Tiffany VanPelt is a member of the Language Teaching Specialization program originally from Oregon.

In what context did your internship take place?

In Winter term 2015, I was a teaching assistant in an Oral Skills 1 class at the American English Institute, here at the University of Oregon.

What surprised you most about the internship?

I was surprised that I liked teaching with a textbook.  I had never done it before, and it really helped me to stay on track and ensure that I was appropriately scaffolding tasks.  I had previously thought it would be too restrictive for my liking, but I realized I really appreciated the guidance in sequencing grammar points that it provided.

What part of the internship was the most challenging for you?

There were a couple of students that were very proficient, but not very engaged.  I often had to come up with ways to differentiate the lesson to give them a task that was challenging enough for them, before they got bored and checked out.  It necessitated a lot of thinking on my feet, while still giving equal time to all of the students in the class.  It was fun, but very tough!

Would you be willing to share a memorable or special moment from your internship?