I need to start focusing on the positives
of my development. I keep trying to remind myself that this is not a race and
that there is no competition but myself…
The positives:
- At the warm-up stage of my lessons, the students are responding well to the speak-with-your-partner segments. At first, I thought that the students would shut down and not even attempt and dialog. After trying for a few lessons they are starting to get the hang of it. I’m happy when the students just ask the questions “How’s it going?” and “How was your weekend?” Even if they can’t speak entirely in English, the attempt means a lot… PROGRESS!
- I’m also trying to maximize the English speech in my class. I’m starting to have students expand phrases into sentences and repeat key words and phrases whenever there is a chance. Before, if there were directions on the PPT/WB, I would have just said it once, thinking that the students understood what I said. Now, I have the students repeat the instructions together, maximizing English as much as possible.
- In the listening activity, there were two things that went well. First, I used ‘real’ recordings with my friends and that gained the students interests. My friends are from different countries, so the students were able to listen to different accents. Second, I wanted my students to listen to the recordings for only one time. After listening to the first conversation, I found that many of my students were having trouble filling out the worksheet (too many blanks). I didn’t want to, but looking back at the lesson, I was glad that I played the recordings twice (and no more… BARGAINING!).
- Watching my lesson again, I still controlled a lot of the discourse in the classroom. I need to maximize their English and not constrain their speaking time. Instead of stopping and letting them discuss the conversations one by one, I could have had them listen once (entirely) and then one more time straight through. Then give them more time to discuss with their pairs and then the entire group/team.
- I really need to work on my ‘Top-Down’ explaining. I am such a detailed person that I always do things from the ‘Bottom-Up’. I could’ve just explained that “We are going to listen to my friend’s today. We need to listen to these 3 things.” Explaining from the ‘Bottom-Up’ not only wastes time, but increases confusion.
Overall:
- Not bad, but definitely just started out of the running-blocks. Way better than when I started. Now if I can just be CONSISTENT with my lessons and teaching, I might not need to drink so much on the weekends (semi-joking).
I wonder if you are trying to get your students to do too much in one listening. I found for myself during your MT that it was difficult to catch all of it. After I finished writing one thing down another went by. Is it really necessary to write down the days that they were sick?
ReplyDeleteMy advice would be if you want them to listen for all that detail then maybe give them a list of answers that they can circle or check, that way they can just focus on listening, instead of spelling/writing as well. If you want them to do some writing as well for practice then give them less to listen for or put them in groups where each needs to listen for something. For example, one listens for the day and sickness, another listens for sickness and what doctor says, and the last one listens for what the doctor says and the day. After they can work together using English to complete your chart.
Excellent opening sentence there, Victor.
ReplyDelete