viernes, 17 de junio de 2011

EXPECTING AND GETTING THE BEST FROM OUR STUDENTS

Why should we as effective ELT practitioners have high expectations for all our students?
An expectation is an assumption that a teacher or a parent may make about the academic achievement or future behavior of their students. It is very important for us English Language Training teachers that have high expectations for our students. In that way, we can encourage students to learn by showing them we believe they can succeed. On the contrary, if we tell a student that we expect very little for him or her and that he or she is bad at English, we would be doing the opposite. We would be discouraging them. Also, our objective to have high expectations is to help children reach their full potential. We must have realistic expectations for our students, if they are not realistic, we would also be discouraging them as they will feel that it is too difficult. 

How come we need to communicate them to our students?
Teaching is a process that requires interaction among people; this interaction makes of communication a key to success.  The teacher’s job requires clear articulation of expectation, encouragement, and caring, as well as content of knowledge. Besides communicating the subject matter, a teacher must create rapport. It was proven by researchers that the expectations of teachers are directly connected to the students’ progress.

How do we do that?
We demonstrate our expectations and how much we expect with our behavior and with what we say in the class. We have to set high standards and ensure challenging so that they learn. Our behavior out of the classroom environment can also show that we are interested in their learning. For example, if there is a student who, for some reason, hasn’t understood something important in the class, but he or she comes to us asking for an extra explanation, what should we do?  If you provide him or her with more feedback and more practice, they will see how much we care about them.

How do we support them to achieve their learning expectations?
Our job as teachers is to support students in order for them to meet their and our expectations. If we don’t guide our students in the right direction, how could we expect them to learn to achieve high levels of knowledge? The lessons we create should have as an objective to help students fulfill their expectations. Everything we teach needs to be oriented toward the student’s benefit.

How do we demonstrate that we are responsible for our students' learning?
We are their guide, and we need to show them what the right directions to improving their language. Usually, a student can see that a teacher cares for him and his classmates because the teacher is always well prepared to teach. A teacher shows he is responsible for their learning when the teacher takes into account students’ needs. 


DAPA
Describe
1:10 PM. All students were sitting, and I enthusiastically greeted them.
Several seconds later, I began my warm-up activity.
As a first step, I divided the class into two groups.
Then, she asked students if anybody has played a matching game. Some of them knew what we were going to do when they saw the chart I posted on the board.
At 1:12  I explained the process of the activity until the students understood. (Directions)
At 1:13, how did I know they understood? By CCQing them.
At 1:14, to begin with the students’ participation, group A gave me 2 numbers of the papers they wanted to find out what was behind them. Unfortunately they didn’t match and group B did found the two words in the chart.
At 1:16 students seemed to be on task enjoying the game.
At 1:17 I asked a student who did not wanted to participate
This process occurred until students found all the pair of words.
At 1:19 since each group won a point each time they guessed correctly, I announced the winner group to finish with the warm up.
Analyzing
When I started her warm up, I showed enthusiasm and I tried to keep it during the activity because according to what I know about (ATWIKA) classroom management, it is important to maintain the level of energy high so that students see you are enthusiastic about their learning and then they’ll be motivated.
I gave instruction in a very good way since it was an activity very easy to understand and because ATWIKA giving instructions, I have to give instructions when all students’ are paying attention and I have to KISS instructions.
Also, I CCQed students and they showed me they wanted to start the activity. ATWIKA CCQing, I should have CCQed the most important steps.
ATWIKA classroom management, I should have rearranged the desks differently for this activity.
Plan of Action
In the future if she uses this activity she should:
-         I have to be sure that if a student is not participating, he or she does not disturb either.
-         Kiss instructions.
-         Try to keep her enthusiasm though the activity.
-         I need to motivate students to participate.
Questions I am Still Thinking About
-         How can I help students who didn’t participate?
-         How could I lower their students’ enthusiasm when they are too anxious?
-         Is there something else I should do to better the activity?
Advices for Novice Teachers
-         Be careful when announcing the winner group.
-         Plan your activities appropriately to avoid improvisation.
-         Remember to time the activity.
-         Have clear purposes for an activity

How beneficial was this book to have a better idea on what teaching is all about?

When going through the chapters of this book QUALITIES OF Effective Teachers by James H. Stronge, I extended my knowledge about teaching and it helped me be prepared for becoming effective teacher. Teaching is not a simple action that only involves sharing knowledge with students. Teaching involves so much more. Each chapter of the seven chapters of the book taught me how to become better since each of them addresses major categories of teacher effectiveness. Chapter 1 is about the prerequisites of effective teaching and it explores the implications of verbal ability, content knowledge, educational course work and teaching certification. The teacher as a Person is the subject of the second chapter, and it focuses on the non-academic interaction with students and teachers and on aspects of effective teachers that makes them be loved, respected, and remembered by the students.  Chapter 3, moreover, considers the management and organizational skills an effective teacher shows in the classroom. It expresses the importance of establishing a good classroom environment, routines and discipline. Chapter 4 emphasizes the organization for instruction with a focus on maximizing the time for instruction. Chapter 5 focuses on implementation of instruction, the use of instructional strategies, communicating high expectation to students, understanding the complexities of teaching, using questioning techniques, and supporting student engagement in learning.  Furthermore, chapter 6 shows us the importance of monitoring student progress and potential. It states that homework is an important part of effective teaching when used as an extension of the classroom. It also says why we must give feedback to our students. Finally, chapter 7 provides us with excellent ideas of how teacher effectiveness can be improved. 

domingo, 12 de junio de 2011

MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS AND POTENTIAL


·        What's the relevance that feedback and homework have for effective teachers?
First, feedback is a form of input on someone’s work, and it may be given in different forms. So, feedback in a classroom occurs when a teacher or a classmate critiques or comments on someone’s written or oral performance so that that person learns from his or her own mistakes and therefore show a better linguistic competence next time. Feedback is indeed extremely important, without it, students just wouldn’t be able to correct the mistakes they commit. Usually students do not spot some of their mistakes, so they need someone to tell them how to correct mistakes in order to improve. Effective teachers provide feedback to all students, and they do it in a way that students understand it is for their benefit. Finding the way to give feedback is necessary; otherwise, if feedback is not given in an appropriate manner, students may get discouraged rather than encouraged. Furthermore, homework is relevant for effective teachers. Teachers need to assign homework because homework assignments five students further practice of the skills learned in class, homework gives students more time to develop a task since not all students work at the same pace. It is important that the homework is appropriate for the students. It shouldn’t be too easy or too hard. 
                                                                                       
·        Why does assessment play a central role in teaching?
All effective teachers need to have a well-established form of assessing students since it is a way of determining the effectiveness of a lesson in terms of student’s learning. When a teacher assesses students properly, he transmits to the students a message saying that the teacher has clear expectations for them. Assessment does play central role in teaching. It is important because the teachers can see how students are doing. It provides feedback to the teacher about which strategies are working. A teacher may find weaknesses and strengths in the students and do something about it, but how could the teacher know if the students have learned if the teacher doesn’t use different ways to assess students. Assessment may be formal or informal, and it may also be formative and summative. The suggestion to all teachers is to use all types of assessment.

·        What are some effective ways of monitoring student progress?
Traditional teachers only use the summative assessment. However, it is now important to use different and maybe even creative ways to measures students’ progress. Some effective teachers use pre-assessment techniques to support targeted teaching. Also, whenever students are on task, it is necessary that the teacher be monitoring, circling around the room. All effective teaches take notes of the difficulties they observe. Standardized tests, projects, assignments and even quizzes can also be a good way to monitor students. No matter how the teachers monitor students, if the teacher does not provide feedback or does not reteach parts of the lesson that students didn’t understand, the teacher simply won’t take advantage of his monitoring students.

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DAPA

Describe
At 7:00 a.m., Karla began his warm-up activity by joyfully greeting the students.
Right after, she divided the class into two groups, boys against girls.
Then, she asked if all students if anybody there knew how to play tennis and some rules to play it.
At 7:02 she explained the process of the activity until the students understood. (Directions)
To begin with the students’ participation, Karla gave each team some pieces of paper that contained words that students had to scramble and then show it to the other team.
After that, she asked group A to show the disordered word to group B who had to guess the word.
After they guessed, groups changed roles and now group B show the word to group B.
This process occurred until the groups had no more words.
At 7:08 students seemed to be on task enjoying the game.
Later, since each group won a point each time they guessed correctly, Karla announced the winner group to finish with the warm up.

Analyzing
When she started her warm up, she showed enthusiasm. However, it somehow went down during the activity. According to what I know about (ATWIKA) classroom management, it is important to maintain the level of energy high so that students see you are enthusiastic about their learning and then they’ll be motivated.
Karla gave instruction in a very good way. But there were a few students who still didn’t get it since they were talking. ATWIKA giving instructions, we have to give instructions when all students’ are paying attention and we have to KISS instructions.
Also, Karla CCQed students; however, it’s important to be creative when CCQing because ATWIKA CCQing, we have to CCQ students to see if they have understood directions and if it is not creative, students will begin losing the attention and the motivation.
Karla’s voice is not very strong. So, ATWIKA classroom management, she should be more mobile and should keep eye contact with students.

Plan of Action
In the future if she uses this activity she should:
  •          Be sure her students are paying attention when she gives instruction.
  •          Kiss instructions.
  •          Try to keep her enthusiasm though the activity.
  •          CCQ various students, especially those who are speaking since they are usually the ones who do not understand instructions.
  •          Be more mobile in the classroom since it will help her be heard by all her students.
  •          Use audio-visuals to help her explain the activity

Questions I am Still Thinking About
  •        How can she involve all students in the activity? 
  •      Howcould she keep her enthusiasm during the complete class or activity?
  •      Is there something else she should do to better the activity?

Advices for Novice Teachers
  •         Plan your activities appropriately to avoid improvisation. 
  •      Remember to time the activity. 
  •      Have clear purposes for an activity

lunes, 6 de junio de 2011

HOW WILL THIS MANAGEMENT EMPOWER MY OWN TEACHING PRACTICUM?




This time I had the opportunity to present a mind map about routines, which is a management parameter that must exist in all classrooms. Routines are important and essential in a classroom. And, they are even more important and essential in a language class. Routines may serve teachers for different purposes. I, as a teacher, need to use routines in my teaching practicum. Establishing routines in my classroom will empower my teaching because I will have appropriate techniques that will help me keep the momentum, techniques that will be used for academic purposes and techniques that work for personal and social learning. Definitely, after learning about this, not practicing routines in my classroom would mean that I don’t want to become an effective teacher. An effective teacher has clear and well established routines that students can learn and practice.