Franchesca Jones

Prof Angus Fl 694

Journals 2nd Installment

9. . Journal Entry Chapter 5 Cazden Variations in Discourse Features
As I started reading chapter five, I was interest in taking in the
suggestions provided about how to deal with giving all students equal
speaking opportunities in class. I found it interesting also to reflect on my
own practices, and think about if I am distributing speaking privileges equally
and efficiently in my own class. I recalled lessons where I had, but also
thought about moments in which I had allowed certain students to run the
discourse. I was eager to read the suggestions provided.
The chapter discusses the Investigators Club in a junior high school
which practiced handing-off in which students selected the next speaker.
Sometimes there were stipulations for the next student to be selected such
as selecting someone from the opposite gender. Another suggestion was the
talking stick used to regulate turns in third and fourth grade classrooms
which gave whoever held the talking stick control of the discourse in the
class. This is to ensure that students dont overlap each other, and that
everyone has the opportunity to speak and be heard.

While suggestions like these are great, I know that for me to utilize
them they must be slightly adapted to appease the growing personas of my
young adult student population. Because my class consists of only young
adult men, it is a challenge to always meet there social expectations in the
way I structure and compose the class. They feel and try to act as if they are
adults, but because my students are from eighteen to late twenties, they still
have a lot of youthful and sometimes child-like qualities about them.
Everyone knows that at the end of the day, boys will be boys, but at this
particular age, in this particular culture, they do not want to be referred to or
treated as children. This means that any activity I plan which resembles
something done in primary or secondary school must be altered to make my
students feel they are at a post-secondary institute. For example, when I
was teaching my students about how to tell time, I gave them colored sheets
of paper, and crayons to draw out a circle. I instructed them to color the right
half one color and the left half another color to distinguish between the side
which indicates a time with the word past (i.e. twenty past eight) and to
(twenty to eight). When they first saw the colored paper and crayons they
were upset and in disbelief. They asked, Miss, what is this, kindergarten??
But once I explained to them that I just needed them to pick to colors to
differentiate the difference between the two halves of the clock, they got
along with the activity, and actually enjoyed it. They even got choosy about
which two colors they would use, and focused and worked efficiently to color
their circles. So I read about suggestions like the talking stick, I thought for

my students they would prefer something like a small ball they could toss to
each other for example.
While I look forward to integrating these strategies into my class to
work towards more discourse equality amongst my students, I also thought
about those times when my students have nothing to say all. I was relieved
when I saw the text transition into this topic as Cazden states, speaking
rights thus far seems to assume that all students are eagerly waiting for the
chance to speak. Teachers know thats not always true. Cazden reminded
me of the silent period in which students learning an L2 often have a
period of time in which they dont speak much, because they are absorbing
and observing the L2, and begin speaking once they feel more prepared and
comfortable with it. Cazden warns, be careful not to interpret silence or onword answers as lack of knowledge, and I have experienced this fist hand
with the students who one day jumped out of the silent phase and dove into
speaking. Students that I have taught in a previous term, have shocked me
this term. They speak sentences to me and express themselves, whereas
before I was concerned about their progress and acquisition pace. It was
reassuring and easy to come to the realization that students are still
stimulated even though they may be silent for some time.
10. Journal Entry: Chapter 4 Cazden - Classroom Management Reading
A topic in the reading which also caught my attention was the information regarding the
variables which influence control and discipline in a classroom. The reading provides the
important variables put forth by Gower, Philips and Walters (1995) as well as Harmer (1991).

Both concepts put forward are relatable and clearly connected to the control and discipline of a
classroom. I noticed that the Gower, Philips and Walterss concept is a little more general about
approaching control and discipline. Harmer however, gives detailed examples of expectations
and procedures, and groups the ideas in to three relatable categories.
As I went through each bullet point of Gower, Philips and Walters' concept of variables
which influence control and discipline in a classroom, I saw the connection between each point
and my own classroom experience. The first bullet point is the age of the students, which I feel
has a great impact on the class on a daily basis. My students are in their late teen and early
twenties. A lot of their humor, digressions, topics of interest, behavior, communication, etc. is
that of an adolescent or young adult. They also feel that they are adults, so they essentially
demand respect and cooperation from the teacher. They also like challenging authority which
can also be a benefit in the classroom as it can stimulate conversation and/or debates.
The next point mentioned is students' reasons for learning - voluntary or coerced. This
element also affects my class, as I would say that 99% of my students are attending the institute I
work at as directed to do so by their job sponsor. At the moment, Emirati students whom are
hired by branches of the petroleum company ADNOC are immediately enrolled in English and
Engineering courses. They are required to obtain a diploma from the institute prior to entering
the field they have chosen. Whilst they are studying however, since it is for their work, my
students earn a monthly salary for attending college. These students are studying to keep their
jobs and comply with their employers demands, as well as to keep their monthly salaries. Their
reason for being in school is not by voluntary choice to better their English language proficiency.
Their reason for being in school is to maintain their employment and fulfill employer
expectations. This affects their desire to want to study, or even be at the college. Some had left

school a long time ago, and had no intention of going back to study, had it not been for this job
requirement.
Another important factor in maintaining control in a class is the size of the class itself.
For me personally it is a challenge to get 24 young men all on task at the same time, because I
have to go around and talk to them individually to motivate them to do their work. When some
students are absent and the class size is smaller, it is easier to manage, personally. However there
are those college lecture courses, with hundreds of students that manage to stay under control. In
my experience, smaller has always been a more productive learning environment for me.
The next bullet point is institutional ethos which is essentially the rules, policies,
procedures and expectations set forth by the educational institution itself. This is a tool that is
actually very resourceful for me in maintaining control and discipline in my class. This is
because I can remind them about the gravity of their attendance and make them accountable to
the class times and schedule. If they are late or absent, they are marked late and/or absent. This
impacts their salary, which is a great motivator to get the young men to attend their classes and
be productive. Their attendance and thus salary depends on their work and presence.
The last bullet point Gower, Philips and Walters bring up is the respect of students for
teachers. Definitely an important part of getting someone to listen to you and follow your
directions is to gain their respect and trust. There should be a rapport established with the
students in order to promote productivity. Once there is mutual trust, there is an increased
probability of production and commitment from both sides.
Harmer categorizes his variables differently, and doesn't require the reader to make
assumptions about what is inferred. Each category gives a definition as well as examples of how
to attend to the variable. Harmer's first category is teachers' behavior. Harmer goes on to list all

of the components relevant; preparedness, consistency of action, plan, no threats of punishment,

fairness to all students, positive attitude to learning, leading by good example i.e. punctuality.
There is no question what Harmer means by teachers' behavior. These elements demonstrate
how powerful and impacting the teachers' actions can be in a classroom. Just a positive attitude
can make a daunting task at least a possibility for trying it out. Being punctual can also
encourage punctuality from the students.
Harmer's second variable is the influences of students. I have seen in my own classroom
how the time of day, students attitudes to learning languages or classrooms, their desire to be
noticed, and students stirring each other up can impact their learning and classroom
environment. My students study consists of 7 50 minute classes, with one 20 minute break in
the morning and a 50 minute break for lunch. In the morning, is not the ideal time for me to
present them with a new grammar point or new information because they are typically unfocused
and have to get into the right frame of mind. In the morning classes I usually review the material
previously taught the day before in the morning, to get them to start waking up and focused. I
also have to make their course relevant or seen as valuable to motivate them. I have also seen
how students that want to be noticed can be either disruptive or even helpful in the classroom
with correct management of their cries for attention.
Lastly, Hammer discusses the Institutions system or dealing with problems, policies,
rules. This can impact the behavior of students as they keep in mind the consequences and
rewards for their choices. For instance, my institute does not make exceptions for absences as
our students are sponsored by a petroleum company. Their attendance is thus equivalent to
showing up to work, and their salary is impacted by their academic attendance. When they reach
15% of absences in the term, they are expelled from the program and thus fired from their jobs.

As a result, this motivates students to attend, and behave adequately, as they are aware that any
misbehavior is reported to their sponsor by a written warning submitted by the teacher.
It is important to keep these three influences of discipline and behavior in mind when
trying to manage a classroom. It is not always easy to maintain a balanced perspective or
environment in the class, but referring back to the various influences which alter the students
behavior can provide an educator with the perspective necessary to work towards achieving
greater balance.
11 Journal Entry: 8 facets of the group bonding process
As I was reading the 8 facets of the group bonding process, I could recognize the times in
which my own class went through these stages of development. I spend 20 hours a week
teaching General English to the same 25 Emirati young men. We are now in week 7 of our term,
and thus have gone through these stages already. For the initial stage of breaking down barriers,
I asked the students questions about themselves and their background, and I allowed them to ask
me questions about me and my background. I observe the extroverted students eager to ask
questions or make a joke as to gain approval and admiration from his peers. I also permitted
students to share personal anecdotes with the class if relevant to the subject being discussed.
This gave students the opportunity to express themselves and show their unfamiliar classmates
their characters and personalities.
The second facet is 'creating the climate' which entails making the students feel
comfortable and safe by doing things like making intentional mistakes to promote relaxation.
This has occurred with my class in two separate types of events. Sometimes I genuinely don't
know the answer to a question and I say to the students," I am not sure, does anyone know?", or I
will encourage them to find the reason themselves via web search. In other instances I make

mistakes intentionally to keep students alert, eliciting correction feedback from the students.
The third facet, 'convincing the customers' is a daily motif not only for me as a teacher,
but also of high importance to my employer. I allow the students to ask me questions to know
me a little better, as well as give them the opportunity experience my personality as well. I try to
make my students smile, laugh, and feel relaxed and safe. I inform them of my teaching
experience and qualifications. I demonstrate that whilst being approachable, I am still serious
about educating them and I back it up with my actions and planning for the class.
Related to making the students happy is facet 4, 'defining directions'. This entails
defining goals that are reasonable and within the students means. This is also providing them
with motivation while simultaneously accommodating planning to the needs of the specific
group. Directions and/or course goals cannot be general statements or ideas blanketed upon
courses, but they must be tailored to the class and the diverse target population. This leads to the
establishment of order and roles within the classroom, which leads to facet 5, 'harnessing the
headstrong'. This requires that the teacher immediately address any behavioral disturbance or
insubordination which could potentially cause greater problems later. These behavioral issues
can be dealt with in positive ways such as highlighting and emphasizing a students strong
points, giving them motivation, positive oral and/or written feedback, etc. As the students
observe my reactions to incidences of disturbance of the academic process, they begin to
understand and identify y my expectations as the classroom teacher (facet 6 'establishing
expectations').
I have also seen evidence of facet 7 'recognizing roles' as my students have developed
individually as student throughout our 7 weeks thus far. Students that were once quiet and
observant now offer out commentary and responses to questions. Also students who I know are

very talkative and responsive are allowed to teach the class at times to use their abilities and
confidence to their fullest potential. The students initially worked in small cliques containing
students they previously knew from other courses. As time has gone on, everyone knows
everyone now, so students feel relaxed when expressing themselves in front of the whole group,
and they are all comfortable working with anyone of their classmates.
I have actually just had a week which I think correlates with the ideas covered in the final
facet, facet 8 'maintaining momentum'. It was almost as immediately as the class achieved
cohesion and premium productivity, that the students wanted to once again test their boundaries
and express themselves and rebel a little as they felt comfortable doing so. I spent a few days
perplexed thinking of how to address the change in conduct in my class all of a sudden. I
decided to re-establish course goals and visually draw out our course plan and map. This
allowed them to see and understand why I was pushing them to work and complete their
supplemental practice as well. After reviewing course goals and expectations, productivity
improved in the class again.

12. Journal Entry- Chapter 11 Managing Engagement

One concept from chapter 11 on Managing Engagement which I related
to, discusses how many elements of education are culture specific. For
example, Holliday proposes the learning group ideal which is applicable and
relatable to the classroom conditions of a western institution. This is
because Holliday stipulates that a classroom environment should be one the
teacher creates with a warm, caring, or sharing place. A teacher could
greet students with smiles and maybe even hugs, and give high fives as

appraisal for success for instance. These kinds of acts are appropriate in a
western culture, and can be utilized to create a welcoming classroom
environment. The text states that learning group ideal, may not be
appropriate in other contexts in particular where traditions of transmission
thrive, or where teachers are supposed to keep their distance from
students. The classroom is a reflection of the culture which surrounds it, so
cultures with rules and expectations about social interactions or restrictions
will obtain these same characteristics in their educational system. I have
learned about this firsthand, as I have spent nearly two and half academic
years teaching in an environment whose culture completely contrasts mine
in so many ways.
As a United States Citizen, I have experienced the opportunity of
observing the relationship between culture and education, with my Emirati
students in the United Arab Emirates. One of the most significant differences
in education and culture between the U.S.A and the U.A.E. is the distinct
separation between males and females. If a student is attending a
government funded school, the males are on one campus while the females
are on a separate campus. As a female teacher on a male campus, I have
had to adapt my interactions with them to try to create this warm and
welcoming environment, without disrespecting or crossing any cultural
boundaries. Whereas before I would play relaxing music during independent
work time, I no longer can, as this goes against the religion and should not
be promoted by an educator. Whereas I could have shaken the students

hands or even given them a high five to congratulate them for work well
done, now I can only express my approval or happiness with smiles and
verbal praise. As a matter of fact, the best tool that I have at my disposal for
creating this positive and warm environment is the verbal communication I
have with them which demonstrates sincere caring for their academic
success and personal wellbeing.
When students are absent or late, I ask them if they are okay first
before anything else. I want them to know that while the academics are
important, their health and safety are also priority. I make it a point to
demonstrate to them not only that their absence was noticed, but that their
presence was missed in the class. I hear what they have to say, and at times
negotiate with them in order to maintain a happy and productive
environment. If they are tired and have worked hard all day, I sometimes
divide their workload so that it does not all have to be completed at the
same time. If they work hard consistently, I can also reward them with
dismissing class a few minutes early. I also give them opportunities to share
what they did on the weekend, on holidays, what is new in their life, and
what interests them. While most of the time they like to talk about their cars
or their excursions in the desert, which can become repetitive and not very
interesting, I follow up their sharing with questions and demonstrate I am
interested. While the examples given in the text about sharing and speaking
time are from primary level classrooms, it is surprising but also an effective
strategy for establishing a welcoming environment for these young adults, to

allot them the time and opportunity to discuss things that are of interest to
them outside of academics.

13. Journal Entry Chapter 7 Cazden Differential Treatment and Cultural Differences
Without looking back through the chapter which I read yesterday, the point of this
chapter which struck me the most and stuck with me, was the story Butterflies by Patricia Grace
which was an excellent representation of the difficult situation both teachers and students face
when two cultural perspectives come together in the academic classroom. In the story, the
teacher is Pakeha or New Zealander of European descent, where the student is Maori. The
little Maori girls grandparents are so proud of her work journaling for her teacher, and she is
eager to please them by completing the task her teacher assigns for her. The girl writes an entry
about killing butterflies, which appalls her teacher. Her teacher says to her that butterflies are
beautiful creatures which should not be harmed, as they dont cause harm to anyone, but she is
responding to this concept from her own cultural lens. Had the teacher taken a moment to ask
more questions and form a dialogue with the girl about what she wrote, she would understand
that the reason her family has to kill butterflies is because they eat the cabbage which her family
produces as their means to sustain a living. This resonated with me as I can strongly relate to
both the teacher and the child due to the experiences I am currently having in the United Arab
Emirates.
When I was teaching TESOL in the United States, I worked with mostly Latino students
whom I could relate to, being that I grew up in a Venezuelan-American household. I spoke their
language, we shared similar values and traditions, and even if we came from different countries
we fell under an umbrella of relatable cultures. However, as a Latina-American working in the

Middle East, I have had quite the opposite experience. I arrived in Abu Dhabi knowing hardly
anything about Islam, not knowing a word of Arabic, knowing nothing about the history, culture,
and traditions of the U.A.E. Upon my first orientation, I quickly learned that my job would
entail much more than teaching English, but also diving into the Emirati culture. This would be
essential in order to establish a rapport with them, ensure that I not say or do something which
would be considered disrespectful from their cultural perspective, and also to understand where
they were coming from. In one incident for example, on a day that I was prepping my students
for an upcoming exam, a student informed me that he had to leave school as his prized camel
was having a baby. I was shocked, thought it was funny, and I was even upset that he found it
more important to attend the birth of a camel than to prepare for the upcoming exam. However
the entire class quickly educated me on the importance of this event, as this particular camel had
won a race and was prized by a Sheikh, and was very valuable financially and culturally. On a
more serious note, students often ask to leave school to go to the hospital. Not for themselves,
but as a sign of respect for any family member that is ill. It is a cultural action to visit anyone
whom is ill in the hospital and take them a gift like flowers or chocolates. Even if it conflicts
with other obligations, one must show his or her presence as a sign of loyalty and respect.
I have also had to learn to set my cultural lens aside, and try my best to see things
through their eyes. In many instances, in teaching both the female and the male students
(separately of course), they have discussed their marriage traditions and rituals. They have told
me about how the bride and groom only briefly see each other once (if at all) prior to their
marriage. There is no courting and getting to know each other, the marriage is arranged based on
what the families deem the best match for the two involved. Additionally, on the day of the
wedding, two different parties take place, the men celebrate in one hall together, and the women

in another. I have also had female students who have to finish studying once they get married, so
they can be completely dedicated to their new role as a wife. While inside of me I would find it
impossible to marry someone I had never seen or met, or even degrading and oppressing to have
to quit college to be a wife, the female students expressed their sincere joy in fulfilling this duty
and going through this process in their life. In these cases, I have embraced their perspectives
and respected them, but I also share with them how things are where I am from, to broaden their
perspectives, and build their comparing, contrasting and oral communication skills.