Today I decided that I'd make my way to Ikea via public transportation. As usual, I didn't know where I was going. I knew I'd be going to the neighborhood of Balçova; unfortunately my map of Izmir cuts off just before it.
Again, I was saved by the help of strangers. I managed to let the bus driver know that I wanted to go to Ikea (pronounced ee, kay, ay, ah). He motioned for me to stay on the bus, and at the end of the line, he showed me the next bus to take. He then conferred with my new bus driver and pointing at me, in case I didn't stand out enough, made sure the new bus driver would help me find my way. At the end of the line, I trundled off in the direction he pointed.
On the way I ran into a group of four young teenagers. The first boy came up to me and pressed my hand to his chin, then to his forehead, a sign of respect for elders. The other boys followed suit, wished me iyim Bayramlar ("happy holidays"), and passed on. The next group of children did the same thing and via sign-language notified me that Ikea was closed. Undeterred because I had glimpsed the fluttering flags of Ikea, I continued on. Although it was closed, I happily waited the hour for it to open.
Arriving at the outdoor walking mall was like being back in the U.S. - everything was clean, predictable, there was a Ralph Lauren, a Starbucks, . . .places I wouldn't usually go, but in the middle of Izmir, somehow eerily comforting. (Starbucks coffee costs even more here than in the U.S.)
Friday, October 12, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Classes, Turkish bus driver
Adapting to being a teacher in a real class room is tough. For linguistics, I just have to read the text well and find relevant examples for lecture. In some ways, this is my easiest class because I know it fairly well, and I don’t have to be too creative.
Approaches to Education is, perhaps, my worst class. Honestly, I am not really qualified to teach it. My exposure to the different teaching methodologies consists of a cursory review in one education course a few summers ago. I think I also don’t see the benefit of a lot of these methods, so it is hard to get really excited about them; however, I think it will be good for me to have a better background in the history of language teaching.
Conversation classes are good. I have three sections, and I like that I can be as creative as I want. I am planning on doing a few large projects that can be recorded or filmed. The first is adapting the “This I Believe” curriculum from NPR. We will have small-group discussions based on questions made to help students’ evaluate their world views, values, etc. that will (hopefully) culminate in a 1-2 minute speech on what they believe to be true about the world.
Last week I had every conversation class do activities discussing what rules they will have when they have their own classrooms. The groups presented their rules to the class, and then we came together to form our own classes rules. It worked pretty well, and I think there will be higher student buy-in because they created and committed to the norms of the classroom.
Grammar class is the biggest struggle – how do you teach grammar in an engaging and communicative way?
Yesterday and today were a little disheartening. I had been warned that many students might not show up to class on Wednesday and Thursday because Bayram has begun, a holiday that marks the end of Ramazan. On Wednesday morning two of my 30 students showed up to tell me that the class had decided not to come to my class (or the other teacher’s) that day. They also told me, “we are not here”. It was kind of funny, but I wasn’t sure if there was a cultural misunderstanding, if this is normal, or what. . .asking my co-workers didn’t exactly shed light on the situation. The two students that "weren't there" did stick around to chat with me. They gave me the low-down on the soccer teams, and a mini-lesson in Turkish verb structure.
On Sunday my go-to guy at the embassy, Dr. Craig Dicker, English Language Officer, will be coming to Izmir. We will have dinner/lunch on Sunday, and then on Monday we’ll tour the Turkish American Centers and American Corner with which I am supposed to liaison this year. Naively (you think I’d learn), I asked my co-worker Feryal if she could recommend a restaurant. Not only could she recommend one, but insisted on walking me there, which turned into lunch, which turned into her treating, which turned into the restaurant owner treating, ah Turkey!
On the bus ride home today, the bus driver said something to me in Turkish. Although I rarely understand the questions posed to me, usually I answer by telling them I am an American, as that tends to be the first question posed to me. After I told this to my bus driver, he happily spoke to me on fluent and fast Turkish. I smiled. Then he stopped the bus in the middle of traffic, opened the door, and yelled to his friends inside the Kabop restaurant. What I understood was, “. . . . Amerikan . . . . “ His friends smiled and waved, and we drove on. People in the back of the bus were giggling by this time. Next we stopped at the guard gate where he introduced me to the "chef". Why he was introducing me to a cook was beyond me, but again, I smiled and waved. As we went on, I realized he had just introduced me to the chief – maybe of police, maybe of the bus company, not sure, but a big wig. All this royal treatment AND he dropped me off right in front of my guest house.
Approaches to Education is, perhaps, my worst class. Honestly, I am not really qualified to teach it. My exposure to the different teaching methodologies consists of a cursory review in one education course a few summers ago. I think I also don’t see the benefit of a lot of these methods, so it is hard to get really excited about them; however, I think it will be good for me to have a better background in the history of language teaching.
Conversation classes are good. I have three sections, and I like that I can be as creative as I want. I am planning on doing a few large projects that can be recorded or filmed. The first is adapting the “This I Believe” curriculum from NPR. We will have small-group discussions based on questions made to help students’ evaluate their world views, values, etc. that will (hopefully) culminate in a 1-2 minute speech on what they believe to be true about the world.
Last week I had every conversation class do activities discussing what rules they will have when they have their own classrooms. The groups presented their rules to the class, and then we came together to form our own classes rules. It worked pretty well, and I think there will be higher student buy-in because they created and committed to the norms of the classroom.
Grammar class is the biggest struggle – how do you teach grammar in an engaging and communicative way?
Yesterday and today were a little disheartening. I had been warned that many students might not show up to class on Wednesday and Thursday because Bayram has begun, a holiday that marks the end of Ramazan. On Wednesday morning two of my 30 students showed up to tell me that the class had decided not to come to my class (or the other teacher’s) that day. They also told me, “we are not here”. It was kind of funny, but I wasn’t sure if there was a cultural misunderstanding, if this is normal, or what. . .asking my co-workers didn’t exactly shed light on the situation. The two students that "weren't there" did stick around to chat with me. They gave me the low-down on the soccer teams, and a mini-lesson in Turkish verb structure.
On Sunday my go-to guy at the embassy, Dr. Craig Dicker, English Language Officer, will be coming to Izmir. We will have dinner/lunch on Sunday, and then on Monday we’ll tour the Turkish American Centers and American Corner with which I am supposed to liaison this year. Naively (you think I’d learn), I asked my co-worker Feryal if she could recommend a restaurant. Not only could she recommend one, but insisted on walking me there, which turned into lunch, which turned into her treating, which turned into the restaurant owner treating, ah Turkey!
On the bus ride home today, the bus driver said something to me in Turkish. Although I rarely understand the questions posed to me, usually I answer by telling them I am an American, as that tends to be the first question posed to me. After I told this to my bus driver, he happily spoke to me on fluent and fast Turkish. I smiled. Then he stopped the bus in the middle of traffic, opened the door, and yelled to his friends inside the Kabop restaurant. What I understood was, “. . . . Amerikan . . . . “ His friends smiled and waved, and we drove on. People in the back of the bus were giggling by this time. Next we stopped at the guard gate where he introduced me to the "chef". Why he was introducing me to a cook was beyond me, but again, I smiled and waved. As we went on, I realized he had just introduced me to the chief – maybe of police, maybe of the bus company, not sure, but a big wig. All this royal treatment AND he dropped me off right in front of my guest house.
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