We are living unprecedented times and we are trying to move forward with many doubts and uncertainty. Keeping our team and students safe is our priority but we are anxious to get back to the classroom. In preparation for our return to the classroom, we have been interviewing our teachers to get their point of view. We want to know how they feel about the language industry going forward during and post this pandemic. Our teachers have truly been our heroes throughout this time and have gone above and beyond in teaching our students, motivating them and being a much needed shoulder for them to lean on. This week, we are hearing from our English teacher, Olga Vynogryeyeva. Olga has been an EC Montreal star since she began working with us! She is an incredible teacher and an excellent colleague. She is well liked and respected by everyone and we are proud to have her on our team.
Now a word from Olga:
I have been an English teacher at EC Montreal since October 2017. What I enjoy most about teaching in the EFL industry is that it’s a love of my life! I have been teaching English for 20 years now and do not imagine any other thing I could be doing)) Seeing people developing, acquiring new skills, changing their personalities as their confidence is growing, making new friends………… Without exaggeration, many of my students have changed their lives for the better, and being part of it is very rewarding for me.
Overall, students are spending much more time actually studying. The ones who stayed, are very motivated and ready to invest time and effort into their learning process. There are no clear stopping cues as a bell at 12.30 when they say goodbye and go on to do something else. They feel responsibility for the result, they depend on each other now not only during the class, but also while doing their homework, and this stretches in time (I assign a lot to do in pairs and small groups—after the class, as part of home task, which also requires focus on the language). Their attendance is much better as it is harder to show up in the middle of the week and participate—we are literally in the middle if something and it’s hard to follow if you were not there.
I would also say, some things have become much more personalised, it’s like a study plan, but for everyone in the group, on the regular basis.
I feel faster progress in listening, for example. With the right support and motivation, students spend time doing it more thoroughly, playing the audio as many times as they need. Besides, they know that it will be part of the next class, so everyone is ready. If there are some difficulties, they feel more comfortable to address a teacher directly.
Also, it’s a perfect time for reading circles, as my classes proved. Students feel it as well. So, to sum up, they do study much more.
Obvious things are, of course, a lot of saved time (no commute, for instance), no extra expenses for some who did return to their countries or live outside Grand Montreal. Korean moms are super happy as they can dedicate their time to their kids in a much more effective way. Thus, psychologically, some students feel very comfortable and will not be so happy to come back to regular classes.
Going forward as we resume our onsite classes, I feel that some of the students might not want to come back to actual classrooms.
There may be concerns about safety, compliance with the new rules. Some questions will arise regarding islands and pair/group work.
I think blended learning will be the best way to move forward. The best option I see is to open for 3-4 days a week, when there is a decision to reopen. In this way they’ll be more at ease with their concerns (for those who are in Canada). Other day(s) can be used for projects or the type of classes students have already got used to. The contact time will be decreased while language learning will not. It all can be planned.
During this pandemic period, I worked hard to ensure my students feel motivated and I proved to them that they have lost nothing in terms of our efficiency with the change of the format.
Going forward I feel there will be much more reliance on technology and distance learning. Many students will prefer that option taking into account that many of them have adapted and saw a positive side of things.
Olga is currently teaching our English online classes on EC Virtual. Join our virtual lessons to learn, grow and improve through these wonderful connections and interactions with students just like you!
