Job Interview Readiness

A job interview is nerve-racking for most of us; for an English learner it can be a terrifying prospect!  If your learner is looking for work, you can help prepare him/her.

·       Ask your learner to find job postings of interest and go through them together.  Discuss the vocabulary and various aspects of the job. 

·       Research the company further, if possible. 

·       How does one apply for the position?  Does your learner have a resume and know how to write a cover letter?

·       Has your learner visited WorkBC for help?  Check their web-site at https://www.workbc.ca/

·       Questions that interviewers ask can be very different in Canada than other cultures.  Discuss this with your learner, and then perform a role play.  Start with a few simple questions and do something more difficult the next session.  Check out the samples and resources at

http://www.eslflow.com/Interviewquestions.html

·       Share about your own experience in the job market.  Encourage and have fun!

 

 

I am a good tutor/teacher because...

Adapted from blogger http://katenonesuch.com/

I’m evaluating learning.

I’m doing constant formative assessment as I work with students individually or in a group. What do they know? Where in the process are they stuck? What misconceptions are blocking their understanding of this new work? Will their grasp of this material be a sufficient basis for the new work I know is coming up next week?

I’m evaluating teaching.
Which of the strategies I have for teaching periods and capitals is working best for these students today?  What should I change in my tutoring?

I’m thinking about the long term and the short term.
How does this lesson on periods and capitals fit into my plan for helping students improve their writing? What connections can I make to show students how things fit together in the bigger picture?
 
I’m paying attention to emotions.
I look for behaviours that indicate what my learner is feeling:  Is frustration making it impossible to concentrate on the work?  Is she finding joy and satisfaction in doing something she couldn’t do yesterday?  Is response to stress is causing her to disassociate?

I try to find some way to express or deal with the emotions that are impeding learning, and bring forward those that are conducive to learning. I watch my own emotions, too, because they affect my teaching, and my students’ learning.

I’m solving problems.
Every minute, as they come up. Many things new and different every session.

I’m refusing to be bored.
If I’m bored, something is not working. I find out what it is, and fix it.

I’m engaged.
My students respond to me, not because they like me, but because I’m teaching!  …and because they’re learning.