Contact Information
Email: katebarba10@gmail.com
Phone: (267) 261-4551
Learning Outcome 6
"Students will demonstrate understanding of principles of language
pedagogy, and ability to apply them effectively in a variety of teaching contexts."
While I studied in the MA/TESL program at Gonzaga University, I interacted with students in various contexts. During the summer, I participated in the Summer Institute program for ELL students in the Spokane community. I worked with an Ecuadorian English teacher and together we co-taught English in context to a class consisting of middle school students from different cultural backgrounds. My partner and I had to create level appropriate materials relating to the theme of water that would be interesting and fun for the students.
While studying for my degree, I also volunteered in an adult refugee and immigrant course at the Institute for Extended Learning (I.E.L.) which was a very different teaching context from the academic focus of the English Language Center at Gonzaga University and the Summer Institute. The goal of the students studying at the I.E.L. was to learn English in order to find a job or to assist them in adapting to their new life in the United States. Working in the English Language Center at Gonzaga, teaching at Summer Institute, and volunteering at the I.E.L. helped to prepare me for the multiple teaching contexts I would face in the Peace Corps.
The primary context in which I taught during my Peace Corps service was a low-income secondary education school in southern Ecuador. The students all had the same first language of Spanish and varied in ages between 12 and 20. There were upwards of 35 students in each class with minimum technology and resources available. The English level within one class also varied greatly from low beginner to intermediate which meant that the class had to be scaffolded sufficiently to keep the low beginner students engaged but challenging enough to interest the higher level students. Teaching in this type of context compelled me to become creative with teaching materials and also patient with the constant changes to the education system.
I also participated in teacher training events where the context was very different from my primary project in the secondary school. During teacher training events, I had access to more resources including a projector, computer, and copies of handouts. The teachers had a higher level of English and a stronger understanding of meta-linguistics. Classroom management was also less of a factor in the teacher training context most likely because the students were adults and the majority were interested in learning the material.
During the two years of my service, I taught students in English clubs as well as through summer camps. The English clubs focused on a variety of topics including helping students with their schoolwork, teaching phonology, and teaching the importance of recycling, all in English. I organized and created a summer camp in my city for students between the ages of 12 and 18. The activities were all in English and designed to spark an interest in the English language.
The experience that I gained in the Peace Corps and from my time at Gonzaga University has prepared me to teach in a variety of different contexts. Throughout my service, I learned how to adapt to sudden changes and modify my teaching accordingly. Now, I feel confident teaching in any type of teaching context. Below, you can see a slideshow with pictures from some of the different teaching contexts in which I worked.