Note: This is my first of 12 teaching reflections that I am adding to my TEFL Training Portfolio in order to qualify as a volunteer in November. I thought I'd share since they provide specific insight into a typical day of co-teaching!
September 1, 2014
I arrived a bit early, and the students crowded around me to learn my name and to ask if they could get a drink. I told them to wait for my co-teacher to get there to see. I remembered a few of their names from last week, and I’m still trying to keep learning their names. The start time for class was unclear-I knew it was time for me to ask the students to sit down once one of them asked me if they should sit down yet. I wrote down the date and the objectives for class, which were to review clothing items and colors. Oscar’s row sat down right away and I praised them for it. My goal for this lesson was to speak only in English, and I did so about 98% of the time. It’s getting easier and easier to speak in English. When the class started, I noticed three girls who were sitting in the far back, so I had them move up. The class felt more organized after the move. I want the girls to be able to participate more.
First, we played hangman to review colors and clothing items. My co-teacher and I modeled at first, starting with longer words and then ending with shorter, more difficult words like “tie”. The students loved it once they caught on. They were very excited, so I had to establish the expectation that they raise their hands first. Some of them kept yelling while raising their hands. My co-teacher and I were able to bounce off of each other and help each other out throughout the lesson. Initially, I was to lead the second half of class. Later we both ended up co-teaching at the same time. It was more natural to do it that way.
Last, we had students do a pair share by talking through a script of what they were wearing. Since all of them were wearing uniforms, we told them to invent colors. The word “invent” is a cognate so I think it helped them understand what to do. They caught on. “I invent!” they would say, after I jokingly accused them of not wearing blue shirts or pink pants. The class went by quickly. One thing I would have done differently would have been to write the script for the students to follow earlier. Luckily, my co-teacher noticed that the students were confused after we broke into pairs, and he wrote the script for them on the board eventually. I had a lot of fun today, and I'm excited to co-teach the lesson on Sports on Thursday.
September 1, 2014
I arrived a bit early, and the students crowded around me to learn my name and to ask if they could get a drink. I told them to wait for my co-teacher to get there to see. I remembered a few of their names from last week, and I’m still trying to keep learning their names. The start time for class was unclear-I knew it was time for me to ask the students to sit down once one of them asked me if they should sit down yet. I wrote down the date and the objectives for class, which were to review clothing items and colors. Oscar’s row sat down right away and I praised them for it. My goal for this lesson was to speak only in English, and I did so about 98% of the time. It’s getting easier and easier to speak in English. When the class started, I noticed three girls who were sitting in the far back, so I had them move up. The class felt more organized after the move. I want the girls to be able to participate more.
First, we played hangman to review colors and clothing items. My co-teacher and I modeled at first, starting with longer words and then ending with shorter, more difficult words like “tie”. The students loved it once they caught on. They were very excited, so I had to establish the expectation that they raise their hands first. Some of them kept yelling while raising their hands. My co-teacher and I were able to bounce off of each other and help each other out throughout the lesson. Initially, I was to lead the second half of class. Later we both ended up co-teaching at the same time. It was more natural to do it that way.
Last, we had students do a pair share by talking through a script of what they were wearing. Since all of them were wearing uniforms, we told them to invent colors. The word “invent” is a cognate so I think it helped them understand what to do. They caught on. “I invent!” they would say, after I jokingly accused them of not wearing blue shirts or pink pants. The class went by quickly. One thing I would have done differently would have been to write the script for the students to follow earlier. Luckily, my co-teacher noticed that the students were confused after we broke into pairs, and he wrote the script for them on the board eventually. I had a lot of fun today, and I'm excited to co-teach the lesson on Sports on Thursday.