Syllabus

Course Information

ENGL 570 PRACTICUM 

Dr. Cristina Sánchez-Martín    

Email: csanch2@uw.edu 

When and where: F 10:30 am -12:30 pm in THO Links to an external site. 217 Links to an external site.

Office hours:  M & W  10 am - 11 am on Zoom Links to an external site.and by appointment (more below)

Download full syllabus here Links to an external site.

About the Course

 

Before we think about the course

First, welcome to ENGL 570, a space to unpack your teachers’ inquiry, practice, identities, and more. This emergent space, as well as our presence and work exist in relation to the land and the people who have inhabited it and cared for it since time immemorial. In our work, we must recognize and wrestle with the idea that we do not teach English and live our lives in a vacuum - we exist as guests in the lands of the Coast Salish people: the Suquamish, Tulalip, Muckleshoot, and the Duwamish nations.  

We are grateful to the teachings of Indigenous peoples, artists and leaders which informs both the work we do in the classroom and with our communities. For example, here, artist and storyteller Roger Fernandes of the Lower Elwha S’Kallam Tribe teaches us about being in balance with family, community, and nature. How do our presence, language practices,and work in and outside of the classrooms interact with other spaces and communities?  Because teaching is also about making place, we can think about how each one of us, including migrant people like me, are developing a unique relationship to this place, which as Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potowatomi scholar) says, must be “tempered by the wisdom of those who came before us” (2020, p. 344). So let us build on these knowledges together as our teachers’ community evolves. To know more, please read the UW Land acknowledgement here Links to an external site..  

Description 

As a credit/noncredit course, this class aims to support your reflection of the political, social, technical, personal, and practical layers involved in conscious, ethical, and responsible language teaching by bringing together multiple tools. These include regular classroom practice, observations of experienced teachers, journaling, observations of peers, reflective inquiry, discussion, self-evaluation, group support in regular seminars, videotaped microteaching, analytical lesson reports, and peer evaluation. While a solid theoretical foundation is a cornerstone of well-crafted teaching practice, some facets of teaching can emerge only through the experience of being a teacher in an actual classroom context and having the opportunity to reflect on these experiences in a supportive context. This is an opportunity for you to learn and further develop your own style and philosophy of language teaching—a place in which you refine your vision of yourself as a teacher.

Grounding principles 

The following grounding values run through the MATESOL program and will shape our teacher inquiry group sessions during the practicum. 

    1. Antiracism, decoloniality, and (trans)indigeneities 
    2. Relationality and collaboration
    3. Engagement with transnational communities and place-based learning 
    4. Collective wellbeing and shared humanity 
    5. Ancestral knowledge and lived experience. 

 

Course Materials

Access to the class folder Links to an external site. and Canvas. 

Course Readings

Please check the course calendar and the readings folder to locate the articles we will read.

What you can expect from me 

  1. I will be checking my email regularly. Please give me 24 hours to respond, although I usually respond pretty quickly. If I don’t respond, send me a reminder email or talk to me before and/or after class! 
  1. I will respond to your work regularly, so please make sure you read my comments. If you have questions, please feel free to come to office hours or email me about it. Office hours will take place on Zoom. To ensure everyone has a chance to use office hours, please send me an email about what you’d like to discuss prior to entering my Zoom room. 

I am here to help you learn and enjoy the class as much as possible. I have created this course to provide you with an interesting, intellectually stimulating, and fun experience that will broaden your understanding of English and impact your future career in positive ways. 

What is expected from you

Seminar Participation: Attendance in every seminar session and active engagement in class discussion are expected. Since this will be a small group, the absence of even one member will negatively affect the quality of discussion. Three or more absences during the quarter will result in a failing grade. An important reminder: In order to create a collaborative learning community in which all teacher candidates feel safe discussing their current challenges, all classroom discussion should remain strictly confidential. What happens in the practicum class stays in the practicum class ☺ During the first week, we will arrange a class community agreement to establish group protocols for the entire quarter. 

 

 “You are here” anticolonial practitioner’s journal Links to an external site.

  • Initial reflection or map based on De Costa and Norton’s framework (in class, week 1)
  • Weekly entries

Observations and report: Links to an external site.You are to observe other classes each week, starting on week 2 (for a total of 8 observations). This is an excellent opportunity for you to observe a variety of classes and borrow ideas from other teachers. Each time you observe a class, you will write your reflections in your journal, following the questions in the observation guidelines Links to an external site.. At least one of your observations should be at: 

  1. An English language programs or a K-12 ESL at public school, 
  2. FL/ World language classes at UW, 
  3. An English conversation session Links to an external site. at UW.  
  4. ESL classes at community colleges (I can put you in contact with a  couple of colleagues who do excellent work in the CC context) or non-profit organizations like Casa Latina Links to an external site., Literacy Source Links to an external site., El Centro de la Raza Links to an external site., and other nonprofit organizations of your interest. 
  5. A class taught by a fellow practicum student.

Praxis project. Links to an external site. You will have two options to choose from: 

  1.  Praxis talk or
  2. Facilitation of an An English conversation session at UW individually or in pairs. If you choose this option, you should have observed a session prior to facilitating one. Please upload your lesson plan the Friday before your facilitation and share your plans in class with the group. 

Video Teaching Demonstration: Links to an external site. You are responsible for one 15-ish minute teaching presentation with a 15-minute follow-up discussion with the Practicum members. Please record 20-25 minutes of your teaching and be prepared to show the video on the day of your presentation. We will view your teaching together with your classmates and you will receive feedback from the rest of the class in a supportive, positive, and uplifting manner. 

Teaching Observation by Course Instructor: During this quarter, I will be observing your teaching in your class. At that time, you are expected to teach for an hour. I will provide written feedback. You should be able to tell me around week 4 (5 at the latest) when I should come and observe your lesson. 

Final Collaborative Zine Project Links to an external site.. For this project, you will work in groups (assigned during the second week of class) to create a public-facing genre where you unpack what it means to be a TESOL/Critical language practitioner.

Assessment

This is a credit/ non-credit course, therefore, it will be assessed based on your work and the completion of the projects required for this course. We will also draw from collective, peer, and self-assessment practices to learn about one’s own progress and trajectory as a teacher-scholar all throughout the quarter. 

 

Course Schedule 

Note: it is unlikely that the schedule will change, but it might happen. If that is the case, I will let you know at least 1 week in advance. 

Week 1 (January 10)

Week 2 (January 17)

  • Start observations
  • Reading discussion
    • Sánchez‐Martín, C. (2022). Teachers’ transnational identities as activity: Constructing mobility systems at the intersections of gender and language difference. TESOL Quarterly, 56(2), 552-581.
  • Journal share-out 
  • Sign up for praxis project and video demonstrations 

Week 3 ( January 24)

  • Journal share-out 
  • Week recap (observations and teaching) 
  • Praxis projects/video demonstrations

Week 4 (January 31st)

Week 5 (February 7)

  • Journal share-out 
  • Week recap (observations and teaching) 
  • Praxis projects/video demonstrations

Week 6 (February 14)

  • Journal share-out 
  • Week recap (observations and teaching) 
  • Praxis projects/video demonstrations

Week 7 (February 17)

  • Journal share-out 
  • Week recap (observations and teaching) 
  • Praxis projects/video demonstrations

Week 8 (February 28)

  • Journal share-out 
  • Week recap (observations and teaching) 
  • Praxis projects/video demonstrations

Week 9 (March 7)

  • Journal share-out 
  • Week recap (observations and teaching) 
  • Praxis projects/video demonstrations

Week 10 (March 14)

  • Work on final project 
  • Student Evaluations

Finals: March 17 at 8 am 

Journal, observations report, and final collaborative project due.

 

Syllabus Resources

English Department statement of values

The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use is powerful and holds the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world—skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”

As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities.  Our disciplinary commitments to the study of language, literature, and culture require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race, immigration, gender, sexuality, and class.  These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue.  We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.

Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, genders, national origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with dis

AI Policy

 

Writing can be an important, sometimes challenging, and often necessary part of the cognitive process. Turning to AI tools such as ChatGP may or may not be useful in your scholarly endeavors, and they should be approached with a critical eye. In this class, use of AI tools should be transparent, properly cited, and otherwise declared in any final work product. You are responsible for any inaccuracies produced by AI.

 

Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) 

 

The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) is available to assist both graduate and undergraduate students with the process of writing, from understanding an assignment to brainstorming and identifying sources to outlining and drafting to making final revisions and tying up loose ends. OWRC offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions for any writing or research project, as well as for personal projects such as applications or cover letters and resumes. For more information, or to schedule an appointment (more than 500 available per week!), see the website (https://depts.washington.edu/owrc) or visit in person on the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library. Take time to browse their collection of online resources at:

http://depts.washington.edu/owrc/WritingResources.html

 

Q Center

 

The University of Washington Q Center builds and facilitates queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving, allies) academic and social community through education, advocacy, and support services to achieve a socially-just campus in which all people are valued. For more information, visit http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/ Links to an external site..

 

Leadership Without Borders 

 

In 2003, House Bill 1079 was signed into law in Washington State, allowing eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Resources, support, and services for undocumented students are available from the Leadership Without Borders (LWB) Center and the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. http://depts.washington.edu/ecc/lwb/ Links to an external site. 

 

UW SafeCampus

 

  • Preventing violence is everyone's responsibility. If you're concerned, tell someone.
  • Always call 911 if you or others may be in danger.
  • Call 206-685-SAFE (7233) to report non-urgent threats of violence and for referrals to UW counseling and/or safety resources. TTY or VP callers, please call through your preferred relay service.
  • Don't walk alone. Campus safety guards can walk with you on campus after dark. Call Husky NightWalk 206-685-WALK (9255). 
  • Stay connected in an emergency with UW Alert. Register your mobile number to receive instant notification of campus emergencies via text and voice messaging. Sign up online at www.washington.edu/alert
  • For more information visit the SafeCampus website at *www.washington.edu/safecampus*.

 

Guidelines for Communicating With Faculty

 

The unwritten mores of academia are often difficult to decipher. This article attempts to demystify some conventions surrounding communicating with faculty:

https://medium.com/@lportwoodstacer/how-to-email-your-professor-without-being-annoying-af-cf64ae0e4087#.t87p5q5f7 Links to an external site. 



Title IX

 

Sex- and gender-based violence and harassment: Links to an external site. UW, through numerous policies Links to an external site., prohibits sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, and we expect students, faculty, and staff to act professionally and respectfully in all work, learning, and research environments. For support, resources, and reporting options related to sex- and gender-based violence or harassment, visit the UW Title IX webpage Links to an external site., specifically the Know Your Rights & Resources Links to an external site. guide.

If you disclose information to me about sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, I will connect you (or the person who experienced the conduct) with confidential and/or private resources who can best provide support and options. Please note that some senior leaders and other specified employees have been identified as “Officials Required to Report Links to an external site..” If an Official Required to Report learns of possible sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, they are required to call SafeCampus and report all the details they have in order to ensure that the person who experienced harm is offered support and reporting options.

Access and Accommodations

Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS) Links to an external site., please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu.  Links to an external site.DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

 

Religious Accommodations

Required Syllabus Language:  “Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy Links to an external site..  Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form Links to an external site..