journal entries

1. Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Practicum Level: Primary
Group: 6th grade B
Date: 9th September
Lesson Number: 1
Journal entry 1: Class 1
Today it was my first lesson with this group of students; 6°B of E.P N°8 in Punta Alta. As it
happened to me in kindergarten, I was too nervous. I do not know if it is because I know that
you have to evaluate my performance, but it is too difficult for me to manage my nerves
before entering the classroom and at the beginning of the lesson. I’m saying this, because
I’ve already had experience teaching in different primary and secondary courses, so it isn’t
my first time that I’m at the front of a class.
As regards the lesson itself, I tried to supported it through the communicative approach. It
has been difficult because students are not used to use the foreign language to
communicate. with their teacher, they use their mother tongue all the time. However, I tried
to help them understand me through different strategies such as exemplifying, miming,
paraphrasing, and so on.
As regards students, they like to talk a lot and taking into account that I do not know their
names yet, so it was difficult for me to say for instance “juan listen to me please”, I had to go
next to the student, ask his/her name and then, ask him/her to listen to me and stop talking.
However, most of them reacted well to my teaching and the activities proposed since once
they understood what they had to do, they started working. Besides, they didn’t have
problems in calling me teacher and resorting to me when they had doubts. So, I may say
that this is an aspect I consider successful. Besides, they fulfill with the activities proposed
and they were willing to do them.
The aspects I think need change or improvement have to do with classroom management, to
keep students quiet and organized. As I said before, it is difficult when you do not know
students’ names because I tend to say “you, please” and of course students do not feel
identified, or do not listen to you, so as I did today, I usually stand next to that student, ask
his name and then ask him to stop talking.
What I found useful this lesson that will help me plan the next one, is that I have a better
idea of the type of activities they like or not doing, students’ language level and a better
knowledge of the group itself.
A final comment I’d like to share is that today I took my camera to film the lesson. As I said
before, I was extremely nervous and I committed some mistakes, for instance I said “about
you information” instead of “your”; or I mispronounced “imagine”. It has been my first class, I
hope next one will be better developed as I’ll be more relaxed.
Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Practicum Level: Primary
Comentario [1]: You have to self-
assess your performance as well,
Cintia. =)
Comentario [2]: However, the
practicum experience is always a big
challenge to face.
Comentario [3]: Great! How did they
react to your use of L2?
Comentario [4]: Did you apply any
strategy to learn their names? This is
essential for classroom management.
Comentario [5]: Great!!
Comentario [6]: We are working on
this at the forum right now. Hope the
advice and suggestions there help you
improve.:)
Comentario [7]: =)
Comentario [8]: Keep up the good
work, Cintia!!

2. Group: 6th grade B
Date: 16th September
Lesson Number: 2
Journal entry 2: Class 2
Today’s lesson was my second one with this group of students and in my opinion it has been
better than the first one or at least I enjoyed it better than the previous one. As regards the
lesson itself, I designed a CLIL lesson plan related to “recycling”. Besides, I took different
pictures and strips, and a video to help students develop reading and speaking strategies.
For that, I also used different strategies such as miming, exemplifying, paraphrasing so as
they could understand what I was saying better.The problem is that their teacher, always
talks to them in spanish, so it is difficult to me to apply a new teaching method. However, I
did as much as I could during all the lesson.
As regards students, they reacted well to my teaching but as I said, they aren’t use to do
much during their English lessons, so they are a bit lazy and do not want to work much.
Besides, and this is something I want to clarify, and you will notice in the video, students are
too talkative and disruptive, so despite I know I have to improve my classroom management
strategies (for that I’ll take into account what we are already discussing in the forum and the
videos included in it) it is difficult to manage them and make them be quiet all the time
because with their teacher they misbehave all the lessons, but she doesn’t care much about
that. I mean, during my two observation lessons, I could notice that she lets them talk,
despite she asks them to be quiet, they are use to doing what they want. So, in two lessons I
know I can’t change their behaviour in class. (I’m saying this, because in the observation
form, the teacher valued classroom management strategies with a 2 and in the observations
she wrote that I let students play and talk while I was giving instructions. I don’t agree much
with that, but I respect her opinion). After explaining this, I could say that this is an aspect
that needs change and improvement. I have to find other ways to make students behave
properly and let me develop the lessons.
However, an aspect that I consider successful is that more students participated this time,
and despite some of them talked more than they are supposed to, I think that this lesson has
been better developed than the first one.
Finally, what I found useful of this lesson that will help me plan the next one is that I go on
better discovering what students enjoy and what they don’t, and for instance, they enjoyed
watching the video, and they like being active participants.
A final comment I would like to share is that again I made some mistakes such as I said
“people is” and I know people is plural. Sorry for that. Besides, and sorry if I’m repetitive I
didn’t like much that the teacher has written in the observation form that I let students talk
and play because it isn’t the case. I think that she knows really well the group of students
she is in charge of, and she knows the way they behave every lesson. It isn’t the case that
during her lessons they behave really well and with me they misbehave, so I think she
should take that into account.
Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Practicum Level: Primary
Group: 6th grade B
Date: 18th September
Comentario [9]: that
Comentario [10]: Great!!
Comentario [11]: Indeed, Cintia, this
is hard work when SS are not used to
having a work or learning routine.
Thanks for explaining. Hope you find
the suggestions and materials provided
useful. Try to be patient.
Comentario [12]: Good! Something
important to consider is that we cannot
expect learners to remain silent the
whole lesson, but we can teach them
that there are moments when it is
necessary for them to be quiet or silent.
Comentario [13]: I understand,
Cintia. Don't worry.

3. Lesson Number: 3
Journal entry 3: Class 3
Today’s lesson has been much better than the two previous one. I continue following a CLIL
lesson plan and students enjoyed the lesson. They got engaged with the activities and
behaved much better than the last two lessons.
The strategies I used didn’t differ much with the other two lessons as I tried to explain what
they have to do and introduce the lesson as always; miming, exemplifying, paraphrasing.
Besides, I took to the class some elements made of different materials for students to
recognize them and so on. As I said before, the lesson has been much better, students
reacted well to my teaching and the activities as they didn’t look bored, on the contrary, they
seemed engaged within the different activities.
Moreover, an aspect that I consider successful has to do with my own behaviour. In the
previous lessons, I felt as I was a stranger and dido not have any “authority” towards
students. However, today I’ve decided to behave differently and feel as if I were their real
teacher, and fortunately it has given me good results. I stood myself with a stronger authority
and students, despite they looked a bit surprised, they understood and kept quiet during
most part of the lesson.
An aspect that I consider a change or improvement is that I have to behave more natural
and flexible as regards the lesson plan since I want to follow the activities I design and finish
them on time but sometimes as I know, students learn differently and according to their own
inner timetable.
What I found useful of this lesson is that I know better the group of students, and the
activities they like doing, and that’s why next class we’re going to work in the lab with their
netbooks and with bottles to carry out a project.
Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Practicum Level: Primary
Group: 6th grade B
Date: 30th September
Lesson Number: 4
Journal entry 4: Class 4
Comentario [14]: Why was this so?
Did they get used to your teaching?
Comentario [15]: Right, Cintia! The
teacher's attitude plays an essential
role in classroom management.
Comentario [16]: Great idea!
Innovation is essential for motivation.

4. Today’s lesson was my last lesson with this course, 6°B, and I really enjoyed it and students
too. They were nice to me knowing that it was my last lesson and also because they know
me a bit more. Besides, a greater atmosphere has been created since I felt more confident
and relaxed and students noticed that. As regards the lesson itself, it has been developed
through the CLIL approach through which students carried on a project. They had to make
flower pots, recycling plastic bottles.
As regards the strategies used during the lesson, I mimed and exemplified what I wanted
students to do or watch. Besides, as they had to find new vocabulary in two web sites, I
guided them and gave clues for them to understand.
Fortunately, students reacted well to my teaching and the activities proposed, they got really
engaged within the project. Besides, they collaborated with each other and that was very
good mostly because the atmosphere created was so comfortable.
The aspects of the lesson I consider successful areis what the ones I’ve just mentioned, the
place of work created, students’ behaviour, collaboration, and the fact that we could carry on
the project I’d thought for them to do.
The aspects of the lesson I consider require improvement has to do with my own behaviour
in class in the sense of organization. I have to improve my skills in that aspect which I think
are very much related to management strategies. Despite I think I’m improving it, I need to
work hard on it.
As I said, this one has been my last lesson with this group of student so I don’t have to plan
any for next classes. However, If I had to, I consider useful that students got to know me
better and “adopted” me as their teacher, so we created a different relationship. I mean a
formal one, where they knew they were my students and I were their teacher, so they
respected me more and took what I told them seriously.
Comentario [17]: Nice project!
Comentario [18]: Excellent!
Comentario [19]: You will keep
gaining this through experience and
reflection.
Comentario [20]: Congratulations,
Cintia!
Deep learning took place during this
practicum stage! Hope you have found
the experience enriching.
You may now upload this journal to the
campus.
Way to go!!
Cecilia