Beginning a new year with a new curriculum has allowed Thania Robles to acclimate to her DE courses.
“When this opportunity came up, I decided to go for the Master’s in English since it’s something I really do enjoy,” said Robles.
Robles had to earn her master’s degree in English before she could become a certified DE teacher.
“Before teaching DE courses, it was a lot of pressure because I was a STAAR teacher,” Robles said. “I had to help my students get to a certain standard and score which then affected their school rankings.”
Robles experienced stress as a result of having to follow a strict curriculum. She felt under pressure because she wanted to see her students succeed. Teaching DE courses has brought new expectations for herself and her students.
“Expectations I have for myself is that I need to remind myself that this is a college course and having to stop myself from babying my students,” Robles said. “For my students, I do expect them to be self-autonomous, responsible, and manage their time.”
She expects that her students will be more capable so that they will be successful in their courses. Expectations also have changed for her when it comes to teaching her regular English course to the DE course.
“There is a big difference in the expectations and curriculum,” Robles said.
While her 1301 students are learning to write for their careers, her English 3 students focus more on writing for their scholarships. Robles wants her students to master their studying skills and use them in their studies.
“I hope my students can apply any tips they learn from my class and feel more confident with their writing,” Robles said.
Robles appreciates the new experiences that being a DE instructor brings for her, despite the fact that she now has to deal with different expectations.