Mariela Waldovino reflects on her experience teaching primary school students during her practice teaching. She found that primary students need a variety of engaging techniques and technologies to keep them interested according to their abilities and needs. During her six lessons she had to manage her time well and incorporate games, group work, and individual work within 40 minutes. At first she felt overwhelmed, but learned to be more creative with activities like a secret box and mock interviews. She realized she needed to use more Spanish and shorter sentences for students accustomed to their teacher using little English. An experienced teacher advised her to engage smarter students to help their peers. Overall, she found teaching primary students rewarding despite challenges, as their innocence and affection make up for difficult times

1. Taller dePráctica Docente
Name: Mariela IsabelWaldovino
E-mail: mariela.i.waldovino @gmail.com
City: Paso delosLibres
Province:Corrientes
Final Reflection on Primary School
My final reflection on primary level is that it is not as easy as I believed but it is very
rewarding in the end. Kids from our days need a lot of stimulus and they also need to be
constantly doing different things. So, as Primary School Teachers, we must use a variety of
effective techniques and also, technologies to engage students with the learning process
according to their age, level of ability and individual needs.
During my six lessons I had to manage time the best way I could. I had to do the routine,
to introduce the subject, to incorporate some games and also to make kids work with
their books or workbooks and I had only 40 minutes to do it.
I have to say that, the first lessons I felt overhelmed with activities and the short lesson-
time I had to manage with. I remember that one day I left the class frustrated because kids

2. were restless. So I realized that I had to implement something new and more creative. So I
thought about the secret box and also simulating an interview to call their attention and I
really believe that it worked!!
Sometimes I felt that I have to use Spanish because they didn´t understand me. They were
used to listening to their teacher using very little English during the lessons.
One day I remember that the teacher of the class said to me“kids don´t need long
sentences because they won´t understand, they only need short and exact words and a lot
of miming and patience”. During my practice, I used to stay after the lesson talking with
the teacher, with her 21-year-old experience she helped me to see things that I could not
see because of my own inexperience. She also said to me that I must search for the
children who are smarter and more active because they are those who in certain way will
guide and sometimes help their mates.
I loved working with kids - they are innocent but sincere at the same time. They are
attentive and loving. They don´t mean a kiss or a hug, an affective word or even an
amorous compliment I have never worked with them before. Children from our days
challenge our creativity, so you never get bored and you really feel that time flies.
Obviously young children can be difficult at times and every day will be different with
them too, but the fact is they can also be very funny. After all, being able to have a laugh
with the people you work with is a definite blessing!!