Week 4

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