1. PRACTICE II, DIDACTICS OF ELT and Practicum Primary School
level. Adjunto Regular a/c Prof. Estela N. Braun (2017).
Teacher Assistants: Prof. Vanesa Cabral and Prof. Maria Lis Luján
Ramos. ETA MA John Brakke.
REGISTRO:
ALUMNA RESIDENTE: Agustina Sarmiento
COLEGIO: Escuela 6. 6th Year.
DOCENTE CO-FORMADORA: Prof. Ana Gómez Garcia.
Fecha: 28/08/2017
There are 18 students.
They students sing a rhyme to greet the teacher. Very nice! Appealing!
The teacher tells them that next class they are going to have a test.
Everything in Spanish. As I told you in our brief talk after class,
remember that you are the only model that they have, you are the
unique person they listen to speak in English, forty or eighty minutes
a week, so you should use more English in class. Remember that you
can always use Spanish, whenever you want or when you think it is
needed. But not as the first option. First option is English, and if
needed, Spanish. You will realize if they need translation or not.
Perfectly well, you could have said “next class, you are going to have
a test!” ok? Right? Did you understand?” what did I tell you?” “a test/
an evaluation … “ (sometimes it is necessary to repeat many times the
same information, using different words) and in this way, you activate
2. predictions, for sure, that any of them will say “una prueba/tenemos
una prueba…”.
Agustina copied this information for parents on the board, the
handwriting was very clear and neat, although she forgot to write the
date. (she wrote it later). She walks around the desks to see if they
had copied the announcement for parents. Well done!
She has eye contact with all the students, sometimes she smiles at
them, this is great because you create a nice relationship with them,
you build empathy; very important for their age and the learning
process.
Another tip that can help you to dare to use more English in class, is
the use of GESTURES, you may always accompany your instructions
with gestures, mimes. Body language is very significant for
understanding. You said: “saquen el libro, vamos a chequear la tarea”
instead, you could have said “take out your book, (and you show yours)
and let´s check homework!” Homework? Do you remember?
Homework!/tarea” and you write it on the board, that is enough to
learn the word HOMEWORK, in case they do not know it.
Agustina shows good rapport with students.
A girl is eating a lollipop in class, is that allowed? I don´t think so, you
must be aware of this kind of actions, and if you are not sure if they
can do it or not, you ask the mentor teacher. I think you did not realize
that she was doing it.
Behind that girl, there was a girl swinging on her chair ( on two legs of
the chairs). That is VERY dangerous!! You can no permit it during class
time, even more, you have to explain how dangerous it is to do it.
Agustina sticks some flashcards on the board related to breakfast,
lunch, tea time and dinner. And then, she asks them ”¿Qué desayunan
uds? ¿Cómo es en inglés ‘desayuno’?” it seems that you are just
3. focusing on vocabulary. You need to motivate them to produce
complete structures. “What do you (usually) have for breakfast? I have
milk, or sometimes coffee, and you?? And if they answer in Spanish,
for example “yo tomo te , seño? “ you can say, “ok, good!! You have
tea for breakfast!” and …(luisito or pedrito or…) what do you have for
breakfast?”you give one or two examples and you continue with
“lunch”.
Two students are playing at the back but Agustina did not notice it.
And another student raised his hand two or three times and he also
shouted, “seño, seño” but you did not listen to him. Suggestion: it is
possible that you cannot listen to all of them when they are calling you,
but try to make an effort to pay attention to all of them because if not,
they can feel demotivated to participate. You are responsible for each
student during the class time. Although you are with the mentor
teacher and the pedagogical partner, YOU are in charge of the whole
group. This will be easier when you have more teaching experience, of
course, but try! I am sure you will be able to do it!
While they are doing this activity, some students ask for some items,
Agustina kindly answers and writes them on the board. Very good!!!
Suggestion: be careful with the time you devote to each activity, I think
this activity lasted too much.
Later , you said, “Bueno ahora vamos a hacer el ‘B’”. Remember,
try to say the instructions in English, and later, if they do not
understand, you use Spanish. Use very simple language: “Ok , now
let´s continue with exercise B!” and you can repeat if it necessary,
“come on…exercise B!!” Here….and you can show the photocopy
and point at exercise B. Gestures are very important to accompany
language and correct understanding.
She monitors children´s work walking around their desks, this is
great!!! She also corrects the first activity individually. Suggestion:
4. maybe you need to do some oral work to share their productions and
to foster oral participation.
Enzo and Valentina are running around the classroom and Agustina did
not notice it at first; later, she called their attention and asked them to
sit down. Good!! you need to keep the discipline in the classroom.
Later, you said “quién quiere compartir lo que hizo?” Suggestion: in
English!!!! ”who wants to share? Who wants to read?” or Let´s
check the exercise, or just, “let´s check”. You can invite them to
participate calling them, one by one, by their names. “Valen, would
you like to read?”. But they could not check the activity because the
bell rang. Very important: as I told you in our brief talk, never forget
to check the time you have to finish or to check an activity before they
leave; time management is very important. And it is also fundamental
to say good bye before they leave. You just told them to remember the
test.
As pedagogical partner: you helped Manuela a lot, you delivered
photocopies, you helped students when they needed to know
something and you also helped the boy who arrived late. You are very
kind with students and you always talk to them in a sweet way, very
significant for primary level.
Prof. Vanesa Cabral
