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IV. Answer the questions.
1. What was Ursula’s dream?
2. How did the schoolmaster treat Ursula?
3. What were the relations between Mr Harby and his pupils (and the teachers of the school)?
4. Could Ursula manage her class?
5. Why did the schoolmaster decide to get rid of Ursula?
6. How did the schoolmaster make the boys hate Ursula?
7. Why did Ursula have to accept the schoolmaster’s system? Did she have enough strength and courage to oppose it?
V. Read the title of the following article and argue that an ideal teacher exists.
An Ideal Language Teacher: What is He Like?
Few of those engaged in training teachers would conceive of a teacher who would be “ideal” for all and any teaching circumstances. The art and craft of teaching is so diverse that no such paragon would be likely to exist. What is possible, however, is to conceive of an ideal which is redefined in terms of the particular kinds of teaching situation the teacher actually proposes to engage in. Such an “ideal” teacher would possess personal qualities, technical abilities and professional understanding of the following kinds.
1. Personal qualities. These include both inherent qualities and other qualities acquired through experience, education, or training. Among the former we must recognize psychological attributes. Equally, it is obvious that the teacher must be intelligent, have a “non-discouraging” personality, and display emotional maturity. Among the acquired qualities are to be included a wide experience of life, an adequate level of personal education, and a sufficient command of the language he is teaching.
2. Technical abilities. These are of three kinds: first, ability to discern and assess the progress and difficulties of his pupils; and unhesitating control of the teaching in his class so as to maximize the rate of learning; secondly, a fluent and responsive grasp of the classroom skills and techniques; thirdly, with the syllabus and materials being used in his classes, so that the teacher can improve on them by devising his or her own material.
3. Professional understanding. This refers to a sense of perspective that sees the teacher’s own particular task in relation to all types of language learning and/or teaching situations, to an awareness of trends and developments in language teaching, and to an acceptance that it is in his professional duty to go on improving his professional effectiveness throughout his career.
VI. Name the personal and technical abilities, according to the above description which are most important for the language teacher at school.
VII. Try to describe the most effective way of becoming an “ideal teacher”.
School Practice
I. You have just come from your school practice. Discuss with your partner the following points :
a) the staff;
b) discipline at lessons;
c) your preparations for the lessons;
d) teaching aids;
e) extra-curricular activities.