My Best Teaching Experience!

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."

-Benjamin Franklin

My Best Teaching Experience

I wonder why I titled this essay, "My Best Teaching Experience"; the reason is because I found three important issues during this semester. I would like to mention the things I did not know, the ones I could improve and how I did it and the things I need to improve every day in my teaching life.

Since the first day of classes, the observer gave us one interesting tip I took into account the rest of the classes. I did not know that the lesson plan must point out the role of the students instead of teachers. Also, I did not know how to deel with outgoing students even when I work with students, there are different rules that allow students to behave properly during classes. One tip to deal with these students is to give them a role as helper while we are handing out workheets or inviting students to perform an activity in class.

On the other hand, one thing that I could improve besides obsever's comments was the fact that students must be the ones who talk most of the time during classes. However, even when I tried to encourage them to talk, the students are too shy that make them talk was becoming a challenge for all of us as teachers, by the way, I could by make them perform projects that they enjoyed. How can I say this? Well, I could see that they were enthusiastic while creating their own work.

This activity was well performed by students, they could describe the place of their dreams using "there is / there are". Besides having ask and answer properly to find out what place their classmates were representing by using sounds and body language.

They really enjoyed this part of the class.

I would like to recognize that there were some aspects that I need to work on, I need to improve every time in every single class; I need to control the time in every stage. It is because I am fosusing on giving them enough explanation about pronunciation, spelling, and use of language while they are speaking in their native language, in order to make them understand better. I already know that they do not care about how to write, what they really need is to talk. In fact, I really love teaching grammar; probably because that is the way I learn. However, I know that I need to spend less time doing this. I am conscious that I need to control the time while teaching.

As far as I am concerned, Teaching Practicum II is my best teaching experience because three reasons, I learned a new strategy to deal with outgoing students, make them part of the class by assigning them role of helper. I also learned how to prepare my lesson plan by fosusing on students more than teacher. I really appreciate all observer's comments because those make me grow up as teacher. Even when there is one aspect I need to improve, I am glad for having taking this course with the very beginners students.

Week 3

Week 3

I would like to start this coming week with the following thought by Aristotle:


"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."

-Aristotle.

Class 1: Review of contents


Follow this link and you will find the lesson plan for this day:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lesson_Plan_Week_3_Monik.pdf

This entry aims at analyzing the development of the class regarding the appropriate feedbacks given by the observers and my own critics. First, I will describe the development of the class; then, I will add some expectations for the next teaching class behind having noted and figured out my weaknesses in order to improve them, thus, my strength to enforce them.

Before the class

Fortunately, this was not the first time I have talked with them. I had already talked with them about how they feel, and what their names are. Previous classes I had noticed their likes and dislikes because the way they dress and the way they speak. So far, I had had the contact with them in order to prepare every detail in the lesson plan. I could observed that they are self-taught students applied at the school and this English course as well.

The time to teach had arrived when most of the students were in the classroom. I was afraid because I wanted to create a familiar environment, I wanted they felt as if I were with them, but not, against them. By the way, I had to start with the energy up in order to motivate them to perform all of the activities. The biggest challenging for me before starting with the class was that I had to have them participate voluntarily; in fact, I was willing to have them speak besides my observations that some of them are shy. Here the class arrived.

During the Class

They got involved in most of the activities. They were the ones who were breaking the ice while they were performing the warm.up activity. Although the "hot sit" were performed before in one of the activities from the previous class; the dynamic was different. They had to mimic some of the vocabulary that were taught previously. I felt an enormous satisfaction beacuse the goal of this activity was achieved successfully.

The presentation of the class had arrived. I felt glad when they started to recognize the information from a real information about 'Bruno Mars'. Even if they have not heard about him; the information was clear and understanding. I could noticed that some of them had review before coming to the class because they started to give some responses when I asked them. It was interesting how they quickly achieved the goal of the task.

Even when the presentation of the reviewing class was clear, the explanation part was hardly achieved. What I did was that I gave them more time to assimilate it by going back to the explanation and giving more clear examples until they get involved to run-up ahead with the next part of the class.

Time to practice was not only taught by me but also by each other. It was interesting to see how they were clarifying some doubts each other in order to have them perform the next activity. I could notice that they felt part of the classmates' knowledge. 

The time to produce what they had learnt arrived. All the emotions came to my mind and my heart when I saw their enthusiasm to perform the coming activity and it increased when I asked them to look at the information and the pictures around them to complete the required in the sheet of paper. I knew that those famous people were the ones they were interested in knowing rather than the ones that a text book offers. 

After they gathered the required information, they shared the information with the rest of their classmates.

After they shared the information from their favorite people and their best friends; I thought in taking some more minutes to give them feedback, so I did. Because they are just seven students, I took the chance to personalize the class in order to let them know that they are able to do it better the next time and at the same time to avoid they feel frustation. 

To warm-up the class, they had to perform a project. I was interesting to know how much they had learnt during this class and previous classes. I could observe that they got involved and interested to perform this last project. Even when the we were over the time, I could notice that this type of projects have them increase the motivation to learn. Finally, I could say that the goal of the task was achieved. 

Some misspelling were done more than once; fortunately, they quickly got the given feedback.


After the Class

As I gave to the students feedback, observators gave me some to me. I mispronounced some past participle form of verbs endings with -ed, and grammatical errors such as: questions asked into indirect questions with the tone of voice but they are not grammatical correct; "*I don't know how are you" instead of "I don't know how you are".

Weaknesses while teaching

I need to improve

• Mispronunciation.
• Changes in the methodology I used to encourage Ss to speak.
• New strategies to have Ss improve their writing skill.

Strength while teaching

I need to keep in mind

• The motivation to teach as they were I when I started my majoring in English.
• The high level of enthusiasm and energy during the all class.

Week 3

Class 2: Oral Assessment and Lesson 2 ""

Follow this link and you will find the lesson plan for this day:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lesson_Plan_2_Week_3_Monik.pdf

Before the Class

This was the second chance I met with them. At the beginning of the class I was afraid and nervous because of the oral evaluation that they were having in the middle of the class. I did not know how well they were prepared to do it, or not. This was probably becuase my expectation were lack of confidence on myself. By the way, when I asked them if they were prepared to perform the activity I mentioned previously; their responses were affirmative. When I heard that, their responses made me feel confidence again although I knew that have them speak was going to be a big challenge.

During the Class

The class started with the warm-up whose goal was have them remember the previous target vocabulary. I could notice that they were down from my expectations; but, regarding this issue I thought that the next activity would make them increase their curiosity for discovering which voice had been heard, but it was not. They insisted on being down. Their attitute was like they did not want to do anything at all. Probably, because they were nervous and anxious for performing the expected activity and they did not know how to ask me, <teacher, when do we start with the activity?>, I could observe that on their faces every time when the overviewing of the class was presented; they seemed impatient for performing that one. 

After the presentation and the explanation, the time to practice had arrived. I noticed that their attitud was going up while they were listening to the instructions; problably this was not what they expected but it was a great moment to be in a competence and at the same time the chance to deal with their opponent. Actually, the goal of the task was achieved.

The most anxiously awaited moment arrived. The oral evaluation was going to be performed behind having a intro exercise; it meant to have have a short practice before performing the oral assessment. After this, some feedback were given one by one in order to improve their pronunciation. Some minutes were given in order to let them get ready.

 It was interesting to know how true is the fact the "to increase students' motivation is necessary to pursue their interest on topics." Although they do not wear extrovert clothes, the most important goal was achieved. They used their previous knowledge to answer expontanously, just keeping in mind the words that they had mispronounced before. Although I know this does not change for one minute to another; this change comes through the experience, I could say that this assessement goal was successfully achieved.  



Weaknesses while teaching 

I need to improve

• Mispronunciation.
• Changes in the methodology I used to encourage Ss to speak.
• New strategies to have Ss improve their speaking skill.

Strength while teaching

I need to keep in mind

• The motivation to teach as they were I when I started my majoring in English.
• The high level of enthusiasm and energy during the all class.

Week 6..... comes later!!!!

Week 1_Taught By Gisselt

Monday, February 24th, 2014

Diagnosis Class

Number of Ss: 5 students.
Ages: from 11 to 13

The Gathered Objective:
At the end of the class Ss was able to identify most of the primary and secundary colors; recognize the letters of the alphabet; name numbers from 1 to 20, the days of the week and the months of the year, and the classroom objects; and use three important classroom expressions that will be used during this current course.

My First Glance:
Even when they take English classes in the school, this class seemed they did not have any knowledge about English. Some factors could be around into two factors; one could be that they do not practice any language out of the classroom because of the lack of opportunities to have technological sources; other factor could be the fact that they are not interested in learning a second language because they are not motivated on learning it at all.

Class's Development:

Ss Encountered with vocabulary and practiced it:
Ss had to circle the letters they were listening to through the track after T's presentation. The alphabet was presented in a Power Point Presentation. For them, recognizing the letters was a little bit difficult because the recorder was not in their rythm. One option to avoid this situation could be to stop every time one letter is told to give them the chance to assimilate the letter that has to be circled. After this short practice, to have them remember and clarify the letter they probably had forgotten, T asked them to repeat the letters that had mispronounced. Then, T asked them to spell their names after listening to the T's name spelling first.

Ss Set the Class Policies:
Although they set the class policies in Spanish, Ss suggested most of them and they were totally in agreement; the main of those was "Being participative in class".

After having taken into account the class policies, T introduced the numbers in a PPT presentation. Then, T asked them to match the numbers with the correct name by using their prior-knowledge. It was difficult because most of them, as I said before, do not practice English at home; and taking one or two hours per week are not enough to either remember words or numbers.

To internalize most of the numbers, T had them repeat the colors and numbers by identifying and sticking the word of the color in the correct color after having selected the number.

It is true that even when these vocabulary have been introduced, it is not enough for them to learn.
"The more they practice, the better result they will get"

The days of the week and the months of the year were introduced in the same way as the alphabet and numbers. I could observe that they could identify them better; it was probably because they are frequently used in daily classes or because of one of the activity that T performed. It was that Ss had to list the days of the week in the logical order as they are. Then, they had to show the one that T has mentioned.

The end of the class was coming and there were not enought time to practice the months of the year and the school objects; by the way, it is true that all this vocabulary have to be practiced in most of the classes.

The last activity was when T had them list the objects that they use in classroom. They could do it in Spanish and English. That was unexpected but they could do it. They could recognize the pen, pencils, laptop, and books. Most of them were problably told  because they remembered them, or simply, because they use the word frequently. This last ideas comes because of one phrase that I have heard: "Expeience makes us increase words in our language".

Finally the class ended, T told to them that the more frequent phrases are the ones that help us to communicate in the classroom, such as when we ask for permission to go to the bathroom; to ask for repeating some instruction or explanation that have not been understood; or simply, by saying that something is not understood.

As a homework, T asked them to study these last expressions for the next class.

Friday, February 28th, 2014

Countries and Nationalities

The Gathered Objective:
At the end of the class Ss was able to talk about where they are from and what nationality they are by talking about other people. They were able to identify the difference between countries and nationalities by naming at least five out of ten.

Class's Development

Reviewing:
T asked for homework. Three of them remembered them and I felt glad because I could observe that they now are interested in learning English.
Different colors, numbers, days of the weeks, months of the year were asked by taking one secret question that were in the secret box.

Encoutering them with the topic:
T's strategies:

• By repeating
• By numbering the words that are heard
• By matching the countries with the corresponding nationalities

Explaining the target language to be used:

T wrote on the board: 

• I am from________
• I am __________

T's expectation:

• Ss use the target language in a inductive process.

Practicing:

T handed out strips of paper with the countries and nationalities to be matched. They could do it! That was great! Using the same material, they played a memory game! That was fantastic!!!!

A short reading session was performed:

T started reading and they had to say what is next...

Producing the target language:

• By playing: Who am I?

It was successfully performed!!!

Increasing the target language:

To say the age, T encouraged them to say their ages; although they was hardly pronounced, students could identify what was asked. 

With the practice in a  line-up arrangement, they could succesfully achieve the goal of this activity. 

At the end, with the role-play, the lesson's objective was successully achieved. They were asked each other... That was great!!!!