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In March, I was informed that my TESOL classes would have to
“pivot” to online delivery—like most universities around the world. I
was scheduled to teach the practicum seminar and supervise practicum
placements for the spring semester. As I contemplated pivoting the
practicum experience online, I considered the notion of the noun pivot, which refers to “a person, thing, or factor
having a major or central role, function, or effect” (Merriam-Webster,
n.d.). The idea of focusing first on what is central to the practicum
experience rather than jumping into new technologies has been critical
for me to develop an online practice that continues to be grounded in
theory. I’d like to share a few ideas related to the theory that drives
my TESOL practice and how I’ve managed to maintain the pivot while
moving to online delivery.
My TESOL practice is based on a transformational pedagogy where
dialogue is central to the process of supporting students as they move
from student to student-teacher to teacher over the course of their
TESOL program. Some of my core beliefs about my role and the role of the
practicum seminar include the following:
- The teacher educator is witness and supporter of the student teacher as identity re/trans/forms.
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Personal practical knowledge about teaching is cocreated through dialogue.
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Student teachers have significant prior learning and experience to share with their community of practice.
-
The teacher educator adds one voice to the polyphony rather than provides the authoritative voice (Densky, 2017).
How could I provide time and space for the kind of dialogue,
connection, sharing, and support that I was used to providing in a
face-to-face environment? I was being encouraged to adopt an
asynchronous (meaning anyone could access our online content at any
time) or possibly a hybrid model for course delivery and was being
discouraged from delivering more than brief synchronous sessions
(meaning we would all meet online at the same designated time), because
apparently students preferred the flexibility of asynchronous
environments. I could not imagine how I could maintain my pivot in an
asynchronous environment, so I didn’t!
In the now-online version of the TESOL practicum, my students
participate in a 3-hour synchronous seminar once a week. I arrive in the
virtual space an hour prior to the seminar. I create a welcoming
environment with background music, where students can drop in, ask
questions, or share a story. I also hang around after class for
questions or to share resources.
During the seminar, I welcome every student by name as they
join the virtual class. During our 3 hours, there is time for students
to share what they are learning from observations and teaching sessions.
Students receive feedback, suggestions, and encouragement from myself
and others; engage in discussions and problem-solving; and are
vulnerable and empathetic. I use a combination of whole-class
discussions and virtual breakout rooms for small-group discussions and
for working on lesson planning. The seminar is a dynamic environment of
learning with and from each other. At the end of every session, I have a
one-on-one moment with each student as they must put on their video and
answer an exit question before they leave.
Another strategy I have used for online delivery of practicum
is to have students work in pairs this term as they complete their
teaching hours with English learners. They will be teaching in
synchronous environments, and the idea of having a partner who can
trouble-shoot the tech, monitor the chat, and plan together has
increased the amount of student-to-student interaction in the class.
I have also created online “Study Rooms” within the learning
management system where students can meet each other at any time to work
on lesson planning or other assignments. Students are choosing to meet
in real time using video conferencing rather than communicating solely
through text.
I tried having students share their experiences through
asynchronous discussion forums, but I was disappointed in the
student-to-student interaction, so while I was providing a space for
dialogue, the powerful nature of dialogism in the Bakhtinian sense was
falling short. Bakhtin’s (1984) approach to dialogue is akin to life
itself: “To be means to communicate. Absolute death (not being) is the
state of being unheard, unrecognized, unremembered” (p. 287). I strive
to ensure that my students are seen, heard, supported, and validated
while they go through their practicum, because I hope that they will in
turn provide the same commitment to dialogue with their future
students.
While we pivot, let’s make sure that we don’t lose the pivot of
our pedagogy, which for me is using the technology to create meaningful
and robust dialogical spaces for supporting student teachers through
the transformational experience of practicum.
References
Bakhtin, M. (1984). Problems of Dostoevsky’s
poetics. (C. Emerson, Ed. & Trans.). University of
Minnesota Press.
Densky, K. (2017). A multiple case study of points of
tension during TESOL teaching practica [Doctoral
dissertation, Simon Fraser University]. Simon Fraser University Summit
Institutional Repository. https://summit.sfu.ca/item/17327
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Pivot. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 20,
2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pivot
Dr. Karen Densky has been involved in TESOL teacher
education for the past 20 years and currently coordinates the
certificate program at Thompson Rivers University. She has been involved
in teacher education collaborations in Mexico, Greenland, Chile, and
Vietnam. She has just completed a 2-year term as president of BC
TEAL. | 
