This document summarizes a teacher's reflective process after completing their third practicum period teaching English at a secondary school. Some key points: - The practicum involved teaching a group of 18 students in 3rd and 4th form over observation, assistantship, and teaching periods. - The teacher felt nervous at first but enjoyed getting to know the students and introducing varied topics. However, timing lessons and student absenteeism were challenges. - An inductive teaching approach was used, having students deduce grammar rules from authentic materials rather than receiving explicit instruction. - The teacher learned they need to show more confidence, give more homework, and push students harder to work, especially lower levels. Developing oral

1. INSTITUTO DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE CONTINUA LENGUAS VIVAS
BARILOCHE (A-052)
Profesorado de Inglés – Opción pedagógica a distancia
Práctica Docente III
· Tutor: Aurelia Velázquez
· Nombre del alumno: María Silvia Maestromey Baratçabal
Dirección de correo electrónico: msmaestromey@gmail.com

2. Reflective cycle
Description
I have recently finished my third and last practicum period. This time was the turn of
secondary level education. I worked with a private secondary school in El Bolsón, Río Negro,
with a group of 18 students from 3rd
and 4th
form, who belong to 3rd
level of English. In this
school, for the English subject, students are grouped by the level they have in the foreign
language, rather than just by their age. I started with an observation period, then moved on
to an assistantship period. These first two periods were helpful to learn about the group’s
characteristics and their teacher’s methods. Later on, I finished with the longest and final
period: the teaching period.
Feelings
I was very nervous when I first started since I had worked in secondary schools before and
did not really enjoy it. I was going to share several classes with them and their teacher.
Preparing the lesson plans and material for the practicum is always time-consuming and it
requires a lot of creativity, which for me, it usually wears off after a while and then it takes
some time to come back again and I can slip into routine when I have too many
responsibilities. But as I got to know the group my feelings changed. I was able to enjoy this
period and have a very different experience to the one I had before. I could also work against
my exhaustion and lack of creativity.
I think I was able to introduce varied topics to students and that gave me the possibility to
address to their different interests at some point. Students also got to work in different ways
during the different classes and using other methods than the ones proposed by the local
teacher, of course respecting the curriculum and listening to her tips and taking into account
students’ needs.
Evaluation
Since this practicum was the longest of the three, it gave me more time to work on improving
my teaching practice and to see how the changes worked. I was able to get students

3. interested in most of the topics I presented to them. I think I faced two big issues during this
practicum period: timing and absenteeism.
I had a hard time finding a good working rhythm form the students, since they cannot take
homework to finish at home as they have a very loaded school schedule. So I had to give
them more class time than I first intended for them to finish some of their assignments.
Another thing that added to this is that they start school very early and only have a few
minutes to have lunch, and I saw then right after that, so they were tired and disengaged
and I had to think of attractive topics for them to work on.
The other issue I encountered was that many students do not go to class regularly, many of
them had long trips planned, and others took a ski leave of absence. All of these added to
the discontinuity of classes,together with holidays, INSET days, and other reasons,such as
weather conditions.
Analysis
As this subject is delivered as a workshop, I used an inductive teaching approach, students
were not given grammar rules or practice grammar exercises at all. They worked with
authentic reading material, videos and presentations and they had to deduce the rules,
realizing the similarities and discovering patterns in grammar on their own, without receiving
explicit rules.
I also followed J. Scrivener (“Learning teaching”, 2011), who states students need exposure
to the language in order to “notice and understand items being used”, they need to use the
language on their own in the appropriate context in order to be able to communicateproperly
and remember – not memorize – everything they have learnt, since the author also declares
that reciting grammar rules by heart is not learning grammar.
Moreover, David Nunan (“Teaching Grammar in Context”, 1997) suggests that learners
should be given opportunities to learn grammar in context so they can understand the
various ways in which something can be said in different forms.
Conclusion
During this period I learnt that timing and finding good and entertaining topics were my
biggest challenges. I worked hard in order to offer different topics so as to attract the
students’ different interests and to work with those themes in different ways in an attempt to

4. give them the opportunity to show their abilities and strengths. I also gave students many
opportunities to work in pairs or groups as adolescents enjoy working in this way and the
learning experience is much richer as they can benefit from their partners and show their
potential.
Action plan
I tried my best to follow both my tutor’s advice and also the local teacher’s requests and
feedback and, at the same time, trying to follow school’s policies and appealing to students
interests. At times it was a great challenge to combine all of these aspects, and I think I
failed at some moments. I could have pushed them more to work harder in class, especially
to the lower level students; I think I was a bit more patient that I should have been. I also
should have asked students to deliver their assignments through a partner when they were
absent for several classes but I did not want to go against school policies, so I tried to be
careful with this aspect. Again, I should have to give them more homework but I did not for
the same reason.
I think that I should have to be more confident in myself and my teaching skills and I should
have to stand up to students and be more demanding as regards following deadlines and
participating in class. Even though I gave them feedback and grade their work according to
what they did in class.I should have been more tough and ask them to be more responsible.
Through this experience I learnt that I need to show more confidence to the rest in order to
make other people respect me and follow my instructions. I think working on my oral skills
will help me achieve this.