Week 4
“A teacher who loves learning earns the right and the ability
to help others learn.”
― Ruth Beechick
This week was so meaningful to me since it was the first one in which
someone else was going to be observing my class. To be honest, before starting
the class, I was a little bit nervous. So I tried to be relaxed and in this way
I acted as if nobody was evaluating me. However, as we are in our second
Teaching Practicum there are not only good things to point out, but also things
that need to be improved in order to have more successful lessons and become
better teachers.
Class 7: Monday, March 17
The first part of this class
was mainly focused on writing. I started this class by doing “the broken phone”
activity in which students were supposed to run out the message “we are happy
because we are Salvadorians”. At the beginning, it was hard that they could get
the instructions, but with more explanations and modeling, they got it. Nonetheless,
as it was expected the message did not arrive with the complete information,
the last student who got the message just said some of the words of it.
Something interesting in this activity was that even though the students did
not pass the complete information of the message, they just kept some of its
words without adding other ones, so it meant that at least they got some parts
of it.
Then I presented the
vocabulary and grammar to be studied in this class. I did it in a power point
presentation which I could notice that students really liked since they had the
opportunity to say the words when they looked at the pictures, and then they
could see if they were right or not, and I just told them the correct
pronunciation of the words. Also, I explained the grammar part which was about
prepositions by using a box and a pen. It was a great way to explain the
prepositions because they got their meaning in a very quick way, and they could
remember them in the practice stage since most of them did well in the tasks by
writing and by saying sentences using the vocabulary and the prepositions. Therefore, at the end (in the production) all
students wrote some sentences by just looking at one image in which they could
see objects located in furniture, it was really nice to see this last part.
The second part of this class
was focused on the speaking skill. It was a more challenging part since I had
to explain demonstratives. So in order to explain this, I modeled many examples
showing their meaning, and even though I explained and explained, I could see
that some students still had problems in the practice stage. For practicing, I
gave them a worksheet in which I saw they were having few problems. However, it
became harder when they were asked to use them through practicing in the
speaking skill because most of them showed problems even in the production. It
was really hard for me because they were not reaching the class’ objective and
the time was almost over. I could not hide my frustration and at the end I
ended up saying many of the students what they were supposed to. As a result it
was one of the things in which I was asked to improve among other things that
without doubt will be helpful in my teaching way.
Here is my LP…
* Students will be able
to
-Describe and talk about
different objects
- Ask and answer
questions using this, that, these, those
Writing
|
Time
|
Stage
|
Procedure
|
Details
|
6”
|
Warm up
|
The broken phone
Ss stand up in a
circle. I will say a message to one of the two students next to me, and this
student will have to pass the message to the student next to him/her and so
on until the message comes to the other student in my other side. I will ask
this student to say the message he/she receives. Once he/she has said it, I
will show the real message in a written way, so they can realize whether the
message change or not.
|
Aim of the activity: To break up the ice
and review classroom objects vocabulary.
Type of learner: V,A, K
Interaction: T-S, S-S
Materials: written message
|
20”
|
Presentation
|
I will present the
vocabulary “things in your bedroom” by showing a power point presentation in
which they have to
I will present a power presentation in which Ss will
see objects and furniture they have in their bedrooms. For example, lamp, magazines, bed, bookcase, etc.
First, Ss will look at one image and I will ask them whether they know the
corresponding word in English for that image, if they know it, I will just
correct some mispronunciations that may occur and then I will show the word
for that thing; if they do not know the word, I will show the word, say the
pronunciation and make them repeat it. This repetition of words will be done
two or three times. Then, I will show again the images without showing the
word so that the students can name the items without much help.
Also, I will show a box and a pen in order to
explain the prepositions on, in, under.
For doing it, I will put the pen in, on, and under the box. It will be done
as many times as necessary.
|
Aim of the activity: To encounter and
clarify target language
Type of learner: V,A
Interaction: T-S
Materials: Projector and computer,
a box, a pen
|
10”
14”
|
Practice
|
Activity 1: I will give a hand out
with worksheets, and I will ask them to work on the first sheet (Engage Students’ book, p. 22) in it
they could look at an image in order to label what they see in it with their
respective words. Also, Ss will have to fill in the blanks of the sentences
with the correct objects and furniture words according to what they see in
the image of the worksheet. Then they will check in pairs, and after as a
whole class.
Activity 2: I will ask students to
stand up I will divide them in two groups (in lines). I will put a marker on
the floor and I will show an image in a power point presentation. The
students at the top of the lines will run in order to pick up the marker. The
first student who gets the marker will try to say the sentence according to
the image. E.g.: I show a bed which has a magazine on it; the student has to
say “the magazine is on the bed”.
If the student says the sentence correctly will get a point for his/her
group. On the contrary, the student of the other team would try it. In case
they do not say the right sentence because of they do not remember a
vocabulary word, I will help them, so they can try it again. Once they have
said the sentence or not, I will show the written sentence. The winner team
will sit down, and the losers will have to say five vocabulary words (each
one without repeating them) they have learned during the course.
|
Aim of the activity: To practice and
remember target language
Type of learner: V,A,T
Interaction: T-S, S-S
Materials: Worksheets
Aim of the activity: To remember and
internalize target language
Type of learner: V, A, K, T
Interaction: S-S
Materials: projector, computer,
marker
|
10”
|
Production
|
I will give them a
sheet of paper with some images in order to write sentences using the
vocabulary and grammar studied in the class. Then, they will pass to the
front in order to read them.
|
Aim of the activity: To use target language
Type of learner: V,A,T, K
Interaction: S-S
Materials: sheets of paper with
images
|
Part 2
Speaking
|
Time
|
Stage
|
Procedure
|
Details
|
15”
|
|
I will give time to the students who could not make
their oral presentations in the last class. I will also give feedback to the
three students who presented.
|
|
2”
|
Presentation
|
I will introduce this,
these, that, those. I will write these words in colorful papers and I
will paste them on the board
|
Aim of the activity: To encounter target
language
Type of learner: V, A
Interaction: T-S
Materials: Board, masking tape,
colorful pieces of paper
|
13”
|
Explanation
|
I will have some objects that they have studied in
previous classes (like: cell phone, pencils,
pens, notebooks, etc.) and I will point out the objects in order to
explain the meaning of these words. For example, if I have a pencil near, I
will say “This is a pencil”, but if
I have it kind of far, I will say “that
is a pencil”, and so on. I will make examples as many times as
necessary.
|
Aim of the activity: To understand and
clarify grammatical structures
Type of learner: V,A
Interaction: T-S
Materials: Board, marker, masking
tape, colorful pieces of paper, objects
|
10”
5”
|
Practice
|
Activity 1: I will ask them to work
on the second sheet of their hand out (Engage
Students’ book, p. 23) in order to complete exercises they have in there.
Then they will check their answers in pairs, and after as a whole class.
Activity 2: I will ask students to
borrow me their classroom objects and I will put them together with the mines
in different parts of the classroom. Then I will ask them “what is this/that? What are these/those?”
(pointing out objects) and they will have to answer “this/that is ____. These/those are ______.” (I will write the
questions, so they could not only listen to them, but also read them).
|
Aim of the activity: To remember target
language.
Type of learner: V-A-T-K
Interaction: S-S
Materials: Worksheets
Aim of the activity: To practice and
review target language
Type of learner: V-A-T-K
Interaction: T-S
Materials: objects, board, marker
|
13”
|
Production
|
Students in pairs will continue using the objects,
and they will ask each other “What is
this/that? what are those/these?” (pointing out to object(s) they want
to), and answer “this/that is (a book,
pen, eraser, cell phone, etc.) or these/those
are (notebooks, pencils, school bags, etc.)”
|
Aim of the activity: To use target language
Type of learner: V,A,T, K
Interaction: S-S
Materials: objects
|
2”
|
Wrap up
|
I will ask students to list vocabulary they learned
in the class.
|
|
Assignments and Announcements
·
Ask Ss to check the Facebook group class in order to
do the homework on Tuesday and Thursday. I will explain about it in the
Facebook group class, and if they have doubts ask there (Facebook group) and
I will answer them ASAP.
ü Assignment 1 (Tuesday): “Complete the Review Exercises on page 27 and 28. (Teacher will give
the page for you to complete it) It will be checked on Friday.”
ü Assignment 2 (Thursday): “Complete the activity using the link the teacher will give you on the
Facebook group. There is no need for registration. Then, on Friday teacher
will ask for the words you discover!”
|
Class 8: Friday, March 21
It was an even more
challenging class since I had to improve every single aspect that I had been
pointed out. Thus, I really tried to focus on them and do my best in order to
overcome them. To my surprise, I overcame most of them.
I felt proud of this class
because besides of overcoming my previous difficulties, I could also learned
from my own mistakes and noticed better results when I knew those mistakes that
I may not have noticed before. As a result, not only I but also the students
did a better job due to the fact that this time the class objective was
achieved.
Even though the objective was
achieved, some problems were presented in some of the planned activities.
However, I made some little changes in order to have more successful
activities. At the end, most of the class went well, but this time I was also
pointed out to some things to improve. I will keep them on mind, so the next
class I can overcome them again and do a better job.
I do not blame about anything
of the aspects in which I am asked to improve since I know they are to better
myself. Thus, I feel happy of being observed and helped because I can realize not
only the good things but also everything that I need to improve. I am really
thankful because of that fact since what Beechick said in his quotation is totally true: if I love learning, I will earn the right and the ability to help my students learn.
Here is my LP if you want to
take a look…
* Students will be able
to
- Ask and answer about
possessions
Reading
|
Time
|
Stage
|
Procedure
|
Details
|
5”
|
Warm up
|
I will write on the
board in a scramble way words that Ss have studied. I will ask Ss to stand up
and divide them in two lines. Every student at the top of the lines will have
a marker, when I say a word the first student to go to the board to circle
the word will get the point for his/her group. Once these students have done
it, they will go to the back of the lines in order to run the lines. At the
end, the team with more points will be the winner.
|
Aim of the activity: To break up the ice and review vocabulary
Type of learner: V,A, K, T
Interaction: T-S
Materials: Vocabulary words, board,
marker
|
12”
|
Pre- (reading)
|
I will ask Ss to sit
down in the semicircle. I will present in a PowerPoint Presentation some
images about old objects like: cell
phone, game consoles, TVs, and
computers, and also words that may be new for them like: screen, antenna (these words will be
found in the reading (Engage Ss’ book, p. 24). Finally, I will make a short review about
some adjectives that describe objects (cheap,
expensive, old, small, etc.)
|
Aim of the activity: To encounter and
review some vocabulary objects and adjectives.
Type of learner: V,A
Interaction: T-S
Materials: projector and computer
|
15”
20”
|
During-(reading)
|
During 1:
1.
Give a hand out with worksheets to the Ss.
2.
Ask them to circle the words they saw in the
presentation (worksheet 1).
3.
Read the text one time
4.
Ask them to read the texts and complete the
exercises of the worksheet.
5.
Compare with different classmates in pairs.
6.
Compare as a whole class.
During 2:
1.
Paste on the board a big crossword.
2.
Ask Ss to volunteer and pass to find out some
vocabulary words (If no one volunteers, I will either choose students or asks them to choose someone else)
3.
Paste the list of words, check the found words and
continue looking for the missing words.
4.
Ask them to help me to find the hidden message.
5.
Pass some of them to write it on the board (these
students will be asked to volunteer, if they do not, I will choose them).
6.
Read the message as a whole group.
|
Aim of the activity: To practice reading
skills
Type of learner: V,A,K,T
Interaction: S-S
Materials: Worksheets
Aim of the activity: To practice reading
skills and vocabulary by having fun
Type of learner: V,A,K,T
Interaction: T-S, S-S
Materials: board, markers,
crossword, list of words in the crossword.
|
10”
|
After-(reading)
|
I will ask Ss to write
on the blank sheet of paper they have in their hand out a short paragraph
just as the one they found in the crossword. Then they will read their texts
from their places. When they have read their texts, I will offer reward
phrases and ask their classmates to clap.
|
Aim of the activity: To use vocabulary
studied.
Type of learner: V,A,T
Interaction: S-S
Materials: Sheets of paper
|
Part 2
Listening
|
Time
|
Stage
|
Procedure
|
Details
|
8”
|
Warm up
|
Ss sit in a semicircle. I will give to one of them a
ball, and this student will have to pass the ball to the students next to
him/her and so on. While passing the ball, I will play some nice English
music for teens. When it stops the student with the ball in his/her hands
will have to tell me a vocabulary word either furniture or object. For this,
I will write on the bard these two words (objects and furniture) and divide
them with a vertical line in order to write the words that students say.
|
Aim of the activity: To wake up students and
review vocabulary.
Type of learner: V,A,T, K
Interaction: T-S
Materials: board, markers, ball,
CD player
|
10”
|
Pre- (Listening)
|
In a PowerPoint Presentation, I will make a brief
review about objects, furniture and prepositions (in, on, under), so students can refresh what they learned in the
last class and make the listening tasks more easily. Also, I will introduce
some new words like: watch phone, cool,
awesome. By doing this, I will show a picture of a watch phone and I will
have the other two words (cool, awesome) written in some pieces of colorful
paper in order to give synonyms of them.
|
Aim of the activity: To review and encounter
vocabulary
Type of learner: V,A
Interaction: T-S
Materials: projector and computer,
colorful pieces of paper.
|
12”
10”
|
During-(Listening)
|
During 1:
1.
Ask Ss to work on the “listening” part (worksheet 2
of their hand out).
2.
Listen to the audio and draw the objects as they
listen (the audio will be played two
times, pausing it every time they have to make a drawing; however, if I see
that students do not understand the track at all, I will read it for two
times pausing every time they have to draw, so that they can complete the task
in a more effective way).
3.
Listen to another track in order to fill in the
blanks using some words they already have in their hand out.
4.
Compare their drawings and answers in pairs.
5.
Compare as a whole class.
During 2:
1.
Ask Ss to work on the “speaking” (worksheet 2).
2.
Read and listen to the conversation for two times.
3.
Practice it in pairs.
4.
Choose some pairs to read it for the whole class in
order to correct some mispronunciations.
|
Aim of the activity: To practice listening
skills
Type of learner: V,A,T, K
Interaction: S-S
Materials: CD player, worksheets
Aim of the activity: To practice listening
skills and pronunciation
Type of learner: V,A,T, K
Interaction: S-S
Materials: CD player, worksheets
|
14”
|
After-(Listening)
|
Ss in trios will practice the conversation in the
worksheet (Engage Ss’ book, p. 17) and they will only change some of the
highlighted words in order to use their own information. Then they will pass
to the front in order to say their conversations. They can use their notes
when performing the conversation. At the end of every conversation, I will
say reward phrases and ask their classmates to clap.
|
Aim of the activity: To use studied
vocabulary
Type of learner: V,A,T, K
Interaction: S-S
Materials: Worksheets
|
3”
|
Wrap up
|
I will ask them to give
me their worksheets’ homework and also to list the vocabulary they found in
the Facebook homework.
|
|
Assignments and Announcements
|
References:
http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1751618-easy-start-in-arithmetic-grades-k-3
Another
important moment of this experience was the time in which the observer teacher
arrived to my class. I never imagined how helpful it would be, I just thought
that it was neither necessary nor helpful to have someone there when this
person could make us to be even more nervous as we used to be in every class.
However, when this class was over, I completely changed my mind since I noticed
that she started pointing out exactly in the good aspects and in the ones in
which I had to improve. I really liked her help because without any doubt her
comments were what I needed to hear in order to improve or keep what I had done
in that class. Thus, the following class I tried to be focused in all aspects I
was been told previously. As a result, I reached my expectations to improve
them because when I met the observer, she told me that I had improved, and of
course told me new comments and suggestions. In this way, I improved and I changed some of
the things that were not good in my teachings since every comment that I heard
from the different observers I had, I kept them on my mind until as I was able
to overcome them. Now, I can say that I am really thankful with them because
they were who made those moments significant and meaningful to me. 
To
sum up, this teaching practicum has been one of the best and most significant
experiences of my student’s life because I learned so many meaningful things
that without any doubt will be such a great help when teaching any kind of
students. During these ten weeks, I could grow up as a teacher, and for that I
am really thankful not only with those observer teachers who helped me a lot,
but also with my teacher Yanira Peña, who has been not only an ideal help in my
whole major but also she has been an inspirer who, in a way, made my way to go
in order to be who, so far, I am.
