Pedagogy Seminar

What kind of teacher would you like to become? What experience, knowledge and opinions regarding learning and teaching a language and language and communication do you bring to class? How can theoretical and practical literature help us augment our personal experiences? How do we plan and execute lesson plans? What role do institutional expectations play? What can we learn from how others teach? How can we ensure to welcome a wide spectrum of students into our classes? What impact has the pandemic on the way we approach teaching? How can we grow as educators through self-reflection, our interactions with colleagues, and through our understanding theoretical and practical knowledge that goes beyond planning the next class? 

Collaboratively, we will discuss these and other questions using our concrete experience, practical and theoretical literature, and opportunities for professional development. We will apply our knowledge and create materials together, visit colleagues in other language and reflect on our learning and teaching experience.

Learning Goals: At the end of this class, you will:

• be able to understand and use the concept of ‘Backward Design’
• have acquired a basis in a spectrum of different research-based perspectives that you can use to decide on the usefulness of pedagogical strategies in a given situation. 
• be familiar with the basic terminology as well as the most relevant sources for the field of foreign language pedagogy
• have familiarity with applying theory to practice by designing classroom activities you will be able to use in your class
• have started to develop strategies for continuous reflection and deepening of pedagogical practices (through discussion, observations, journals)
• take first steps to developing your own teaching philosophy statement