Our third and fourth class

Class number 3 was given by Micaela. So, I will talk of class 4 since that was given by me.

Ok! I felt much more confident than in my first class. Not so nervous!

The first thing I did was ordering sts according to their birth date and from that, 2 groups were formed following the order achieved. It was a new way of getting sts out of their chairs and moving them to new places. That meant breaking with the canons (as regards the way the commonly sit) and creating a more-active atmosphere.

Then, sts played a game "guess the adjective" from definitions and examples I gave. I found out that it would be better to make this in the written form next time and to contextualize examples. Sts would be more likely remember the adjectives if they read the options instead of just hearing at them and if examples were closer to their every day lives. That is, if they could find a relation between the meaning of the adjectives and their own lives.

I also thought that next time I decide to give any kind of gift to the winner team (I gave candies to the winner team) , it would be much better if the looser team also got somethig. Or I could choose to give candies to all sts as a reward for their enthusiasm and participation. Otherwise, the other team doesn't feel motivated to go on working the rest of the class.

I realized that answer keys in teacher's books are not always correct. So, I should not trust on them. Rather I should carefully check the answers before giving the class. At the same time, new ways of handling a given exercise (text book exercises) can be found. And I will look for them and think about them so that I take more advantage of the material at my disposal.

Ok! I only know I'll never finish learning. But as Professor J.R. Tolkien says "It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish", I prefer to start learning from others now and, in doing so, be open to critics and comments from my teachers and colleagues. That openness will surely give me unending benefits in my teaching carreer.

Our second class..

I think I couldn't have felt more nervous this morning! And you will probably want to know why. Well, there are some reasons I was reflecting upon: It was my first class in that group, I was being observed and, as the headmistress of the English department at the school said to Micaela and me once, "they are certainly an apathic group"
Though my performance was not as good as I expected, I do not feel dissapointed about it.
I'm convinced that with the help and guide of my Proffesors I can improve my teaching task.

It's a big challenge taking into account that students as, I said before, do not appear to feel enthusiastic about the subject. I hope we can encounter with better prospects as time passes by and that we get to know the students a bit more. It's quite a different thing to be as passive observers and to be standing in the front having to deal with the whole class.

I will try to feel more relaxed next time and I believe that in that way students will answer in a more satisfactory way!

Our First Class...

Though I call this post "our" first class, it was Micaela who gave it and I was in the role of an observer. So, I will comment on what I could perceive.
The focus of today's class was mainly grammar and it is not necessary to enlarge about how much students get bored with it. We had thought about this beforehand and now we realize that it would be much better for students to learn grammar playing. A game would definitely change the climate of the class and the mere desire to win would make learners have a more positive attitude towards the subject in question.
The class started with an activity to move students from their places and sit with new classmates. At first students didn't like the idea much, but the final results were amazing! This meant not only a redistribution of the students but also a possibility for them to interact with new partners.
Another point that we talked about with Micaela was the importance of checking students understanding by asking them to produce something from what they commonly and quickly say: "Yes, we understood!"
As students are learning polite requests and formal ways of communication, we notice that they are mainly aqcuainted with an informal register of the English language. In that sense, we will try to make learners appreciate the importance of polite and formal language in varied ways of interaction.

Ok!...Tomorrow is my turn. I'll see how I do!

Observing Classes with Micaela.

The group we happen to be observing during these last two weeks is a very special one. In fact, all groups can be said to be specially characterized by unique traits. However, from my experience in the teaching field, this 13 students' English course is particularly interesting.
The kind of English students are required to learn in this course is Business English. The reason for this is the school's business orientation. Unfortunately, these learners are evidently not in the least interested in the subject. They can't find any significant point in increasing their knowledge in terms of Customer Service, Customer support, Call Centres. And this is due to one obvious fact: "they are teenagers". Adolescents are constantly longing for effective ways of solving their imminent psyco-physical conflicts. They couldn't care less about business. Their thirst for feeling part of a widely accepted and acknowledged group and their not-always-evident need of a clear guide tend to deviate them from other matters. Therefore, it's a complete challenge for the teacher to give a class. It's not unusual to listen her complain for the lack of active participation or awakened interest in the tasks she sets to fulfill. Classes can be really tedious.

Though it will certainly be a challenge for Micaela and for me, we expect to find some business aspects that learners will feel closer to. Working with companies they feel at home with: Fast foods, clothes shops may be one alternative.

We'll see how we deal with this and will be commenting on the experience!