I’ve just finished another semester at Ohlone, and my first of being half-time teaching and half-time administration. (I taught Level 4 Grammar this past summer.) Here are some things I’d like to consider before I begin another semester. Some come from what I’ve learned the past few months, and some from what I’ve read.
- This past semester when I gave out the syllabus, I gave out a related questionnaire. It turned out to be a good way to test the students’ comprehension of the policies and other criteria that I’d outlined: no late homework, no re-take opportunities for missed tests, etc. However, when one of these situations actually arose, they magically forgot what they’d written.Next semester: each day for a week, review only one rule at a time, and hang it on the wall on newsprint. Maybe: test policy, tardies, no late HW, absences, no native language, cell phones…
- Yesterday, the day after the end of classes, I offered the opportunity for Ss to come talk to me in pairs with any final questions they might have. 9 of 15 showed up, surprisingly. Some seemed to appreciate the one-on-one time, without having any pressing questions. They liked advice about what to do with their future, what I thought of their abilities, and stuff like that. Most questions were counselor-questions, I told them. But I did identify what I thought were their strengths as they moved forward in their education, and reinforced my belief in their abilities–but pointed out they hadn’t worked hard enough.Next semester: after two to four weeks of class, have pair meetings to identify students’ areas for strengthening, and give them a chance to ask educational questions. They also seemed to like finding a mutual interest with me or other connection, and hearing some of my educational stories when relevant.
- Several people complained that the class wasn’t fun enough. They can rotate, but what I can usefully take away from that is that…Next semester: They need more opportunities for engagement and production. This was grammar and I did have a ton of activities for them, but maybe they needed even more.
- Here are some comments related to my mode of instruction, in response to a question about what they didn’t like or would want to change:
- More clear instruction.
- Explaine grammar is so complicated. I just want to learn simple and clear. I want to know Yes or No sometimes.
- too focus in some spcial sentences
- Sometimes,I confused about the teacher told.I hope the teacher use easy menths to teach.While I can’t say that I understand all of that, here’s my takeaway for…Next semester: Pre-read and truly understand each chapter before I begin. Get a better sense of just what they need to know at that level, and stay away from the rest… and figure out how to do that. Speak more slowly and clearly. Do more comprehension checks. If I “focus on special sentences,” explain why they’re not special sentences but broadly important ones, and how.
- While I did a little bit with getting to know the students at the start of the semester, it wasn’t enough. Specifically, I didn’t have a strong sense of who they were: their accomplishments in life, their family situations, and other factors that would be useful in teaching them with relevant materials.Next semester: Maybe have them write, during the first week, comprehensive answers to some important questions, giving them the opportunity not to answer if they don’t want to talk about it. Bring in some artifact or evidence of who they are, as I’ve done before… but this time not just something important but something that really captures their personality. And write about it. And talk in class about it more extensively in that first week.
- I think I did okay at using the textbook as a resource and finding other activities that had more meaning, but I think I still relied too much on rules.Next semester: Use more relevant materials/realia, and let them rather than (or in addition to) rules carry the message. Easier said than done.
- I really felt that, using this textbook, there was no driving, cohesive force throughout the class. There was no reason or motivation for them to charge through it. This is related to the point above, where there was no enough connection to real life.Next semester: Try to do more task- and project-based work that spans multiple weeks and that has clear goals and objectives that the students can recognize as they accomplish them. Again, way easier said than done. Most of the project work I did didn’t really have any deep reason for existing other than to drill. They need to have their brains engaged and be challenged cognitively and personally, learning the language in the process. I did that thing for Bill’s class about social entrepreneurship for Level 4. I like the idea of it (adapted from the NewsHour Web site), in that they had a challenge: to invent a company. I don’t think it was hugely successful, but I think it had great possibility. Possibly it was too broad and complicated for them. Definitely there wasn’t sufficient time for production and research since I was filling in for only two days. Anyhow, it’s something to strive for.
- I’d like to try to implement some of the stuff from the CALLA handbook that I printed. READ IT, Allison. It deals with this cognitive engagement too.
And here are some notes from various things I read at some point: general principles to attend to:
- Instead of “Go to page 80,” try “Has anyone ever been to Peru,” or other more engaging hook.
- Watch teacher-talk time!!
Task-based learning:
- Give students opportunity for information exchange.
- Give students time to plan their language.
- Make sure the task has a finite set of answers. [Hmmm, I’m not sure I always want to do this.]