Hannah Nicole Taylor
Intercultural
Feedback
Hannah has adjusted her dialogue for the children and has modified her dialogue for non-native English speakers.
- Debbie Smit (Year 1 Mentor)
Hannah is excellent at understanding group dynamics and diverse populations. She can use sensitivity
to different backgrounds to enhance learning and mutual respect.
- Caroline Starnes (Year 2 Mentor)
Hannah has not only adopted and adapted to the international learning environment at IST, but has from minute one, acted to enhance, complement, and extend that environment to enable learners to become active international citizens.
- Jason Wilson & Martin Van Hooijdonk (Year 3 Mentors)
Year 4
Experience & Self-Assessment
Again this year, my class consisted of a small group with only 12 students. However, within that group were multiple nationalities and heavily varying abilities. This internship had its own trying circumstances but through it all I was able to adapt my attitude and teaching to support my students.
Among those trying circumstances, was the enforced change to distance learning in the 4th week, due to COVID-19. Interestingly, I feel I was able to develop more in this competency due to the online learning as opposed to being in the physical classroom. Particularly because of the change in environment for each student. Instead of learning in the same environment, they were each in their own, culturally different, environments (aka their homes.) This provided an interesting opportunity to learn more about their cultures. As well as the obstacle of needing extreme flexibility and understanding to respect their home schedules. Furthermore, was the obstacle of severely differing abilities in English, socially, emotionally, and academically. Therefore, yet another opportunity to develop and adapt my teaching was presented. Through intensive planning and practice day-to-day, I believe I was able to reach each of those students regardless of ability or home circumstances.
Evidence of Development
Online Learning & Home Cultures
With nearly 9 different nationalities and cultures mixed about in this small class, there were obvious challenges which presented themselves once we moved to online learning. The most significant of which was the change in environment for each student. On top of doing their "normal" schoolwork, they needed to adjust to an environment with parents, siblings, or possibly no-one as teachers. As well as a new schedule likely dictated by the culture at home.
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It was important for me as a teacher to be as accommodating as possible and to adapt my ways of teaching to fit the needs of the students' and their home cultures. To do this, I had a lot of contact with some parents to help them adjust and to make any necessary adaptions to my own teaching. Most of the adjustments were made to the scheduling or planning documents sent home. Specifically, it was necessary to break down the planning in chunks and clearly explain requirements. Doing this made it easier for parents and students to continue moving forward despite the strange circumstances.
Varying English Abilities
Although the class was small, we had a range of abilities. As expected in an international classroom, there was an extreme difference in English skills. Some students were native speakers with fluent reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills. While others had only been in an English speaking environment for a few weeks.
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While we were in the physical classroom, I was able to utilize the non-verbal communication skills I have learned throughout my development as a teacher. However, once moved to online learning there was little to no visual contact with students. With the additional barrier of a low English level in some parents as well, extreme care was needed to ensure the learning materials were still accessible to all students. I was quick to offer to make weekly videos which both summarized and were a bit more visual in their presentation of the learning plans. This only last for a couple weeks, then we decided to switch to having 4 group video sessions per week. This proved to be more beneficial as students could practice their listening and speaking skills and we could clearly explain the materials verbally and visually using Google Meet.
Celebrating Holi
Before the madness of COVID-19, we had the opportunity to celebrate Holi. Several parents and a couple of the teachers had planned a day of traditional festivities including Rangoli making and colored-power throwing!
Reflection & Future Development
This was not the experience I expected to have in regard to Intercultural development. However, it ended up being a very beneficial opportunity to learn more about a cultural side to students I may never had had the chance to see otherwise.
Though every new circumstance will provide its own obstacles, I have been able to demonstrate by ability to think on my feet to adapt to severe circumstances which were resulting in a student not being able to learn. In the future, I believe I will be able to adapt again and provide the best learning experience possible.