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!!!!