Phase 1: Contextualization

 Master in Pedagogical Mediation in English Language Learning

Why did I choose to study the Master in Pedagogical Mediation in English Language Learning?

     After teaching English for a long period and be aware that the role of teachers is of fundamental importance to change the current education, I decided to continue my studies as Master in Pedagogical Mediation in English Language Learning, because I believe that this Master´program should give me the tools that I need to change my teacher´s role as a mere transmitter of knowledge.

     Education involves more than knowledge; it is a process that transforms the lives of people who has the opportunity to access it. Hence, I feel that I need to offer more than a simple interaction to my students, I would like to change the way that they perceive and understand the world for better. Nevertheless, I can´t deny that the social relations are very complicated, that is why the Magister program can help me to face the challenge of creating conditions to develop critical thinking among students based on some better relationships on EFL learning.

     Most of the time teachers forget that emotions, creativity, and personality are an essential part of the process of learning in all human beings. Hence, teachers prepare the classes having in mind how to teach specific topics about grammar, vocabulary, or some special skills, leaving aside the interpersonal relationships, and the social values of the students. That is a big mistake, and I believe for that reason the results fail in the context of an English as a Foreign language classroom. Hence is necessary to learn how to deal with the emotions and personality of the students in educational contexts.

     Definitely “The assumption that students just learn due to cognitive processes, and that emotion and personality are issues unrelated to that learning is outdated”. We know that the teacher-student relationship has an important impact on student attitudes, as well as their relationship with partners. If the student feels good with the teacher and peers, he can produce constructive knowledge, but if the pupils feel in a bad mood their process of learning is a disaster. In my case, for example, in the beginning, I believed that the most important was to prepare a lot of material for having my students busy learning vocabulary and structures, but it was a mess. Nowadays I know that emotions play an important role in the classroom.

     In conclusion, my expectations with the master's degree are to develop and improve not only the academic and social skills of my students but also the skills needed to grow as a person in a changing society having in mind that emotions are an integral, influential factor in all human beings.

 

Answer the questions:

• Why did you choose to be an educator?

     To be honest I love learning and I discovered that the best way to learn is teaching, for that reason I decided to be an educator.

• What do you like the most about your profession?

     The opportunity to interact with my students of all ages, during classroom life. It is a nice atmosphere that encourages me to do my job every day.  I learn a lot from them and they make me feel in a good mood with their behaviors. Well, sometimes they can be annoying but in the end, they get to inspire me to be a better teacher.

• What is the greatest satisfaction you have had as a teacher?

     Definitely when a get to involve my students in their process of learning than they can forget about the time and they say something like “the class was too fast”. Well, I love it when my students recognize their growth as a person as a result of my job.

• In your opinion: What is the sense of being an English teacher?

     The sense is to prepare the new generation to be part of a changing society that demands new knowledge and skills each day. English allows students to have better opportunities in their lives.