Rationale
This is inspired by Alex’s opening presentation in LALP, which I loved; it was funny and engaging, and succeeded in more than just introducing himself to students. It also communicated that he has foibles, and is a member of the class rather than solely its leader.
Genevieve also told me about her introductory exercise in which she and students bring in and describe personal objects. That, too, is a powerful concept. Not wanting to steal directly, I’ve developed the following.
I really want to explore during my remaining days in this program how my experience in journalism, radio documentary and oral history storytelling might intersect with ESL. I see the overlap as potentially powerful in the classroom.
So that’s why I’m doing this lesson plan. I still don’t know how many students, what levels or what ages, or how many (but I’m expecting small groups). But would like to do this exercise (modified with expert feedback) on the first day, so I’m proceeding with doing the lesson plan now, even though I said I wouldn’t. I believe that this plan is down- or upscalable, once I learn more about my students.
Context: This lesson plan is for the first day of class. It is designed to be adjusted to a variety of situations depending on who the students are, what level, how many, etc.
Goals: Introduce myself to the students; get to know the students; begin to evaluate their productive and receptive competencies; begin to build community in the classroom.
Materials: Computer and PowerPoint slides. Index cards and pens. Blackboard and chalk. Paper and pencils. Handout of interview questions and writing prompts.
Students Will Be Able To: This depends on the lesson, but on the surface level each student will be able to tell a story about an aspect of his/her life that interests him.
Language: minimally (unless I have complete beginners, in which case this goes out the window) students will use simple present tense, basic subject, verb, object syntax, and high-frequency vocabulary. For low- to high-intermediate students, structures will include past and future tenses, relative clauses, and more descriptive vocabulary. Advanced: examining story structure, perhaps. I will have at least a few days to ascertain the language-learning level of my students before I walk into the lion’s den. I hope.
Assessment:
- Verbal and aural competency: observation and listening during pair work
- Reading competency: understanding assignment instructions
- Written competency: homework assignment
Activities & Procedures:
[Note: times are so approximate as to be irrelevant, since I don’t know how many students I’ll have and want to make sure each has a chance to talk. I may have to scale this way down. But I’ve been told by one person that my classes are long.]
| Time | Teacher | Students | Notes |
| 5:00 | Write day’s agenda on blackboard: introductions, class overview, slide show, tell your story, homework | They’re not here yet. | Tra la la. |
| 5:00 | Introduce self | Introduction selves. | |
| 5:00 | Hand out index cards to Ss. | Write their names one side of index card and on the other, one thing they enjoy doing. Put card with name facing up. | Try to memorize names! |
| 10:00 | General things to expect:Language work: Conversation and listening, as well as some reading and writing. Tailored to your level as much as possible.
Projects: Some in groups, some alone. You’ll help each other. Teaching styles: varied and fun. My interest/experience in media: part of curriculum will involve audio, writing, photos and videos. Interested? Will set up blog for your writing, etc. Okay to take photos/videos? Who has computers or internet access or cameras? |
Listen & answer. Questions? Interesting in technology/media? | Be aware that my accent is new to them; speak more slowly than I might otherwise. |
| 10:00 | Class expectations. | Ideas for group norms. | |
| 15:00 | Tell them I’m going to introduce myself with a slideshow. (There is probably no projector so we’ll gather around my computer to watch my slideshow). Here’s a mini version of it. | Describe what they see in each picture and ask for clarification when they don’t understand or are curious. | Show each picture first without the caption. Ask framing questions as necessary. |
| 5:00 | At end of slideshow: What kinds of things did I tell you? Does anything surprise you? | Reply. | We can skip this step. |
| 5:00 | Introduce the exercise: To write a little bit about themselves based on model questions from slideshow. Encourage them just to write freely, telling the story. If they forget a word, leave a space. | Students pass around the list of story prompts. They pick just one. These will include topics in my slideshow: a trait, a family member, a happy memory, a sad memory, a belief, a challenge. | 1. These prompts will need to be adjusted based on class level and comprehension.
2. Let them know they’ll be sharing their story and I will be collecting them afterward and saving them for later. |
| 15:00 | Circulate, monitor time. Take some snapshots | Write one paragraph. | If anyone asks for vocab/grammar help, tell them not to worry about that yet. |
| 5:00 | Explain the one step they’ll do of process writing. They can help each other with missing words, but don’t fix the rest. | ||
| 10:00 | Circulate and listen but don’t speak. | Find partner. One person read, other listens. Listener names one thing s/he finds memorable about the story: something surprising, interesting, touching… Take turns. | |
| 15:00 | Ask Ss to tell their story. Ask if I can tape this very first assignment so we can look at it later. Ask them to try it from memory if they can. | For the whole class, tell about what they’ve written. If they’re hesitant, they can read. | Allow time between stories for some kind of group response: applause, etc. |
| 10:00 | Gather all name cards. | Hand in name cards | Next class we’ll play a guessing game: with name side down, we’ll guess who the fact describes, based on what we’ve learned about that person. And we’ll ask one follow-up question of that person. |
| 5:00 | Present homework: Write about a different first-person story according to prompts on handout. OK to use dictionary to look up words, but don’t worry yet about perfect style. AND bring in one object from home that symbolizes the story you write about: a photo, a rock, an award, a piece of clothing… | Questions? |
Added 12/11/09
Directions for the “Get To Know Each Other” Exercise
In Class
First, choose an important person in your life.
Then write about him or her:
- Who is it?
- Why is he or she important and interesting to you?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Homework
First, pick one of these topics described in my slideshow:
- A family member
- A place
- A happy or sad memory
- A challenging experience
- A hobby or something else you enjoy doing
- A favorite place
- A belief about people
Second, in two paragraphs include the answers to these questions:
- If it’s a person, who is it and what does he or she look like?
- If it’s a memory, place or activity, please describe it, and what happened.
- Why is this person, memory, place or activity important? What does it mean to you?
Finally, bring from home an item that somehow represents your topic. It can be a photo, a rock, a piece of clothing, a medal, or anything.
Alex’s Feedback, 12/11/09
Dear Ginna,
Thank you for this lesson plan I am so glad you did it now because I think it will make your imaginings about Mexico more positive and exciting for you, knowing you have this irresistible plan to look forward to (even if it has to be modified) and because it is the perfect opener. The perfect opener not only opens the course, it opens up possibilities for where to go next (here, it is exploring what students themselves will come up with, offering lots of opportunities to go deeper, build the information bank of knowledge about each person)
The reason I think the plan is compelling is that it sets a tone of family and sharing and community that I think Mexicans will be extremely comfortable with and excited about. (I could be wrong) It will help to overcome the natural holding back and wait-and-see that is normal in every opening day. It includes a key aspect for community building which is you putting forward who you are, not just in general terms but about your family (with great photos) and the whole generational aspect, which is central in Mexican life.
Also, the individualization questions, about likes for example allow each person to emerge from the very start of the class, to be an individual, without having to assert himself or herself through competitive hand-raising or shouting out as is the case in so many classes. In addition, having a technologically-oriented (in part) lesson will be exciting to ss and may well inspire them to do such presentations on themselves (if you assign these) Your lesson also builds in certain student behaviors that you want ss to use. These include active listening, accountability in pair and group work, entering into creativity (which involves risk), accepting and thriving on skill integration.
Even if the students are near beginners, you can adapt the plan to their level. Words and pictures relating to self, mother, father, daughters, home, sports, etc can be introduced to and understood by low level students. The lesson is also very useful in providing you with detailed information on levels of English, but also about how these students respond to you, how they work in groups, what their level of energy and interest is, etc. It is a needs assessment tool.
I would add more detail or thought to greetings and introductions even though it is not part of the plan per se. But it is the first thing you do so it will set the tone. Are you going to model it first? If so what information are you going to give? Do you want to have maps of the US and Mexico present so you and they can refer to these during the intros? You may wish to be more explicit around “give some of my class approach” since though it may seem necessary for ss to be able to see why you are doing what you are doing, it may go right by them. They will be nervous and may not be attuned to your accent (any US accent) yet and you don’t want to start with something that may go by them.
You ask about when to do the key index card activity You are concerned that the initial procedures as planned have too heavy a focus on you. But the other side of the issue is that it could be reassuring to them to see you sharing, it also allows them to start to get used to your personality and accent, it is a safe moment, also it models what they will be doing. You are right, I think, to limit their prompts at first to just one, and to give them a choice. The diversity of prompts allow ss at different levels to follow their sense of what they are able to talk about.
OK about the prompts themselves and the writing ss do. The way I understand it, each student selects a prompt, say family member and writes about it. How much do they write? I’d be really careful about specificity here and you can only decide this on the spot when you see their levels. But since there is a follow up with partners, they need to have written approximately the same amount. Do you need additional guiding questions for each prompt? Also, “the listener names one thing s/he finds interesting about the story” so there needs to be something interesting! (Not just: my mother is Isabela; she works at home) That’s why you may need guiding q’s
You have “ask ss to tell their story” but is this now in the whole group? And haven’t they just picked one prompt? So is there really a “story”? (This is the part that confused me)
I did love the part where ss shuffle cards, look at facts and guess who wrote it. A follow-up could be (the next class) Who is it? Where you cite a detail from each person’s story and they need to a) state who it is b) ask a follow-up question about this item.
The item from home homework is also a great way to transition to the next class and build on the first one.
Anyway, those are some thoughts about your exciting lesson.
Alex
Addendum from Alex in reply to my questions:
Ginna YOu wrote that you’d “give some of my class approach” I think that’s very important as it says: We are working together. I have some things I really believe in and I think they will help your learning a lot. It makes the ss feel you’ve thought a lot about teaching and have their interests foremost in your mind. I was just saying that I don’t think it’s a good idea to do this first off in the initial contact you have with them You want to create some magic then, and your plan does this
By “are you going to model this” I was thinking about the intros that start the lesson. For example, My name is Ginna (thus creating the expectation of first naming, if, of course, that’s your wish) I come from X in the United States, I have two daughters, and I am an English teacher” Then, the ss would be expected to include those elements as well.
You mention too about taking photos. You can take everyone’s photo the first day and then give them each their photo the second day. They can affix the photo to an “Identity sheet” where they gradually add interesting facts about themselves. Then you can come up with ideas about how to use these identity sheets (some teachers call these “passports” ) a