毕业“声” | 林明泽：读研虽然辛苦，心有梦想苦也甜
在他看来，在温肯的两年学习，不仅让他学有所得、学有所思，更是将他真正带入了“教育”这一领域，让他转变成为一名“教育者”。
虽做过两年的雅思助教，但是林明泽从未真正系统地学习过如何从事教学工作。对于是否能成为一名称职的教师，他心里存在很多的未知和怀疑。
然而，温肯课程的设置很好地将他带入了这个领域。在 “教育法”这门课上，教授们会对他设计的教案提出很多问题。刚开始的时候，林明泽在教案的设计上相对感性，教授们会引导他去理性地思考每个模块设计的原因和目的。
在学校的联系下，林明泽去到了温州英才小学，教孩子们阅读英语绘本。在上课前，教授们会帮他一起梳理教案的设计，将学习的支架给到学生，最终达到学习的目标。在每次课后，林明泽也会和教授们一起总结，反思每堂课的教学效果。在去贵州支教的过程中，他认识到，教学不仅是将教育的资源带给山区的孩子，还要形成一种为学生服务的意识。给温肯本科新生上英语强化课程，也是研究生课程实践的一部分。如果说给小学的孩子上课侧重于启蒙思维，那么给本科生上课则更加侧重于培养研究和应用知识的能力。
逐渐地，林明泽在实践中找到了适合自己的教学方法，摆脱了对未知领域的恐惧，树立起成为一名优秀教师的信心。
温肯国际化的教学理念和资源也给林明泽留下了深刻的印象。
林明泽说，温肯研究生的学习框架是基于Project Based Learning的模式,是真正让学生懂得并习惯将知识应用于实践的一种模式。温肯也非常推崇“批判性”思维，这个也是区别于其他大学的一点。“批判性“思维提倡我们用更加全面和客观的角度去看待问题，尊重每个个体和世界的多样性，这为林明泽在思考问题的方式上带来了很大的转变。
从个人兴趣出发，投身教育职业
在温肯，教授们鼓励大家从个人兴趣出发，选择自己的课题。林明泽选择的研究课题是“Students' Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Peer Editing”。在这个课题中，同学们需要在上完一次写作课后，将自己的作业交给同伴去互相批改。而林明泽则需要收集同学对于这样的教学方式的体验感。在大量的样本提取分析后，得出结论，这样的教学方式是否适用于国内的课堂。
通过对课题的不断研究，林明泽也对如何进行教学工作有了更深的认识。未来，他将自己的职业方向规划为成为一名小学英语教师。目前，林明泽已经通过相关考试，即将成为一名公立小学的英语教师。
从教学“小白”到对教学工作有深刻的体会和丰富的实践经验，在温肯，林明泽完成了一次人生角色的转变，不仅收获了专业知识，也认识了良师益友，他说，温肯让他获得了人生的价值感。今后，他也将迈着坚定的步伐，朝着他热爱的教育工作一往直前。
Lin Mingze: Postgraduate Studies are Hard but Sweet with Dreams
WKU started the master's degree program in 2020 and has its first class of master’s graduates this year. Lin Mingze is one of them. Before he enrolled in WKU’s Instruction and Curriculum (M.A.) program, he worked as an IELTS teaching assistant. In his view, two-year study at WKU has not only enabled him to learn and reflect but also brought him into the realm of “education” and turned him into an “educator”. Currently, he succeeded in becoming an English teacher at a public elementary school.
Escape the Fear of the Unknown and Enter the Realm of Teaching
Despite having worked as an IELTS teaching assistant for two years, Lin Mingze had hardly learned how to teach systematically. There were many unknowns and doubts in his mind as to whether he would be a competent teacher.
However, the curriculum of WKU is well set up to bring him into the field. In the course “Methods for Teaching English Language Learners in ESL/EFL Settings: Standards-Based Approach”, the professors would ask many questions about the lesson plans he had designed. In the beginning, he was relatively emotional but the professors would guide him to think rationally about the reasons and purposes of each module’s design.
With the assistance of the university, he went to Wenzhou Yingcai Primary School to give lessons by reading English picture books. Before the class, Lin would sort out the design of the teaching plan together with his professors and provide the learning scaffolds for the students. After the class, he also summarized with the professors and reflected on the effectiveness of each lesson. When he devoted himself to supporting education in Guizhou, he realized that teaching is not only about introducing educational resources to the rural areas but also about providing service for the students. Giving intensive English courses to undergraduate students is also part of the practice of the graduate program. If lessons for primary school children focus on enlightenment thinking, lessons for undergraduates give more importance to developing research and application know-how.
By practice, Lin gradually found his own teaching method, got rid of the fear of the unknown, and built up the confidence to become a qualified teacher.
Connect with the World and Open the Windows to the Future
WKU’s international teaching philosophy and resources also left a deep impression on Lin Mingze.
According to Lin, the postgraduate program accords with the model of project-based learning, allowing students to comprehend and get used to applying their knowledge to practice. WKU also has a strong emphasis on critical thinking, which sets it apart from other universities and brought about a great change in Lin’s way of thinking.
The professors of WKU come from all over the world, which opens a window for Lin to know more about the world. In extracurricular time, they would talk with him about their experiences of teaching around the world and share tips on teaching in different cultural contexts. The interaction with the professors has cultivated his sense of independent learning. They also constantly reminded students to read before class and encouraged them to keep asking questions as well as review, reflect and summarize after class. They gave Lin a real sense of the school's "student-centered" teaching philosophy. In addition, WKU Library has served rich literature resources and databases, which was convenient for him to access data and write papers at any time.
Start with Personal Interest and Pursue a Career in Education
At WKU, the professors encourage students to choose their topics from their interests. The research topic Lin chose is “Students' perceptions and attitudes toward peer editing”. In this project, students were required to edit each other’s assignments after the writing lesson. Besides, Lin needed to collect the perceptions of students with such a teaching style. After an abundant number of samples were analyzed, conclusions were finally drawn as to whether such a teaching style was applicable in China's class.
Through continuous research on the subject, Lin has also gained a deeper understanding of how to carry out his teaching work. He planned to become a primary school English teacher in the future. Currently, he has passed the relevant examinations and is about to become an English teacher in a public primary school.
From a teaching green hand to an educator with profound feelings and rich practical experiences, Lin Mingze has realized the role’s transition at WKU. Meanwhile, he acquired the knowledge and met good mentors and friends. He addressed that WKU has endowed him with an essential value of life. In the future, he will also take firm steps to pursue his passion for education.
文字 | 汤涟猗文稿编辑 | 王舒英文 | 项温蔚 朱婧墨
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