Teaching – Composed by Monique

Before Diving Back In

Young minds fill the four walls of your classroom, your online meeting room, or your conquered section of a public space. You mentally run through your lesson plan, your contingency plan, and your contingency plan for your contingency plan for the 50th time. The sleepy vibe of the students threatens to swallow you up asContinue reading “Before Diving Back In”

A Precedent Has Already Been Set

The sun is setting on my 20’s and this Sunday I will enter my 30’s. It’s easy to slip into the mindset of not being far enough along for my age, especially when there’s post after post about “the youngest person to ever [insert achievement here]” or “the top people under [insert decade here]”. I’veContinue reading “A Precedent Has Already Been Set”

December’s monthly micro

Once a month I post a micro story (a story that is 1,000 words or less). I’m standing at the edge. The waves are crashing around the weakening barrier around me. The edge is the line in the sand where my sanity resides. The waves: this assignment notification, that frantic email, pings, pongs, dings, dongs.Continue reading “December’s monthly micro”

So you actually want to teach English: building ELT experience

A student asked me how I came to make teaching my career choice. Many people teach English in Japan, but not all of them necessarily want to, at least for very long. It’s certainly a low barrier to entry into Japan, as the JET Program and many language schools don’t require teaching experience. Participants getContinue reading “So you actually want to teach English: building ELT experience”

Graham crackers, whipped cream, and my teaching philosophy

My first job after college was as a teaching assistant at summer enrichment program for elementary and middle school kids. Five days a week, I hopped around classrooms to assist different grades in English, Science, and Social Studies. In one of the classes I worked with, the teacher would give me about 20 minutes afterContinue reading “Graham crackers, whipped cream, and my teaching philosophy”