Journals - Primary

1. Second Period - Tielve Myriam
Trainee´s name: Myriam Beatriz Tielve
Practicum level: Primary
Group: 5° C - Morning Shift
Date : 13th July
Lesson number : Second lesson
1-What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
My lesson was supported by the Natural Approach and the PPP method. The main
pedagogical principle was to deliver a student - centered lesson in which students´ learning
process was at the top of any other aim. I wanted to act as far as it was possible as facilitator
and prompter. It was a real challenge for this first lesson as I did not know beforehand if I
would have a good rapport with the students.
2-What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why/Why not?
I started the lesson by teaching a greeting song. While I was handing in the set of
photocopies to each group, most of the students started reading the lyrics and tried to
understand its meaning. I used gestures and movements to make the song more
encouraging and students performed them while singing it with me. Then I used the book as
a visual aid to scaffold the story I was going to narrate. Pointing to the pictures on the cover
of the book I asked questions to the whole group. During the story I used posters as visual
aids and drew streets on the board, miming some words which students did not understand.
Finally I modelled the pair work activity and in front of the class with one of the students.
3-How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials?
How did they react to the lesson?
Students enjoyed the song a lot as they are not used to singing in the English class. The
flashcards and posters really caught their attention and even some of them asked me where
I had bought or got them. I told them they were images taken from “Google” and then printed
and coloured, they seemed to be amazed by that.
Comentario [1]: is this the aim or th
means to attain the aims?
Comentario [2]: Yes, Cecilia! The
students´ learning process is the mea
to attain the aims of this lesson,i.e.to
develop students´ communication sk
through dialogues in a meaningful
context to them.
Comentario [3]: Excellent strategie

2. But what really caught my attention was how they engaged in the last activity, the one they
have had to performe with their partners. After modelling it with one of the students, I walked
round the classroom and listened to them asking and answering questions enthusiastically.
4-What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
I do not consider one aspect as more successful than other. Time seemed to fly away as
students were all the time engaged in different activities. They enjoyed the story and they
were eager to read and answer the questions I provided in the same photocopy as a visual
support. They also enjoyed the guessing game and they used L2 during it all the time.
5-What aspects of the lesson require change / improvement?
Although they understood me perfectly well, it is difficult for them to use L2 to make
comments on the story. However, they use Interlanguage, I mean they use the vocabulary
and structures they know in English and mix them with L1. I always gave positive feedback
and used the sandwich technique with the words they said in L1.
6-What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
As I felt students really enthusiastic and eager to take part in different activities, I will
include a varied variety of activities in the following lessons. It is also very useful to have my
plans checked by tutors as it helps me to improve my plans before delivering my lesson.
7-Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
I know that lessons can always be better and there are always aspects to improve but today
I left the classroom with the feeling that it was good enough for being the first lesson
delivered to this nice group of students.
Trainee´s name: Myriam Beatriz Tielve
Practicum level: Primary
Comentario [4]: You managed to
plan an engaging lesson for the SS.
They noticed how much you had
worked and how organised the
materials were.
Comentario [5]: What other
strategies could you implement to he
them develop their speaking skills?
Comentario [6]: I could give studen
some time to think and plan what the
are going to say and even ask me
some words or phrases they are not
sure about. In this way they won´t fee
shy to speak in front of their partners
Another strategy could be using the
same structure and vocabulary over
and over again or repeat speaking
tasks they have already done once o
twice. (Jeremy Harmer; The Practice
English Language Teaching; p:346;
2010)
Comentario [7]: =) That's the idea!
Comentario [8]: =)

3. Group: 5° C - Morning Shift
Date : 14th July
Lesson number : Second lesson
1-What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
This lesson was planned based on the Natural Approach as I wanted to take advantage of
students´ visual sensorial reaction to a video in which some vocabulary was being recalled
and some new lexis and mainly structure was presented. I also used the PPP method and
communicative approach.
2-What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why/Why not?
It was not exactly the lesson as I had planned it as the English teacher arrived some minutes
late so I could not start my lesson on time. The television was not brought to the classroom
until five minutes later and it was five minutes more to switch it on and arrange students´
chairs.
After greeting the students, we all sang the “Hello” song and then I asked them to leave their
homework on the table using mimes and modelling the action. Then, while the television was
ready to start and to avoid wasting of time and misbehaviour, I played “The teacher says
with the students” so that they keep alert to different movements they had to perform. At the
same time we all got a little warmer as it was a really cold morning.
Later I played the video for the second time and stopped it in different scenes to elicit
information from the students. When this activity finished, I only had five minutes before the
break started so I took the flashcards I have had taken to tell the students the story of the
video just in case there was some problem with electricity and at random handed them to a
member of each group and encouraged them to interact with their partners asking questions
following the example from the video which I have written on the board.
After the break I read and modelled the activities in the worksheet which I prepared as
homework.
3-How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials?
How did they react to the lesson?
Comentario [9]: Fantastic idea!!! :)

4. These kids really surprised me again! They were eager to participate in all the activities and
they were delighted with the video as they are not used to working with these kind of
materials in English lessons. They enjoyed a lot singing the “Hello” song and most of them
did not need to read it from their photocopy.
As soon as the lesson started five students who had been missing the previous lesson came
to me and asked for the photocopies we had been working on the previous lesson as their
partners had told them about it. Besides I did not need to explain those students what we
had done because the students who were sitting next to them did it for me.
Not only did they interact in L2 with their partners in the last activity, but also they seemed to
enjoyed enjoy it.
4-What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
The use of the video was a great way of motivating them and encourage them to use L2 in
their interactions with me and with their partners. I really took advantage of this material and
for that reason the activity with this visual aid was longer.
5-What aspects of the lesson require change / improvement?
I think I have to plan more activities based on the same material because on Tuesdays my
lessons are shorter and I know it will be more profitable for this group of students.
6-What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
These children really like to interact among them, so I will take advantage of it. During these
type of activities I can listen to them whispering all the time but L2 sounds like music in my
ears.
7-Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
Their English teacher, Alicia Gamari, is really glad to see how they are working. She pays
attention to every detail and movement and she is amazed with the students´ enthusiasm
during the lessons.
When I read to them the last item of the homework and they realized that they had the
possibility of watching the video at home, they were fascinated by the idea of sharing it with
their parents.
Comentario [10]: Why do you think
they were so motivated?
Comentario [11]: I always show st
my enthusiasm in every activity I
present in my lessons. If I enjoy them
sts enjoy them as well. I also spend
enough time thinking which type of
activity could apply the best to each
group I have to teach.
Comentario [12]: =)
Comentario [13]: Great Myriam!
Comentario [14]: Good idea!
Comentario [15]: They are motivat
indeed!
Comentario [16]: Yes!!!

5. Trainee´s name: Myriam Tielve
Practicum level: Second Period - Primary
Group: 5th course C - morning shift
Date: 3rd August
Lesson number: 3
1- What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
Today´s lesson was supported by the Communicative approach as I encouraged the
students to interact with their peers and with me from the very beginning. I asked them about
the date, then I encouraged them to work in groups of three or four and interact with their
partners during the memory game and later they shared information about their
neighbourhood. They also asked me about the meaning of some words they didn´t
understand. I also followed the PPP method as after the warm up period I presented the
topic with the aid of a map and a text in which some places in their neighbourhood are
described.
2- What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why/Why not?
I modelled and made gestures while delivering the instructions for the memory game. I
walked round the classroom during the game eliciting answers to yes/no questions or wh-
questions about the topic in the cards. I repeated the instructions in a different way to those
students who hadn´t understood them. I encouraged the students to talk about their
neighbourhood using the map as a visual aid. I pointed to the map on the board while
reading the text for the first time. I tried hard to focus on the students and not on me while
using L2 which is not the language their teacher uses to give instructions or to explain new
topics.
3- How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials?
How did they react to the lesson?
The students showed a respectful and positive attitude during the lesson. They got engaged
in the activity in which they had to use their memory and they worked in a really collaborative
way with their partners. They were also eager to answer questions in the interchange after
Comentario [17]: Good!
Comentario [18]: When given
instructions, given the fact that this is
mixed ability class at elementary leve
you could also elicit the instructions i
L1 from them.

6. the game and were surprised to see the map on the board. They really loved it. They asked
me questions about the places they had to colour on the map and after I explained to them
they could perform the activity again. Once again some students helped their partners
explaining to them where some of the shops were. I consider that they enjoyed the lesson
although they still find it difficult to use L2 during the lesson.
4- What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
Neither students are used to playing games in English nor they are used to being exposed to
a reading text if it is not included in their reader, so these activities are new to them and they
are eager to take part actively. At first it was a little difficult for them to understand what they
had to do, but then I could see smiles on their faces when they could match the drawings
with the sentences and showed them to me with pleasure. As I have already told you, on
Tuesdays the teacher Alicia Gamari and me have to share the break with the students and it
is a policy of the school that we have to prepare games for the students. The teacher, Alicia,
asked me to play with the memory game tomorrow. She also asked me the game, the map
and one photocopy of every material I take to the lessons so that she can use them with the
other three fifth forms that she has in the same institution.
5- What aspects of the lesson require change/improvement?
First of all I forgot to set the context of Miss Susan as a new teacher. I had the poster there
but the lesson today was interrupted three times by students coming from other rooms which
brought some papers to the teacher and by the owner of the institution who usually comes
into the classroom to greet the teachers and the students. These interruptions happen
unexpectedly in a school environment. The good point was that when two girls from second
form came into the classroom we were working with the text and the map, they stood in front
of the board and paid attention to what we were speaking in English and looked at the map
following my explanation. It was really incidental teaching and learning process.
The other aspect that I think needs improvement is the amount of the activities students can
develop in a lesson. It´s not that I can´t manage time, it is that they need more time to
perform them. I really want children to learn and enjoy the lesson so I believe that less is
more in this case. I feel they need more time to exploit all the new material I am offering
them.
6- What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
In my next lesson tomorrow I will present the students with the story about Miss Susan to
give meaningful context to the listening activity. I will also try to exploit the listening activity
as they are not used to dealing with this kind of resources.
Comentario [19]: Did they use the
for this?
Comentario [20]: Yes, they did!
Some of their questions were not
gramatically correct, e.g. "Can colour
bookshop red?" , "What colour
supermarket?"or "school pink?"(using
raising intonation) but I understood
them and they understood to me whe
answered to them in L2. I even used
some unknown structures for them
such as: "Have you finished?" as the
answered inmediately "Yes or No!"
Comentario [21]: Do you model
sentences? You could write some
examples on the board for students t
follow...
Comentario [22]: I modelled the
sentences, but I didn´t write some
examples on the board in this lesson
took your suggestions and used this
teaching strategy in the following
lesson, Thanks!
Comentario [23]: =)
Comentario [24]: Wise thinking!!!
Comentario [25]: Great Myriam!

7. 7- Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
I like working with this group and I enjoy teaching them.
Trainee´s name: Myriam Tielve
Practicum Level: Second period - Primary
Group: 5th “C” - morning shift
Lesson number: 4
1- What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
At the time of planning this lesson I considered that the Communicative approach and the
PPP method were the ones which would support my lesson from the beginning to the end.
But as students give us surprises all the time and I believe that students and their learning
process is more important than plans, I have to modified it a little at the beginning of the
lesson.
First of all the lesson was delayed as the headmistress was given students and teachers
some instructions to follow during the breaks, for that reason students entered in the room
some minutes later. I started with the routine asking the students about the date but I took
the decision of not singing the hello song with them.
In the warm up period I had planned to work on the map of their neighbourhood so as to
elicit from students some information they have learnt in the previous lesson. And then
happened, they could easily talked talk about places in the neighbourhood but they couldn´t
explain where these places are located using the prepositions next to, opposite and
between. Then I decided to go back and in turns called some students to the front of the
classroom. With the help of the map and the use of the modelling and pointing technique
students could tell me and their peers the exact location of some places in their
neighbourhood.
Then I started with the presentation of the new teacher Miss Susan and her short story
which children followed and really caught their attention. It was then time to listen to Miss
Susan, explaining the activity took me longer than I expected and even I had to assist some
Comentario [26]: =)
Comentario [27]: Good!
Comentario [28]: Well done!!

8. students who were having some difficulties during the first dialogue. After the first one and
using the technique of modelling the activity on the board everything started to go on the
right path.
We could deal only with three dialogues and it was time for our break. The students were
fascinated to have the possibility of playing with the memory cards again and we did it in
groups sitting on the floor in their playground.
After the break we came back to the room and as we had only five minutes more, it was time
to give them the homework, explain it and greeting goodbye.
2- What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why/Why not?
Asking the students to come to the front of the classroom and using their own names to
teach the prepositions was the most useful teaching strategy today. Then they could apply
this knowledge and use it in answering questions about their neighbourhood.
3- How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials?
How did they react to the lesson?
The students are really helpful. They interact with me in every activity. They are eager to
come to the front and also help their partners when they have difficulty in understanding the
instructions. They enjoy working with new material and exploring new material. They
sometimes find the activities a little difficult but they are going to try hard to perform them
and when they succeed in doing them you can always see a smile on their faces.
4- What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
First of all the rapport with the students, they let me enjoy the lesson as well as they do.
Secondly, the possibility of using another technique or another type of teaching strategy if
the students need to reinforce some new knowledge.
5- What aspects of the lesson require change/ improvement?
I have to forget that I am recording myself and feel free to enjoy the lessons more than I am
doing now.
6- What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you to plan the next one?
I think that I am not in the wrong path and in few classes I could help students to learn by
performing new activities and use new materials for them.
7- Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
Comentario [29]: Superb!
Comentario [30]: This proves how
necessary challenges are from the
point of view of motivation!
Comentario [31]: Indeed!
Comentario [32]: Probably, they
enjoy the lesson because you also do
Comentario [33]: Yes!!!
Comentario [34]: You should say y
are on the right path!
Comentario [35]: Keep it up,
Myriam!!

9. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Myriam! The picture is even
clearer now. =)
Best
Cecilia
Trainee´s name: Myriam Tielve
Practicum level: Second - Primary
Group: 5° C
Date: 11th August 2015
Lesson number: 5
1. What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this
lesson?
The Communicative approach supported my planning and delivery of this lesson. From the
very beginning I tried to encourage students to work on their own and performing the
activities in a natural way. I also set a relaxing atmosphere even trying to forget that I was
recording my lesson.
2. What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why/Why
not?
After handing in all the homework I started the lesson by eliciting students some information
from the previous lesson. Then I used spelling dictation technique to help one of the
students to write the date on the board before starting performing the listening activity. I
scaffolded the activity by telling a little introduction about Miss Susan and then by gestures,
writing on the board and miming the actions I explained to the students the two activities on
the listening worksheet.
Later as I had no time for the pair work activity before the break and I realised that students
would be too shy to roleplay the dialogues in front of the whole group, I decided to use the
chorus repetition technique which proved to be really effective as students did not feel so
shy to read in a loud voice. Some of them, especially the boys, imitated the same intonation
of the dialogues in the recording. Comentario [36]: Great!! :)

10. 3. How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials?
How did they react to the lesson?
Students seemed to be engaged in the activities, they showed interest in the listening one
and really enjoyed playing “The teacher says” during the break as we had more room to
perform it in the playground.
4. What aspects of the lesson require change/ improvement?
I lost several minutes handing in the homework that I could have used to perform another
activity. With my own students I usually choose four students at random and ask them to
hand in the homework to their partners but the teacher, Alicia Gamari, told me to hand in in
this way.
5. What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
As I had said before the chorus repetition activity because all the students had the possibility
to read and most of them felt confident enough to do it. It would be better to have enough
time to ask some groups to read the dialogues in isolation but it was not possible.
6. What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
Fostering comprehension through visual aids and modelling the activity help students to
understand instructions mostly if you are teaching to a mixed ability group of students.
7. Any comments and observations you would like to share may be added here.
Today´s lesson was observed by the headmistress of the primary level as the teacher Alicia
Gamari had to sit for an examination. The headmistress offered me this possibility so as not
fail my second practicum period.
Comentario [37]: Did she tell you
why?
Comentario [38]: Yes!!!
Comentario [39]: Was her feedbac
different from the course teacher's
feedback?
Dear Myriam, you have done a really
good job!!
It has been a pleasure to see your
progress in the subsequent plannings
Keep it up!!!
Cecilia
PS: You may now upload this journal
the campus with comments. =)