Personal Reflection 2

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong

I. PROFESSIONAL SKILLS I HAVE LEARNT FROM THE PRACTICUM

Participating in the TESOL practicum at the Vietnam Naval Academy was a meaningful and transformative experience that allowed me to develop not only pedagogical knowledge but also essential professional skills. Through lesson planning, micro-teaching, seminar presentations, peer observation, and collaborative activities, I gained valuable insights into teaching practice and professional growth. This practicum provided me with opportunities to strengthen my analytical, planning, communication, cultural competency, and leadership skills. Each of these skills played a crucial role in shaping my development as a future TESOL educator.

1. Analytical and Assessment Skills

One of the most important professional skills I developed during the practicum was analytical and assessment skills. Observing Ms. Huong Giang’s speaking class and my peers’ microteaching sessions gave me the opportunity to critically evaluate teaching practices and reflect on effective instructional strategies. Through peer observation, I learned how to assess teaching performance based on clarity of instruction, classroom management, activity sequencing, and student engagement.

During the microteaching sessions, I observed that my team members of Hoang Dung, Giang My, TanPhuong, and Tam Anh delivered their presentations clearly and confidently. Each of them demonstrated different strengths that contributed to the success of the lesson. Giang My’s warm-up activity, for example, was particularly innovative and effective. She designed an engaging guessing activity using visual clues that immediately captured students’ attention and encouraged active participation. Similarly, Hoang Dung’s monologue activity was informative and well-structured. His presentation provided a clear model for students to follow, and he effectively guided them to analyze the structure and key components of a good speaking response. His approach helped students understand how to organize their ideas logically and develop their speaking more confidently. Tam Anh’s survey activity was another highlight of the lesson. Her "Subject Twin" survey was both innovative and highly interactive. Students were encouraged to walk around, communicate with their classmates, and collect information before reporting their findings. This activity promoted meaningful communication and created a dynamic classroom environment. This observation helped me realize the importance of not only introducing new vocabulary but also ensuring that learners understand how to use and pronounce the words accurately. In sum, I believe that all group members performed very well and demonstrated professionalism during the microteaching session.

Through this peer observation process, I learned how to provide constructive feedback in a respectful and supportive manner. More importantly, observing my peers allowed me to reflect on my own teaching practices and identify areas for improvement. This experience strengthened my ability to critically evaluate teaching performance and apply these insights to my future teaching.

2. Planning Skills

Another essential skill I developed during the practicum was planning skills. Throughout the practicum, we were involved in planning various activities, including the field trip, microteaching lessons, seminar presentation, and gala event. Each of these tasks required careful preparation, collaboration, and time management.

Planning the microteaching lesson was particularly challenging yet rewarding. My group had to design a speaking lesson titled “Your Favourite Subject,” which involved structuring the lesson into different stages, selecting appropriate activities, and preparing teaching materials. Through this process, I learned how to align lesson objectives with classroom activities and ensure a logical progression from warm-up to post-speaking tasks. I also realized the importance of anticipating potential problems and preparing solutions in advance.

Additionally, preparing for the seminar required extensive planning and coordination. Our seminar focused on a practical framework for enhancing English listening comprehension through dictation. We had to divide responsibilities, conduct literature review, prepare presentation slides, and design demonstration activities. This experience helped me develop organizational skills and taught me how to work effectively as part of a team.

Furthermore, planning the field trip and gala event allowed me to develop logistical planning skills. These activities required coordination among group members, scheduling, and attention to detail. Through these experiences, I became more aware of the importance of teamwork, flexibility, and responsibility in professional settings.

Overall, the practicum strengthened my ability to plan effectively and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. These planning skills will be highly valuable in my future teaching career.

3. Communication Skills

The practicum also helped me improve my communication skills, particularly in interacting with students, teachers, and peers. One of the most memorable experiences was interacting with students and teachers at the Naval Academy. Initially, I expected the learning environment to be strict and formal due to the military setting. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the students were not only disciplined but also welcoming, friendly, and sincere.

This experience helped me break my stereotypes and develop a more open mindset. I learned that effective communication requires empathy, respect, and understanding of learners’ backgrounds. During classroom interactions, I tried to communicate clearly and encourage students to participate actively. I also learned how to give instructions more effectively and respond to students’ questions in a supportive manner.

Moreover, working closely with my group members improved my teamwork and interpersonal communication skills. We had to discuss ideas, share responsibilities, and resolve differences in opinions. Through this process, I learned how to communicate more professionally and collaborate effectively with others.

4. Cultural Competency Skills

Another significant learning outcome from the practicum was the development of cultural competency skills. Teaching at the Naval Academy exposed me to a unique learning context that differed from my previous teaching experiences. For example, there was no internet access in the classroom, and students were not allowed to use mobile phones during lessons. However, students were permitted to use their phones after class.

These restrictions created challenges for integrating technology into teaching. As a result, I had to adapt my lesson plan and rely more on printed materials, face-to-face interaction, and traditional teaching techniques. This experience taught me the importance of flexibility and adaptability when teaching in different contexts.

Additionally, interacting with Naval Academy students helped me gain a deeper appreciation of their discipline, commitment, and sense of responsibility. I was particularly impressed by their strong sense of patriotism and national pride. This experience enhanced my intercultural awareness and helped me better understand how educational contexts can shape learners’ attitudes and behaviors.

Through this practicum, I realized that cultural competency is essential for effective teaching. Teachers must understand learners’ backgrounds and adapt their teaching approaches accordingly.

5.          Leadership Skills

The practicum also helped me develop leadership skills. Working in a group required me to take initiative, contribute ideas, and support my teammates. I learned how to be flexible, responsible, and collaborative when working toward shared goals.

Additionally, interacting with Naval Academy students inspired me to reflect on values such as discipline, social responsibility, and patriotism. Their dedication and professionalism motivated me to develop a stronger sense of responsibility as a future teacher. I realized that teachers not only teach language but also contribute to students’ personal and professional development.

Overall, the practicum strengthened my leadership skills and helped me grow both professionally and personally.

II. CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR AND PERCEPTION (Self-Evaluation of My Contribution)

Participating in the practicum significantly changed my behavior, perception, and professional identity as a future TESOL teacher. Before this experience, I mainly focused on preparing lesson content and completing assigned tasks. However, through the practicum, I gradually realized that effective teaching requires not only knowledge but also collaboration, adaptability, reflection, and continuous professional development. This experience helped me become more proactive, reflective, and responsible in my learning and teaching practices.

During the practicum, I actively contributed to group work and took on several responsibilities. In particular, I was responsible for preparing part of the speaking lesson, editing and revising the seminar and lesson plan content, and designing materials and teaching aids. I also contributed to the seminar as a coordinator, ensuring that group members collaborated effectively and that all tasks were completed on time. These responsibilities required me to manage multiple tasks, communicate clearly with my teammates, and maintain consistency across our lesson and seminar content. Through this process, I developed stronger organizational skills, teamwork abilities, and a greater sense of responsibility.

In addition, I became more reflective about my teaching practices through peer observation and feedback from supervisors. Observing my peers’ microteaching sessions allowed me to learn from their strengths. For example, I learned from Giang My’s innovative warm-up activity, Hoang Dung’s informative monologue, and Tam Anh’s interactive survey activity. These experiences encouraged me to think more carefully about designing engaging and meaningful speaking activities for students.

Moreover, receiving Ms. Nga’s initial instruction on lesson plan and feedbacks from Ms. Mai and Ms. Nu Anh on my performance in the speaking section was a particularly valuable learning experience. They highlighted several strengths in my teaching, such as my focus on meaningful topics related to students’ major subjects, including Maritime Astronomy, Seamanship Training, etc., which helped increase students’ interest and engagement. They also appreciated my ability to give clear instructions and support individual students during activities. This positive feedback increased my confidence and motivated me to continue developing learner-centered speaking tasks.

At the same time, they provided constructive pedagogical guidance to help me improve my teaching practice. They encouraged me to ask students to speak louder to enhance classroom interaction and confidence. They also suggested assigning pairs who sit far apart during conversation practice to create more dynamic communication. Additionally, they advised me to avoid turning my back to the class for too long while writing on the board, as maintaining eye contact is important for classroom management and student engagement. These suggestions helped me become more aware of my teaching behaviors and encouraged me to improve my teaching performance.

Another important change in my perception was my understanding of teaching in different contexts. Teaching at the Naval Academy exposed me to a unique learning environment where technology use was limited and discipline was highly valued. Initially, I thought these conditions might restrict classroom interaction. However, I was impressed by the students’ friendliness, sincerity, and willingness to participate. This experience helped me break my stereotypes and develop a more adaptable and open mindset. I also realized the importance of adjusting teaching strategies to suit different learning contexts.

Overall, this practicum experience helped me become more reflective, confident, and adaptable as a future teacher. I developed stronger teamwork, communication, and planning skills, as well as a deeper understanding of learner-centered teaching. More importantly, I gained valuable insights into my strengths and areas for improvement. This experience has motivated me to continue improving my teaching skills and professional development in the future.