I am a primary teacher . I have taught English seven years . I love my job and I think my teaching method is effective. But at MXEC, I learned many teaching methods . For example, how to reduce TTT, what is “monitor”?
Before in my English class, I often gave students a question about topic, when my students din’t know how to answer, I will told them. My students just followed me to read and remember. But at MXEC, my trainer often tell me “no thinking, no learning”. We should give students enough time to think . My first teaching practice at MXEC on March. I designed this lesson focus on writing and grammar . I thought I faced trainees to teach. So I designed four writing activities. Whole class , I just gave instructions , then my trainees always wrote . My class was bored and the pace of lesson quickly . My students were busy finishing my task . They had no time to think . Maybe I reduced TTT, but students learned nothing .
Over the past seven weeks , let me gain a lot . Last Thursday , we went to NO.75 Primary School.Teacher presence and good rapport with students. First, Rachel asked students to follow her to do some gestures, then encouraged the other students did actions, students smiled and participated actively in the teaching in the classroom. When teacher reviewed learned words , she designed a game “what’s missing”.This activity not only reviewed learned words ,but also student involved in the classroom. Then teacher gave a picture about China,elicited students to say new target structures : I come from China . I live in Urumqi. I remembered I taught this lesson last time. I asked students directly : where do you come from? Students didn’t give me answer, I answered this question by myself. Then I asked students to follow me read it. I always talked, I wasted time , but my students just followed me, they didn’t think .
Before in my class, I gave students an instruction, but my students didn’t get my idea, I will use Chinese to explain or ignore. But last week I listened Kelly‘s lesson, I found instruction is very important parts of whole class. Kelly wanted students to listen and circle the words . Kelly said : listen to the tape , then circle the words. You should circle or underline?”she waited three seconds, but students didn’t understand , then she said again : circle or underline? Circle . Right ? Listen or speak ? Listen . Right? Teacher looked very anxious. Students looked confused. They didn’t know how to finish this task. But in Connie’s lesson, she gave students an instruction: read and circle. Then teacher used CCQs: read or listen? when teacher said CCQs , she used body language to help students understand this instruction. Although these students are new, but they answered quickly : read. "I think CCQs not only used check instruction , but also check the meaning of new words. When Connie "taught new word: UK , in order to help students to distinguish between the flag of UK and the flag of Australia , first teacher showed a picture of the UK, then asked student: is it Australia or the UK? Students answered : the UK. Then she showed a picture of Australia.
At the same time , I think monitoring is the important parts of one lesson. Most of the time,during the class, we often ignore those we call the poor children. We always think they are poor ,because the don’t like studying English . but I found that is teacher’s 1. As a teacher , we don’t monitor in the class at beginning. We give up them. Last week ,on Nancy’s lesson , she gave students three minutes to talk about his favorite food. "Then she just stood in front of the class . She didn’t look and help students to finish the task . When Nancy asked a shy boy to do report about his favorite food. This boy just stood there, he couldn’t say nothing . Teacher waited five seconds and said: sit down . In the whole class , that boy just sat and looked the other students. He almost said nothing in the whole class. If teacher go into the students , she will find and help student . If students can answer the question , they will have confident to learn English. Teacher lost opportunity to help students . Opposite in Rachel‘lesson , she found a naughty boy, he always couldn’t control hisself. He always moved and looked around the other students. But teacher gave his gesture ,then gave this boy a chance to answer the question . When pair work time , teacher walked to the boy and touched the boy’s head , helped his to finish this dialogue. Then teacher asked the boy to answer the question and encouraged the boy : you did good job. The boy was very happily and listened carefully.
Then, I think motivation is a very important ingredient . No matter how old our students are, they need motivation. Sometimes, our words can motivate them. In Rachel’s lesson, she said: “wow , you are a good teacher ”Some other trainees said “Good, You did a good job.”Students like hearing these. Rachel’s sweet smile is still in my mind, and the students also remembered her .So smiling is welcome and necessary for encouraging kids. Activities and games which are related to the target language are also helpful a lot. I remembered in my TP2, My main aim was vocabulary, I planned 3 different games to practice their vocabulary, at first I was afraid of the instructions and whether they can understand my instruction, Students were very active and couldn’t help waiting to hands up. So motivation plays a very important role in a lesson.
We often ignore time management. When we make our plan, the last column in stage plan is “time”. But we just fill in without thinking. We should think carefully about what we will say and the students will do, How long does it spend? Because we just have 40 minutes in a lesson. In TP 2 , I had to teach 14 new vocabularies and four structures . And I wanted students to make a production about topic . I made many materials and designed many activities. I forgot time .when I wanted students to make a survey and do report . Time was up. If there were enough time, Students would have more time using the target language and sentences that would be a strong ending.
No pains, no gains! I have learned a lot from three trainers and the other trainees.I love my job . So I will try my best to plan every "lesson .