viernes, 20 de abril de 2012

My last class with Intermediate:


This group was a really challenge because their English accuracy is quite good. It has been necessary to scaffold and pick some knowledge that was already passive in me.
My last class was amazing because it was the first time I didn’t teach grammar. I really wanted to have them develop free activities in order to experiment the behavior they would present when production from what they have learned. They had been studying the modal verbs, and they knew the most common uses of them; the accompanying topic was jobs advertisements and as we had got into the topic of jobs, chiefs, employees and costumers, I had them persuade a classmate to buy a product as warm up activity.

I really liked that activity though my tutor suggested me a better application of such warm up; he told me I should have given them certain time to think of the reasons why the product must have been bought; my conclusion is that as it was a warm up activity, it was not that necessary to do; I would have applied it in that way if it had been a FREE PRACTICE ACTIVITY.

There was an example of Job advertisement in the book. I thought I was enough for them to create a new one, but the tutor told me that I must provide more examples for them to prepare a great advertisement. What I did is that I gave the students oral directions in addition to the example they had. I said how I wanted the advertisement and after that I had them come to the front and present their advertisement as if they were in television. Some of them were brief and shy but some others did it well. I learned a lot through this experience and I am now thinking about my next challenge, Advanced English.

viernes, 13 de abril de 2012

Third class with Intermediate


My third class
I had an extraordinary experience today. Students were late and I had to develop the warm up activity only with three students. I was assigned to teach all the modal verbs as an overview. The wonderful part is that the students had already read about them.


 It was a challenge but it was satisfactory to accomplish my class normally. Being honest, I learned new things when I was preparing my class and later I had the chance of shearing it with the students. In previous feedback, my tutor made me some suggestions that I have to implement when teaching grammar points. For example, he told me that when teaching grammar, I don’t necessary have to make sure if the students understood the explanation properly because we have them solve doubts during the practice.


 We all know that teaching grammar can be monotonous and students can get bored, so by knowing this, I tried to include some funny examples as I was explaining the use of the modals.
I sometimes laugh because my tutor points mistakes I make which I don’t remember to have committed. However, I appreciate what he suggests me every time. 
My grade also improved and it makes me feel confident to go on.