students

Extended Reflection on a TEFL Classroom Experience

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Lesson #4

I would like to say this lesson was my favorite because I feel as though I got the students to speak more English and be more relaxed doing that. I was very content to say that I gave the students the best opportunity to expand and use their English language. I also feel that the lesson was quite trouble-free. This made me feel pleased 

I think right from the start I had the students focused as I got them into groups and had them up off their chairs to the whiteboard. This exercise had them thinking of things that happen in the morning before they go to an appointment. I felt as though this was a good learning experience because they contributed in their two groups, and I noticed that were all laughing at some of the mistakes they were making. I think this was great that they were happy to get it wrong and not worry. I was happy just to hear them trying. I must say though they were on the right track and mistakes were few and far between. I would say I just tweaked their words a bit to make them right. This, I did by using CCQ’s (concept checking questions). I also did some pronunciation, so I feel we all understood even the quiet students who I tried to involve. I am glad I was aware of these students and did something because there were some problems there. The words the students put on the whiteboard were also a great way to add emphasis because I challenged a few of their results by adding further questions like ‘where is the verb?’, ‘Do you really do this in the morning?’ but I did not overplay it which I liked. I think this was a good idea because they were at a lower level. I think now I have been doing this course I have become more student-focused, and I am realizing these problems the students have. I think for a teacher if they can help the class to work as one and help the weaker ones it will be great. I am glad during the lesson I established who the students were who had some little problems.

The only slip-up I noticed, and this was an action point of mine was ‘the challenging of students’. I think there was one point in the lesson that I should have expanded on. This was the ‘during stage’. I had the students watch a video and put their sentence strips of what happened in the order of the video. Even before the video they had to put the sentence strips in an order they thought. This time spent doing this, I think, would have made them accustomed to the words. Thus, if I had taken them away when they watched the video I think they could have retold the story by remembering the strips they had and having also watched the video. I realize that they were a level that was capable of retelling the story. Moreover, it would have given the students more chances to speak. It would have also made the ‘during stage’ longer.  I must remember that I was doing a PDP lesson. This is where I must say time hindered me. I know that I should have cut stages down so I could fit in certain aspects, but today they were happy doing the exercise, and I thought that they were showing me that they were learning and using English. They certainly were not just talking Thai which I am aware some do. At that time I thought it would be rude to stop them from using this language. But, now I realize that there could have been other ways to make them talk, namely retelling the story. Even so, I felt they were learning so am I really wrong?

After all that has been said I am not sure my SWBAT (students will be able to..) was fully clear. I did say in my lesson plan the ‘students will be able to talk about plans to go to an appointment’ but that was in the post-stage. So, I think for a well-achieved SWBAT this might have been the wrong choice for this PDP lesson. This doesn’t mean to say I didn’t get the students to achieve anything. I did have them talking about things you do in the morning and being late for appointments.  I think with the retelling of the story in the ‘during stage’ there would have been a SWBAT. I think a bit more preparation with the lesson plan will alleviate mistakes like this. I think a bit of foresight into the lesson can help.

I think for my next lesson I will still plan on challenging the students. Also, I would like to think that I will follow the PDP more closely. I am still doing good lessons but I think I still fall short, a little, on achieving the main SWBAT. I see this point because then I can actually gauge how much the students have learned because they should be using the new grammar/sentences.  

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SIT TESOL – What I should teach, and how should I frame my objectives?

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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? 

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