Thailand
SIT TESOL – Extended Reflection on Classroom Practice
Lesson #2
(words 1238)
As usual, I think the lesson was done competently without having much to quibble about. I felt as though I tested the students, which gave me some satisfaction. The lesson that I gave had a purpose and there were objectives to be met, which I think were achievable and a little challenging. Making the lesson challenging was a focus from my previous lesson so I think I took my action points, that I had written in my lesson plan, onboard. I must say though, as always, there are some details regarding the teaching in the class to work on. The details I would like to raise in this reflection are to make me realize some of the reasons for doing certain methods of teaching in class, which I hope after this reflection, will make the lesson more rewarding for the students.
One of my main focuses this time was to make the lesson more challenging for the students, as they were at a higher level. The part of the lesson that I think the students were challenged, was the listening section that certainly gave the students a chance to test their skills. What the students had to do was to listen to a tape with two men talking about their university schedules. Prior to starting the exercise, I had the students get into groups of seven, which I believe made for a better learning experience, where their peers could discuss the answers with them after each listening of the tape. The listening experience was also facilitated with modeling of how to finish the exercise. This worked well because I showed them a model schedule and also wrote the schedule on the board thus I felt the students had a complete understanding. I also made sure I asked concept-checking questions to some of the students about what to complete on the schedule, so I felt as though they were completely ready to listen to the tape. I think I this process is done every time I should not have any problems with listening.
The tape was about two minutes long, which I thought worked fine. I think if it was any longer would have prolonged the listening too far and likewise shorter would not challenge the students enough. I say this because in the previous lesson, which another teacher took before me, the students had listened to a tape and I felt as though it went on too long which was about 4 minutes. That time I saw the students losing interest, which is hard if you have to play it twice or three times. I think with my tape the students needed to listen two times such that once they had listened the second time they were fine and had completed the exercise. I must say though there were a few students that didn’t finish the task completely, so I think this told me that I tested some students. I mean if all the students had finished the first time I would have known for sure that it was easy, but the second play and some students not entirely finishing gave me a feeling of how I was testing them. There was one issue that I think did hinder the proceeding though, and that is, I should have given the students some time to check their answers the first time after listening to the tape. I think there were some students who were a little confused about the answers and needed that checking time to ask their peers. Also, I had put them into groups, which would have made them be able to converse and to understand better so maybe I missed a good opportunity to let the students think about their answers. I think in consequent classes I should go around the group asking and provoking thought and trying to get the student in the groups to say what they wrote down as to generate student talking in English.
I think again I could have challenged the students a bit more. There are points in the class after I finished explaining where I think that all the students understand but I cannot be really sure because I haven’t checked all the students. I introduced the ‘subjects at university’ and wrote them on the board for example physics, chemistry, and science. I ‘fumped’ the words which was the right idea because I knew some of the words were new to them but as for clearer dictionary definition and reinforcing this definition I am not sure a did this. I think the students kind of knew the words but it would have been nice to have them discuss and at least be able to understand them by trying to talk about them. I think for the level they were it would have not been much trouble to converse about these words. I think a simple exercise like matching the words and definitions could have worked. Also, when I asked the two groups to think of some subjects to go with a major (e.g. major – science / subject studied at university – physics) I didn’t give them a model because one of the majors I gave one group was art and I never really said what branch of arts at university. I could have said fine arts, humanities, and liberal arts.
If I had given liberal arts I could have elicited an example like ‘music’ to the board just to send the students on the right path. My objectives were for the students to learn new words relating to university. This was learned by way of a university schedule that was filled in with these words from the tape after they had listened to it. I think the students achieved their objectives of learning the new words and filling in the schedule as planned. To explain how well these adjectives were achieved I would have to say not entirely. I say this because of some of the actions I did to confirm every student’s knowledge. There were times when simple checking could have confirmed everything to me. I have mentioned one way I could have checked above with the subjects and majors. Also after each listening of the tape, I checked on the students and asks them how they were getting on. If they were hearing the tape, what were they thinking? And also at the end of the final post-exercise, I could have made the students not look at their schedules so much and discuss more. I did find them saying student A: ‘when are you free?’ student B: ‘Friday’ student A: “okay’. This was distinctly different from the tape, which lasted two minutes.
To conclude this reflection, I think I have learned to put more into a lesson. I mean the start where I would be doing the presentation/pre-stage of the lesson is to make sure all the students are well informed before I move on. This means getting the so-called weaker students to prove some understanding. Also in relation to the weaker students is to keep the students in pairs and groups so the better students help those weaker ones. Also, I should give them time to discuss in-between stages. I think there is a lot to be learned at certain stages if only to get the students to sit back and contemplate what they have just been told. This would be done in groups or pairs again.
Classroom Management
The topic I have chosen for this essay is ‘the teacher’s presence/manner’. The reason I have chosen this topic is that during the SIT course I have noticed a few inconsistencies in my manner/presence. These issues have been picked up by my peers, the instructors, and me. I am pleased to say the issues that made me choose this topic are not problems. They are just points that need refining for me as an English teacher and I hope by explaining them will bring a better understanding of my classroom management. I have also embedded in the essay, the topic of challenging the students for the purpose of education. I also would also like to explain that I have been teaching an upper intermediate group of students ranging from level 9 to level 15. I would like to talk about my presence and manner in relation to dealing with certain levels of English. Basically, the teacher’s manner and presence should be natural and the voice natural but befitting the level that the students are, thus challenging them.
The main issue that I have come to find out in this course is my voice that seems a bit unnatural and modified for ESOL students with broken-up sentences and not complete sentences. I realize that as a teacher your voice is not only to transmit information, but also mood atmosphere, and emotion for the students. This is why I have come to recognize this subject through the impact of others, which has made it a learning experience. I think that my peers and instructors have dealt with the issue very encouragingly. I had one lesson where I had to give a warmer. I was observed and given feedback. During the feedback, I was asked about my voice and why I spoke slower. I had to admit that I really did not know. It was also commented during feedback that I spoke like this outside the classroom. In the feedback session, I was also told by my instructors that I needed to lift my voice up although it could be fine for instruction there were still not complete sentences, which lost intonation. I must have never really thought about that much because I had another lesson this time a bit longer and once again I repeated myself with the slower talking as if the slower I talk the easy it is to understand. I think as a quick observation that I may speak slower to make sure I am understood although I have no proof that there are problems speaking faster. I think with clear instruction at a smooth pace, I can, once finished talking, step aside to allow the students to construct their own knowledge and understanding without slowly rabbitting on. Also with this understanding, I can be a skillful teacher who uses his voice and knowledge to enhance students’ participation and understanding.
Anyway back to my second lesson this time fifty minutes long. Again it was noticed my language become a little unnatural. I wasn’t using contractions or connected speech. It was commented that I speak normally to my peers so why don’t I speak to my students the same. This was good feedback for me. It was at this stage of the course that my voice and instruction in class became a focus of mine to understand why I did speak slower without complete sentences. I was asked if I had only done lower-level learners. This is true and I have been teaching kids of twelve and thirteen recently. So I think maybe this point was true. Maybe, I had got into a rhythm of using basic language that I never knew was fixed. So, I am glad this was pointed out to me. I guess you could also say that I may think that the students are unaccustomed to thinking critically and unable to learn difficult material. I think you must learn that the students know a lot more than they are given credit for.
Now I have recognized I have an issue to tackle I have dealt with it by becoming more aware of the situation. I haven’t shouted across the room but I have quietly mentioned it to a few people and during feedback, I have listened to my peers discuss it. The first thing I think of is the keyword ‘variety’. Variety for my voice because, If I can use my voice along with a number of parameters like volume, pace, pitch, and modulation, this will hopefully with practice make my voice more interesting. I think becoming more conscious of the issue of voice sound and facing up to it instead of denying it will make for a more relaxed classroom with good performances from the students and me because the language and instructions are clear. Moreover even simple exercises like stretching the muscles controlling the aperture in the back of my throat I think will work.
Also, I think now and in further lessons, I will limit my language to what is needed and be sensitive to what I am saying. I think that language can play a big part in how you are perceived by people and I would not like the upper intermediate group to think that I am not devaluing their level of English. I think that a teacher can dominate quite unintentionally. I would like to think that I respect the students’ level of English and I am appropriate to it. One of the steps I can take in the pursuit of getting the more natural verbal sound is to recognize students’ knowledge and experience. I should realize my talking and likewise, the students talking helps their understanding and knowledge. I should also like to point out that their knowledge is not so much given and received as constructed by themselves individually and collectively which is more of a reason to make my instruction clear and limit teacher talk time.
A few final points with regards to feedback I think my instructors have responded well and given me clear examples of the issues that need dealing with. I think they noticed that you could become a bit disoriented with the language, which is not natural. If the language doesn’t flow I think the lesson will become a bit stilted.
To conclude I think that some of the points raised in my essay not only have a bearing on me but also on the students who see and hear when my voice/manner/presence is employed constructively to inspire to help them find their own voices, to model a commitment to eloquent speech, and to honor the individual and collective knowledge that students invariably hold.
SIT TESOL – What I should teach, and how should I frame my objectives?
Reflection on the Article
(365 words)
I would just like to reflect on an article with some of the sentences I picked out that I thought summed up the attitude to have in a teaching experience.
1. ‘The quality of that thinking (about objectives) is what makes the difference’.
Again, as I have said in my other reflections these sentences are great facts that if remembered would always pay dividends. I think that the amount of time you put in the amount of satisfaction you will get out of the class. There are many points to think about and you would only be letting yourself down. However, not only by thinking but also it is the degree of excellence, you can achieve from the quality.
2. ‘If I am thinking in terms of activities I am concerned with management. My focus is on giving directions and having everyone engaged’.
100 percent concentration in a class is hard but to have everyone engaged with clear objectives is able to be achieved. I mean that if the students have that focus and know what is to be done objectives can be reached. This also leads to management where the activity is set up properly and modeled and the students know what to achieve. That little bit of planning and giving direction can help so much.
3 ‘Fun doesn’t mean necessarily equal learning’.
This goes with number two that even though you have set the activity up correctly and it is fun, your clear objectives that the ‘students will be able to …..’. may have not been met. This of course can be checked to see if you have reached your objectives. Just because they are laughing is their English any better than when they came in the door?
4. “Time tables are flexible and what’s important is that the students learn well, even if less is covered’.
This relates to a lesson plan that will have time on it. You think the lesson will take this long. However, again you don’t know how the students will act. You could find yourself teaching them and not achieving your goal of finishing your lesson plan. The important fact is: did they learn all the way through?
SIT TESOL – Reading On Language Acquisition
(573 words)
Reflection on an Article
To begin with, I thought this article was a fascinating read and made me want to know more. I say this because an ESL instructor can be a fantastic teacher but how does he/she know if the students are ‘acquiring the language’ how they should which is natural and not forced? I think this article alludes to the point of ‘acquiring language’. I use the word ‘acquiring’ because the article refers to this entirely through the text. One of the salient points from the article I remembered was about children’s acquisition of a language. The article says ‘children, in natural settings, learn language rapidly and without formal instruction’. It makes me think that children are not given formal education when they are very young yet they acquire their language. It makes me think of some Thai schools where they barrage the students with grammar that is in such a formal setting that doesn’t leave any room for talking. The students are very good at grammar but cannot speak. Furthermore, if the students are not relaxed in the classroom (the setting) the teacher cannot expect them to learn. You would hope they learned their second language the same as their first language in a natural way that children never felt the language was hard or pressured.
The classroom as a setting I think should not be a place that is far from reality such that students can only speak in the classroom not outside where it is most important. I think that as a teacher the authenticity of the teacher’s teaching and the classroom has to be right so as to enlighten the learning experience. I allude to an issue from the article which states ‘ people often learned second languages through grammar study so the similarity between natural, childhood, first language acquisition and later second language acquisition were not apparent. I think this makes me aware that creating a real classroom experience is a must for the students. The use of real objects, pictures, situations, etc to get the feeling that the students will use this language outside the classroom is a must.
One of the authors quoted in this article, Stephen Krashen whose ‘acquisition theory’ is used in teaching, states that ‘language learners need language ‘input’ which consists of new language along with clues as to what the language means’. I guess as a teacher you should follow this path that allows the students to speak in class while giving them that little bit more to expand their language. The teacher should build on what the students already know.
I think this normal delivery of speech and with ‘hands on’ language acquisition experience facilitates the natural learning process. If you remember when you were a child and your parents never really gave you formal education in language acquisition, this article refers to this point as ‘comprehensible input that naturally supplies their children: it is slower and simpler, it focuses on the here and now, it focuses on meaning over form, and it extends and elaborates on the child’s language’. I think the students should not be treated like kids but from the views of this article, you should allow the students to speak and acquire more language as they use their already known language such that the process will follow that the students will acquire more.
I think this was an interesting article and very thought provoking.
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