Just because the story isn't written on a court or in an arena or on a field, doesn't mean there aren't winners and losers.
Whether it is a game of Monopoly or poker or XBOX NHL 13, if I do something, I do it to win. I want to beat you. Bad. The same thing goes for teaching English. I want to be the best. No exceptions. I flew halfway around the world to take a job; you're damn sure I'll fight to be the best at it.
In the football game of life, the teachers at my school are the starting quarterbacks (take a minute and visualize one of your old high school teachers in a helmet and pads). They are the ones who run the show, having been given a playbook by the administration and taking the reins from there. I'm a quarterback too, but obviously not the starter. Heck, I'm not even a backup. I'm the change of pace guy. I change the way the offense is run. I add flexibility, a new dimension. I make the defence stand on its toes with my sheer presence.
I know my role, I know my rights, and I know my responsibilities. My role is to help these students (aged 15 to gulp 21) understand, write, and speak English. My rights are that I can discipline them my writing in their carnets, which would then have to be signed by a parent. I can also send them out of class, or send them to the principal. I'm not here to be a disciplinarian, nor am I here to be a bro, but on a scale of the two, I'd much rather be the latter. I'm not illusioning myself into thinking that I will be the difference between a kid 'making it' (whatever that means) and a kid 'not making it'; at the same time, I know I can be a positive influence in their lives to a small degree. I get to play the role of student teacher without the pressure of having to mark assignments and be a hardass. Bottom line: I want to get them comfortable and perhaps even fond of speaking the English language.
Before a game, a prescout usually takes place, with lots of film study and open discussion that is attended by all players, including your seldom used COP QB. You want to find out your opponent's tendencies, their strengths, weaknesses, etc. Are they a 4-3 zone defence? Do they blitz the left guard more on first down or third down? Do they throw the ball downfield a lot, or do they run a West coast style offense?
In my case, film study and a prescout take the form of conversations with teachers about the students I will have for that particular day (usually between eight and 12). These discussions take place a day or two before I see the students. Are they willing to speak English? Are there any class clowns in this group? Is Jacques comfortable with the past tense?Are there any students I need to split up? Do they even like football (I mean soccer)?
The next step is me hearing from the starting quarterback the formations I am supposed to run. In other words, what topics should I talk about for the day? Will I have freedom, or is there a strict lesson I must follow? I will expand on this in another post, but I am quite impressed with the topics that English students are learning about at my high school, ranging from Black is Beautiful to homosexual/non traditional marriages, to an in depth look at social media.
For the most part, I'm allowed the freedom to construct my own lesson plans as long as they are within parameters. My goal for every class is to stimulate discussion en anglais. Usually this involves the showing of a provocative article or picture, followed by an open ended question. However, any successful quarterback, COP or starter, will tell you that before you get to the line of scrimmage, you need to be ready to audible in case you don't like what the defence is showing you. You can't go in assuming your play is full proof and that the corner will bite on the pump fake with your primary target being uncovered.
Back to teaching…I have to be prepared that these kids will not be receptive to my ideas and plans for our one hour lesson. I can't go in thinking my notes and grandiose ideas will be full proof, because reality is that some crowds just don't feel you sometimes. I should know, having been in front of these crowds when I perform stand up comedy. For every lesson plan, I have four other plays I can potentially call at the line of scrimmage. I have four backup lesson plans. To put that in Canadanese, imagine the Edmonton Oilers started Richard Bachman, but had Devan Dubnyk, Jason Labarbera, Olivier Roy, and Tyler Bunz on the bench, goalie suited up and ready to go (insert joke about team's defensive prowess here).
If they're not digging a particular discussion, I can seamlessly move onto something else without skipping a beat while still being well within the parameters of my teacher's preference. With these preparations, I should never have to find out if silence is actually golden.
Before a lesson begins, I always remind myself of my role and what I'm ultimately here to do as a COP QB. This has to be more fun than a normal class. I have to get these students to feel comfortable speaking in English. I usually start with a remark about something they will understand: American movies/television/culture. Tomorrow, my framework for the lesson plan will be about students and their heroes. Already, I know that the first sentence to come out of my mouth will be about the Foo Fighter's song There Goes My Hero. I also speak a few words of French with grammatical mistakes, usually asking how their days/weekends have gone. I smile genuinely when I do this. I want them to feel comfortable making mistakes in another language.
The hour passes, usually with humour and smiles injected at most junctures. More often than not, I stop with five minutes remaining, giving them a chance to chat amongst themselves. Again, my role isn't to have them sweating until the bell. It also gives me a chance to chat with them on a more casual level. They know I'm close to them in age, and more often than not we can relate well to one another. Even during these informal chats, I speak English with them.
The final step is the post game analysis. I report back to the starting quarterback, and we go over film. Who was speaking? Who was quiet? How can I get the more shy students to speak up in class? Was the lesson plan and framework effective? What can we do to improve results next time? There is always something that can be done better. And then, repeat the process.
As a COP QB, I know my limits and what I can't do. My starting quarterback is my boss. In my first few weeks as a rookie, I can't dramatically alter the offense, nor can I change the overall strategy. There will come a time, soon, when I will be able to show my students articles from the Edmonton Journal and have them interpret events and discuss the happenings of small town Canada, but I need to grasp the fundamentals of teaching first.
I also know that I have distinct advantages being the COP QB. I can have deeper relationships with students. I can talk with them like they're buddies from back home. It is less formal. I don't have the guilt of having failed or poorly graded them.
Just because I'm a COP QB, doesn't mean my role is any less vital to the success of my team. And by hook or by crook, if I am on the field for three snaps or 30, I promise that you'll get 110% every second I'm out there.
