九州ルーテル学院大学
Teaching Portfolio2020

所属：Career English Major

名前：Kevin J. Axton

1作成日：2020 年 10 月 16 日
九州ルーテル学院大学 ティーチング・ポートフォリオ
教員氏名：Kevin J. Axton
所属：人文学部 学科 キャリアイングリッシュ専攻
1.

はじめにTo begin, this portfolio is a small sample of what I do ere at Kyushu LutheranCollege and my philosophy as a teacher. I have been working at KLC for over 20 years
and have found that I have been shaped by my students just as much as I have influenced
them. One important aspect of this portfolio I would like to emphasize is that I believethat each student is an individual and deserves to be taught as such. Holistic educationand experiential learning is what I strive for in class and research, and I feel this portfolio
reflects those tenets.

２. 教育の責任As a member of the Career English Department, I am responsible for three levels ofeducation; English communication, English Pedagogy, and elective all-English classes.
Below is a list of the courses I have been in charge of for the past three years. The syllabusof each class is open to the public on the Web according to the regulations of Kyushu
Lutheran College
2.1. 授業科目の担当
2018 年〜2020 年度の３年間は以下の表の科目を担当している。
科目名

開講年度時期履修者数

備考

Advanced English~ 2018 ~8 – 12

共通教育~ 2018 ~8 – 12

共通教育~ 2018 ~15 – 20

共通教育~ 2018 ~15 – 20

共通教育~ 2018 ~20 – 40

英語教育

Communication I
AdvancedEnglish

Communication IV
Communication
English II
Communication
English III
Children & English
I (こどもと英語 I)2

~ 2018 ~20 – 30

英語教育

US. History~ 2018 ~20 – 40

共通教育

Current Issues in~ 2018 ~20 – 30

共通教育

Special Research~ 2018 ~

3–6

共通教育

Graduation~ 2018 ~

3–6

共通教育

Children & English II(こどもと英語 II)

the USResearch◼

主要担当科目
1. Advanced English Communication I:
Admission into this course is based on placement test scores (the test given
to all incoming freshman to the Career English department to determine their levelof English skill for the communication classes) and a one-on-one interview with thetwo presiding professors of the Advanced courses I – IV.

Student evaluation isbased on participation in class, projects and other work, improvements, and threeteacher-student interviews held throughout the semester.
During AEC I students are challenged with more intensive lessons in thefour language skills that include both cooperative based as well as independentlearning. The course is help in almost all-English, and students are expected to use
as much English as possible.

Higher level grammar forms and vocabulary arestudied and used during tasks in class.

Students are also required to do

independent study outside of class to support English usage on an independent level.
Students gain confidence by communicating with each other as well as theteacher, conducting research by themselves and in groups for the purpose of problem
solving, and paying attention to their own English skills and self-critiquing toenhance motivation. During AEC I students are asked to work in small groups andindividually on presentations. There are also extensive vocabulary usage activities
and tasks.
The work students begin in AEC I is carried on and built upon during thenext three AEC courses.
2. こどもと英語 I & II(Children and English I & II):
This course is an elective course meant for sophomore and senior students
wishing to enter the education field. Students from any of the four departments arewelcome to attend. Both Children and English I & II are not meant to be English
instruction classes; in fact, the class is conducted in both English and Japanese to3

ensure students understand the contents of the classes.
The lectures and projects of the courses are geared toward young learner
English education and the challenges and appropriate materials therein.

Topicssuch as teaching methods, activities, problems and developmental stages of language
learning, as well as how to use games and songs are discussed.

S

Experiential learning is stressed in both I and II, as students are required towork in small groups and individually on original lessons/games/activities designed
for young learners. Some outside reading and home work may be assigned with thepurpose of being discussed in the classes later on.

Also, observations of actual

kindergarten English lessons are optional should a student wish to join.
Evaluation is based on participation in class, presentations and projects,
and a final exam.
3. United States History:
This course was one of four designed in an attempt to increase exposure tohigher level English usage for upper classmen; the four courses were introduced at
the beginning of the 2016 academic year. These classes were unrelated to teaching
English, English pedagogy, or English communication skills.
United States History was designed for junior and senior students at KLC,
regardless of the department they may be enrolled in. The class is a one semesterclass and meets once a week (90 minutes each session) for a total of 16 weeks, thelast of those sessions being a final exam. The subject matter taught is a brief survey
course of US History up to 1865ce.

The entire course is conducted in only English

as set out in the curriculum. The course is made up of mostly lectures with a projectrequired of the students on an individual basis.

Power Point slides are usedthroughout so that students can see what is being covered as well as listen toinformation.
Due to the subject matter of the classes (mostly material that is completely
new to students), often vocabulary within the lectures is given to students before theactual class so that they can familiarize themselves with the words that may be used.
Also, students may be asked to research certain people and events/ideas beforehand
so that those subjects can be better explained during the lectures. This process
encourages questions before the lectures so that the idea of ‘cause and effect’ can bebetter transmitted.
Student evaluation is based on assignments, participation, a project, and a
final exam.

4◼

Weekly English lessons at Kyushu Lutheran Kindergarten. Lessons are conducted forand divided into for middle and upper year students (two groups of each level biweekly).

Lessons include pronunciation practice, simpler grammar structures,vocabulary, and games/activities that are appropriate for students’ level.
2001 ~ present
Elementary School teaching license renewal classes 2018~2020. Course name: Using
Games in for Learning.

2.2. 教育組織運営
I serve as a full time member of the Career English major. The responsibilities of that
position include:
1. Discussion and planning of course curricula
2. Designing class syllabi
3. Planning and implementation and lessons
4. Placement of students into the appropriate level communication course based on L2
level
5. Evaluation of students’ progress and final outcomes
３. 教育の理念
3.1. 理念１ Motivation
A student can be knowledgeable, skilled and a good student; but without motivation,that student will never learn the material set before them. I believe that in order for students
to be motivated in what they are learning they need to feel connected to what they are studying.
Merely teaching vocabulary or certain grammar structures and expecting students toremember is not educating them in my opinion.
If students feel a connection to what is being taught; i.e. if they feel they have acertain ownership in their own learning, then their motivation levels can be raised.
I find that finding out the interests of the students and what they may need and thenusing those things in class, then the students may become active learners. An active learneris a student who feels ownership in their own L2 acquisition. Being an active learner also
creates a confidence in the progress the learner makes in and outside of class.
Therefore, in my most of my classes I challenge the students to look at their own
progress from time to time and reflect on their L2. This encourages students to be cognitive5

of what their strengths and weaknesses are in the L2 and how to improve themselves.
3.2. 理念２

Cooperative Learning

Directly connected to motivation is allowing students to work together on tasks. This
may involve them in finding their own definitions or functions of a grammar structure in an
English course, or working together to construct their understanding of various causes andeffects of an important event in history.
When students cooperate with each other their understanding of information can bebroadened (whether they are helping a less knowledgeable partner, or learning from a moreskilled friend). When groups or pair work is required students can share with each other anddiscuss possibilities regarding outcomes and methods.

This, in turn, raises or maintains

motivation.
3.3. 理念３ Experiential Learning
Another aspect of my philosophy towards education is that of learning throughexperience. I try to make chances for students to use old and new information together doing
things that they may need in a real world situation.
These tasks and activities include projects, presentations, and work outside of classthat requires students to use what they have focused on in class. One example would beexpecting students to use their phones during class to make hotel reservations (insimulations); forcing the students to listen and then confirm information necessary for thesituation.
I believe that when a learner is allowed to produce (output) they will remember andthen ultimately learn the information that – as stated above – they were able to work on
together. This is not only something that I do in English classes, but also use in my othercourses as well. Hands-on experience is a challenge I attempt to exploit in my classrooms.
４. 教育の方法
４.1. As stated above, utilizing tools and tasks during class is a prime goal.

Therefore

including students in decision making processes during within tasks is one method tohelp enhance motivation, cooperation, and experience.
One such task for Communication English III is to have the students work in groups todesign and then create a TV commercial. This is done in several steps:
1. Students discuss (within their groups) what product will be sold in the commercial.
2. Students then cooperate on different aspects of the design process, which isseparated into different responsibilities within the group. All discussion is done inEnglish:6

a. Script writer(s)b. Propc. Story board writer
d. Film editor(s)3. Rehearsal is carried out
4. Actual filming is done
5. After the commercial is shared with the class, self-reflection of the commercial iswritten and then discussed with partner.
５. 教育改善のための努力
U.S. History
This course posed two very specific challenges that do not arise in other classes that
I teach.

The first challenge was that of overall vocabulary and English usage.

The

second challenge, and probably the most difficult one to overcome, was the content of
the course itself.
1.

The vocabulary and overall English of the course included several phrases and words

that would be considered higher level by most of the students. The course is taught inall-English and therefore at a more difficult level that the students were used to.
One revision to the course was to give vocabulary list for students to study ahead ofthe lectures.

Also, often before the lectures began I would discuss any problems orquestions the students might have about the English used.

This promoted more

understanding (although not vastly) of the material covered.
Also, during lectures I make an effort to rephrase or explain concepts that may bedifficult for the students to understand. This process has actually had the benefit ofencouraging questions about the English used from the students, which in turn has
helped with comprehension of the subject matter itself.
2.

The content of the course, United States History, was and remains the most difficult

issue of the classes. Japanese students have not had exposure to most of the names andevents that are covered in the material.

Where a US student may be familiar withThomas Jefferson and what he did and who he was, this information will be completely
new to a Japanese student. Along those same lines, events that are usually taught inelementary and junior high school in the US are not known to the students here.
This challenge is still being dealt with through action research. One step taken to
help students is to use more explanation of people and events where that is importantduring lectures. Another solution that has been implemented is to have students work
together to research in pairs certain peoples and events and also use role play where7

possible to enhance understanding of why certain things happened.
These steps within action research have helped somewhat to increase understanding,but the solutions to the problems are still being research and attempted. The commentsfrom self-evaluations can offer more insight from past results and expectations.
5.1. 改善努力１ 授業評価アンケートと授業改善報告書

The following are taken from certain class evaluation forms filled out by students at theend of each semester. Not all classes are included. I included those courses which saw
the most change from 2018 – 2020.
Advanced English Communication I
2018:
More formalized vocabulary training is going to be needed. More English grammar in thelessons will also be added. (action plan research would be best)2019:
I am going to implement more vocabulary study and grammar structure within the course.
Also, I will start a cooperative/collaborative learning structure so that the students will
work together communicatively.
*In the comments and planes improvements mentioned above, even though the students
are at a higher level than average, there is still a need to build on vocabulary andvocabulary usage. This is also a trend in other communication classes.*
US History
2018:
I feel there are two main issues that are hindering better comprehension by students: 1)
the class is in all English. 2) Student background knowledge of American history is almostzero.
I plan on going slower and searching for more basic resources to help students gain
background information. I also think I will add more out-of-class reading to boost
comprehension of lectures.
2019:
I was very satisfied with this year’s class. Was more organized and students participatedbetter. Implementing more vocabulary study seems to have helped
Use collaborative learning tasks to develop deeper thinking and communication efforts.
Also, I am going to cover information slower and edit events from the lessons to give
students better understanding of timelines.
*Here, it is apparent (as mentioned above) that vocabulary and understanding are still8being dealt with. There have been changes that were noticeable, as well be discussed in
the next section of the portfolio.*
５.2. 改善努力２
Current US Issues
2018: (Information for 2019 is unavailable)
Students are still not discussing opinions or sharing ideas in class. It was very difficult toextract any self-thought or critical thinking from them.
I plan on going slower and searching for more basic resources to help students gain
background information. I also think I will add more out-of-class reading to boost
comprehension of lectures.
*I was experiencing difficulty with getting students to express their own opinions witheach other in class. Also, if there was discussion in class about topics, the students were
not immediately open to speaking about the issues in any depth. I have now changed
the structure of the class: I have implemented more background discussion andexplanation of the issues and encourage pre-class research. There has also been more
information used from various outside sources, including websites geared toward
informing reader at a more fundamental level; which has seemed to illicit more discussion
and opinion from students.*
Children and English I
2018:
Some of the comments from students suggest that the lectures need to be in mostly
Japanese.
I will attempt to use more Japanese during lectures and put the class notes in both Englishand Japanese. Also, perhaps first-hand observation of young English learners
2019:
I was very satisfied with this class.
I will try to encourage more independent thinking and group collaboration in order toencourage deeper thinking.
*In 2019, because the course is meant for any of the majors, not only Career Englishstudents, I increased the amount of Japanese spoken during lectures and included more
Japanese translation within the class memos that are printed out for the students. This
had a positive effect on the comprehension for students whose English level is not as high.
I am still attempting to arrange a plan whereby those students whom wish to can observe
actual English classes at kindergartens and elementary school in the area.

9I alsoincorporated a few more tasks for students to work together on.*

6. 教育の成果・評価

The following are taken from certain class evaluation forms filled out by students at
the end of each semester. Not all classes are included. The questions from thequestionnaires are the same for all classes; therefore, I will include the questions firsta then give the results from the classes that were listed in Section 5.
Questionnaire:
質問項目
1．授業に対するあなた自身の取り組みについて①この授業にどの程度出席しましたか②『講義概要（シラバス）』に事前学修・事後学修が記載されていることを知っていますか③授業１回当たりの事前学修・事後学修の合計時間は平均するとどのくらいでしたか④事前学修・事後学修によって、授業の理解は進みましたか⑤事前学修・事後学修によって、授業への参加意欲は高まりましたか⑥授業の到達目標について、目標は達成できましたか
2．授業について①事前学修・事後学修についての説明は十分でしたか②事前学修・事後学修の課題は授業に有効でしたか③授業は『講義概要（シラバス）』に沿って実施されましたか④授業で、先生の熱意や意欲は感じられましたか⑤先生は、授業をわかりやすくする工夫をしていましたか⑥質問した時に、適切に答えてもらいましたか⑦授業中は勉強に集中できる雰囲気でしたか⑧全体として、この授業は有意義でしたか
3．ディプロマポリシーの実践について
この授業に回答するディプロマポリシーについて回答してください。
①

広い視野とバランスの取れた判断を可能にする豊かな人間力②

教養と専門に関する知識を身に付け、社会のさまざまな分野で活動できる能力③

社会の動向に関心を持ち、その変化やニーズに対応できる能力

Advanced English Communication I (2018 – 2019)
The evaluation from students on the first set of questions was on the same as theaverage level for all teachers at the college.

10

On the second set of questions my average was above that of the average set by all
faculties, except for question #3. On #3 my ranking was a point below the average,
which is understandable because I often change the order or contents of my syllabus
based on what a see as student need.
U.S. History (2018 – 2019)
The evaluation from students on the first set of questions was on the same as theaverage level for all teachers at the college.
On the second set of questions my average was above that of the average set by all
faculties, except for question #3 (for the same reasons as stated above).
Children and English I (2018 – 2019)
The evaluation from students on the first set of questions was just below the as thatof all teachers at the college.

The reason for this is not known.

I explain thesyllabus to the class. One factor that may contribute is that I do not assign enoughpre-class work. This is one aspect that I will strive to improve; and may increase
comprehension of the material in the future.
On the second set of questions my ranking was just above average. This is somewhat
different from other courses (in that I am usually well above average). This may be
due to students not being used to my style of teaching. Students are expected tomake conclusions based on their understanding of the materials and projects set
forth in class. This is something that I am currently considering how to change; oreven if I should change.

７. 今後の教育に関する課題と目標
The challenges that we in the Career English major face are many. One specificchallenge that I believe needs to be addressed is trying to implement a stronger focus
within the department for incoming students. As of now, some students do enter thecollege with a goal in mind. However, in regards to most of our students, they enter thecollege unsure of what they hope to achieve in the future.
I believe that be offering a more focused course(s) for them, we can raise students’
expectations of what they can do, and at the same time enhance motivation by giving
them a reason for studying English or other subjects within the major itself.
Another goal for classes within Career English is to have all course (those dealing
with the topic of English and English Education) taught completely in English. This11

would reinforce a feeling of purpose for our students.
8. 参考資料（１）担当科目シラバス（２）授業評価アンケート結果

12