers an exciting and dynamic approach to assist with these on the way to becoming a stronger TESOL educator.

Thomas S.C. Farrell is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Brock University, Canada.

Laura Baecher is Associate Professor of TESOL at Hunter College of the City University of New York, USA.

Introduction
1: Teacher-Student Relationships
Introduction / Fostering relationships with challenging students / Confronting cultural tensions between students / Establishing the "Teacher Role" with students / Promoting collaboration among students in groupwork
2: Curriculum Development
Introduction / Working with mandated curricula / Integrating content and language / Aligning lessons to standards / Facing a lack of curriculum & resources
3: Teaching Mixed-Level/Large Classes
Introduction
Planning for mixed-level classes / Managing large classes / Engaging lower-proficiency students / Supporting pre-literate students
4: Classroom Management
Introduction
Establishing routines and rewards / Developing a discipline plan / Managing time in the lesson / Addressing distractions
5: Teaching Speaking
Introduction
Addressing students' lack of interest in speaking skills / Handling students' refusal to speak English / Assessing pronunciation skills / Determining when to allow students to use first language in class
6: Teacher Reading
Introduction / Moving students away from word-to-word translating / Increasing extensive and independent reading / Motivating students to engage in reading tasks / Adapting texts
7: Teaching Listening
Introduction / Addressing students translating for each other in class / Improving students' sound-symbol correspondence / Teaching listening strategies / Differentiating listening-skills lessons
8: Teaching Writing
Introduction / Guiding students to become peer-editors / Helping students utilize process writing techniques / Making time for creative writing / Finding authentic audiences for student writing
9: Dealing With Workplace Challenges
Introduction / Working with Co-Teachers / Addressing the needs of students in special education / Confronting the effects of poverty in the ESL classroom / Coping with the pressures of testing
10: Professional Development
Introduction / Working with a mentor teacher / Observing with a supervisor / Developing rapport with administrators / Building a teaching portfolio
References
Index

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