Teacher Feature: Lisa Fischler

Lisa Fischler joined the ESL teaching team in the winter 2015 session after graduating from the MATESOL program at MIIS. Already a seasoned teacher with international experience, Lisa has brought her considerable expertise to her teaching of core skill-based classes as well as content-based courses such as this session’s Intercultural Communication course. We are excited that Lisa will continue in the upcoming summer session.

What can you share about the path that led you to the Institute?

Getting my MA in TESOL was my second time at MIIS. I received a MA in International Policy Studies first, so my path back to MIIS was a well-traveled one. After earning my first graduate degree at MIIS, I went on a teachers’ exchange program to China through MIIS. That experience changed my professional direction. I shifted from studying Western Europe to studying East Asia, specifically China. After getting my Ph.D. in Political Science, I taught college courses in comparative politics, women’s studies, and first-year writing.

Throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies, I had continued to learn different foreign languages. I also developed a deep interest in social justice issues. Since my undergraduate degree had been in English literature, I began to realize that I had another passion to pursue in my life that would allow me to combine my involvement with social justice and equity issues with my abiding interest in language learning. Already knowing about the international reputation of MIIS’ TESOL program, I decided to pursue a second career in teaching that would enable me to fully realize my desire to promote and advocate for social justice and equity issues in education. After graduating with my MA in TESOL, I was lucky to have the chance to teach in the Institute’s Intensive English Program.

What is your favorite thing about working in the ESL program?

The class size and the students both are positive aspects of the program for me. The small class size allows me to learn about my students in greater depth. This factor, in turn, enables me to be a better teacher in terms of valuing what each student brings to class and in terms of the ways in which I can best respond to students’ language learning needs. In addition, the students bring language to life in the classroom through their triumphs, their challenges, and, most importantly, their personalities. I learn new things about culture, life, and the world from them all the time.

What’s one thing that you have learned during your time teaching here?

After teaching comparative politics for many years, I thought I knew about life in a significant number of countries. After teaching in MIIS’ Intensive English Program, I now know that I have a lot more to learn about the world and its people. The students in the program bring new ideas, cultural practices, and knowledge to my attention daily. Teaching a content course in Intercultural Communication this semester has been an intriguing one. I have learned about aspects of cultures in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Do you have a favorite book or resource to share?

One of the lead teachers in the program introduced me to a very helpful book by Penny Ur. The full citation is Ur, P. (2009). Grammar Practice Activities: A Practical Guide for Teachers. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. When I have needed suggestions for activities that extend students’ exposure to and use of specific grammar features, this book has provided many helpful suggestions.

What are you looking forward to?

In my current job, I am looking forward to a busy summer in the Intensive English Program because there will be so many new students. I am excited about teaching different levels of reading and writing courses than I have taught before. There will most certainly be challenges, but they will also be opportunities to learn more about teaching, the students, and my own approaches to instruction. In my personal life, I am looking forward to traveling after the session ends in August. I hope to visit places in California I have never visited before.