Hello everybody! It is Cristóbal (Christopher from now). Yesterday, 13th February was my first day in Calasancio School. It was a very exciting nd amazing day, because I was new at school and everybody shows interest for you. I met my tutor (Chari), although I have met her before, in a pevious meeting, and she showed me the classes and lessons I was going to teach. I was going to teach English in 3º and 4º of Secondary Education (ESO), so four clases, because there is a "3ºA" and "3ºB" and same for "4º"; and I was going to teach the Unit "The Universe" in 1º of Secondary Education (ESO) as a bilingual experience. This first day was an introductory day and I just met the students, but I helped them supervising their work, speaking to and with them and encoraging to speak in English in stead of Spanish. Through jokes and some funny situations they met me and, according to my tutor, Chari, they like me so it is a very important beginning at Calasancio School. The enviromnment of the school can be reflected in a lot of organizational elements I will describe along the period I stay here. From now, I am in the PC waiting for the students, because today it is a special date, St. Valentine's Day and we are going to prepare something related to it. If you want to know what will happen, just follow me ;).
I started teaching English yesterday to 3º and 4º ESO and it was a great experience. The students looked at me carefully and constantly, and they laugh very much about my English accent (some of them told me I had a british accent and they liked it). I prepared some activities related to Saint Valentine's Day and they liked very much. I always take advantage of the funniest students in order to implicate and make them participate in the lesson, craeating funny situations and engaging as many students as I can. I prepared some tasks such as: write a romantic poem, read some love poems with passion (they enjoyed it, because the like theatre very much) and write some romantic and love stories. Most of them were sad stories and students showed me their feelings about them. It was so emotional! It was a very special day because some people interrupted the lesson sometimes to deliver roses, carnations, lollypops and love letters or cards.
Today it is the third day of my Practicum stay in Calasancio. I have started to teach the CLIL Didactic Unit "The Universe" for students of 1º Secondary Education (ESO). I have taught in two different classrooms: 1º ESO A and 1º ESO B. Firstable, I taught in 1º ESO B, a 23-24-students classroom. They were nervous, but excited, because they were going to have a new teacher: me. We have been working on The Solar System, the first epigraph of the Didactic Unit and I have introduced it throug the technique "Brainstorming". I told the some jokes to create a good atmosphere and they have enjoyed a lot. Something which I liked very much and that surprised me was when I was leaving the classroom and a group of students told me if I was going to come back to the classroom. I smiled and told them "yeah, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow". They were so happy! During this firs lesson, I was with the Sciences teacher and my tutor, Charo, was in 3ºESO B, and the students of this classroom asked her where I were :). The second classroom, 1º ESO A, is a 24-students classroom, but with a huge difference: you cannot hear even the flies. They were so so quiet, but I prepared some activities, such as an "energyzer" to implicate them and make participate in my lesson. I could do more activities in this classroom, because they were faster than the other students from 1º ESO B. Finally, we organised a debate and they participated actively, so I am so happy because I know they liked the lesson! :). TO BE CONTINUED...
On Thursday 16th February I started the lesson very early, at 8am, with 1º ESO A. We started the lesson with an “energyzer”, because it was very early and the pupils were a bit tired and sleepy. The task consisted on waliking around the classroom, because they were planets orbiting the Solar System, and when I told a number of planets they had to form groups compouned by this number of people/planets. They really liked it. After waking them up we were reviewing some vocabulary and contents of the past days and I explained some contents related to “The Sun”. So I asked them to read the texts aloud and try to understand them. We worked on some pronunciation aspects and then they had to answer some qestions about the content. We share this information through a speaking task and we finished the lesson with a debate about if they think we could live in another planet different from the Earth. E had free time until 12.30pm, when I was in 3º ESO A collaborating with my tutor. At 1.30pm I had the same lesson with 1º ESO B. I am very happy because people are knowing me better and they think now I am not a crazy person, as they considered the first day.
It’s Friday, last day of this very intense and intensive working week! It was the last sesion of my Didactic Unit of “The Universe”. Today it was the exam day and students did not know about it! I did not tell them and they were really worried about it. The told me angrily they had not studied and I tried to calm them down. I explained it was not a real exam and it was really easy. I explained the last point of the Didactic Unit: “The planets”. I gave them very basic information about the planet in the solar system and we were reviewing past information using a technique making mistakes. I told them I lived in other planet and I did not know anything about the planets and the solar system. So I started walking around the classroom telling false sentences such as: “The Earth is in the centre of the Solar System” and they had to refute this information and tell me the correct sentence. During the three lessons I have focused also on grammatical and pronounciation skills, pointing at some words or expressions and asking them to repeat them correctly. I told the students to do the exam and when they wrote the questions, they told me it was very easy! But it is ok, because the exam is only one of the assessment strategies I was going to consider to evaluate the students.
Hi Chris!! Thanks for sharing your experience!! I see that you've enjoyed and learnt a lot with the pupils!! Let's see how the things go with me... Byee!!
Hello peers, and good afternoon! Today,Águeda and me have had the first meeting with some tutors of primary and secondary of the Trinitarios School.
They have been very kind and gave us full freedom.
We have given all instructions and schedules in order to choose the stage and level.
In my case, I chose to teach Sciences in the first cycle of Secondary, but I'll have the opportunity to practice in primary (4th level) and the tutor of 4th ESO, has asked me to lecture on some topics of culture of the English-speaking countries. Well, I'll begin the Practicum the 29th of February, together with Águeda. So that's all. More news soon... Bye ;)
I am happy you have a good impression of the school and the lesson planning you are going to have. I am finishing at school :( and I feel a bit sad. Today, a student (a 15 year-old girl) told me to stay there for longer, because "she likes the way I teach English and the way I speak with them". It made me happy, because I feel I am helping the students and that's one of my aims, the most important. Being a teacher during these days at this school has supposed for me... to reflect about the different contexts which exist. I have been teaching in other contexts but all of them are different, with different needs and different particularities. So that's the most beautiful part of being a teacher: to know to your students and try to help them and motivate them :).
Today it is after-carnival week! I am not going to 1º ESO anymore to teach them but I have to tell them their marks, very good marks after taking the exam and having corrected it and the exercises (portfolio, homework...) I like this school more and more. I feel confortable with students and teachers, and the director is really nice. I had a lesson with 4º ESO A, a classroom I was the first day but they did not see me “in action”, because it was my introductory day. They were really expectant because they did not know I was going to give them the lesson. We were working and reviewing the phrasal verbs, creating stories and sharing information. This lesson focused basically on speaking and listening skills. I proposed the students some roleplayings and asked them to create a song with phrasal verbs. They were really creative and created very interesting and funny songs which helped them to memorise and understand the phrasal verbs. I had the same lessons in 4º ESO B and 3º ESO A and B, because my tutor tries to teach the same contents at the same time, but going deeper in the upper levels.
Today I started lessons in 4º ESO B, singing songs. The students sang some songs and the teacher assessed the speaking skill. The students were a bit shy when they had to sing, but, on the other hand, some students had passion for singing and they did it really well. We were practicing the phrasal vebrs again and some tenses. Some students were a bit sad because I was going to leave the school in just one day. Some of them asked me again to stay there at school. I have corrected the exams and exercices of both 1º ESO A and B and I will tell them the final mark tomorrow. They were very excited and happy because I told them the marks were really good. We were watching some videos about british culture and we asked the students to discuss about what they had listened to. They shared with us the information and learnt about british culture. In other classes, like 3º DC (Curricular Adaptations), where there are just five SENS (Specific Educational Needs Students) we tried to adapt the videos and the tasks and asked them to copy some information to check if they had understood the videos and share later with the classroom.
Last day at school! Wow, the time has gone, very fast, quicly. During eight days I have been teaching English and some topics, such as Sciences (The Universe) in Secondary courses. I have a very good impression about the school and teachers, and studens also, and I think they have the same impression about me. Some teacher have been commenting and taliking about me and it is very funny, because a lot of students have asked them if I was a foreigner! They smiled and told I was from here but I had passion for the language. And that is true! I have tried to analyze all the spaces and elements in the context: the time planning, the spaces, the organizational culture, the students backgrounds, the teachers, the government at school, the religious issue and more things which conditionate the life of the school. The last day at school I prepared some games, activities and funny tasks to motivate the students and say good bye. They enjoyed it a lot while learning and reviewing contents from previous units. Some games were focused on trasnalation, make and do, phrasal verbs... For example, with translation games, I proposed them to form groups and stand at the back of the classroom. When I told an expression one member from each group had to run to the blackboard and write it in English. I did the same activity with make and do expression and they really liked it. It was very curious because although the school is very big and cold because of the huge walls, it is really warm because of the students and the teacher that everyday do their jobs create a perfect atmosphere and anviroment of learning. And that is the most important thing: the human factor.
I´m going to introduce all my experience in this paragraph. I did my practises in the same school as Christopher, in Calasancio school. The first day I observe all the classrooms and some characteristics of each student. Generally, they show motivation and they participated in the activities. The first days I was a bit nervous because I had to teach in 3 and 4 of secondary school. Also, with 6º of primary school I didn´t have any problem. In this course, I taught science in english. At the begging, I though that this kind of subject will be a bit difficult but when I took it into the practise it was so easy. The first lesson in science´s class I explain the electricity. All the materials I had were: a CD, a balloon, a poster and the book. So with this materials, I explained that the atom has negative particles(electron) and positive particles (proton) and other kind of particles which haven´t got any charge (neutrons). To check that the students had understand the lesson I put the cd and they had to complete the exercises of their books. Then, I would like to show them a real experiment. To explain the static electricity I used a balloon and a girl who had long hair, I began to rub the balloon through her hair and of course they attrack. I started to ask the student about the experiment and they guess that the particles had different charges. With this experiment, I explained all the static electricity. Then when I finished my explanation they did their exercises and they did a little chart with the vocabulary they learned this lesson. The next day, I explained the electrical circuits. I used the same materials more and less. With the poster I introduce them the components of a electrical circuit. To teach this subject was really easy and comfortable because they know the lesson in spanish, so in english class they only focused on the english vocabulary. However I pretend that they develop their oral skills so I asked them about Is the electricity dangerous? and they told me about the dangerous and the cases that they knew.
I am so sorry to be "late" on this forum! I started my first lesson last Monday! I am doing my teaching practice in Sta Victoria. In this school we can find elementary school, primary education, ESO and Bachillerato. I was speaking with my tutor and we think it could be great to visit a class of each level. So my timetable is quite mixed. My first lesson was in second of bachiller. They had an English exam and we were there to solve some doubts.During that time, we were talking about how organize my teaching unit, how many lessons I have to teach per course, and the way she is doing to teach. I am preparing a teaching unit for 1st ESO called in and out of school. So, in my first lesson I have the choice to know students from 1ºB, and I also had a tutorial with them. I could realise that students in 1ºESO have a great ability to communicate. When they try to justify a problem in tutorials they use a very formal language.
And lastly, I also have been in lecture class for those students who have not a really good comprehensive reading level. All of them were really curious to know a new teacher so that was better for me, because I could catch their attention easily.
Hi again! Today (23/02/2012) was my second day at the school. It was a really weird day because the school is organising several activities. Some of them for Andalucia's day, and another one for tomorrow because they celebrate Madre Paula's day. They have been organising a mass during the morning where students participate reading and singing. In the break they have an extra time to drink hot chocolate and to eat delicious cones, and after that, they have activities like questions games, dancing sevillanas, sing star and so. Today I supposed to be in a elementary class ( 5 years old) to know the "phonics" method. But they hadn't got classes at that time because they were preparing an activity for Andalucia's Day. So I just have been in 1st ESO B and C, where we were doing speaking and some of then had to make a power point presentations talking about a spanish festivity or an animal. They were really good talking but they still do not know some grammatical structures. We were trying to make them speaking to practice things that they already know like "like" or "do not like". Students are very participative and they always try to speak in english even they do not know the correct words.
Hello! On Friday we celebrated Madre Paula's Day!! It was a really great experience! I started at 8 in the morning in 2nd of ESO. My tutor had prepared a game similiar to 50x15 with questions about Madre Paula's life. So we divided students into four groups and they had to answer correctly as much questions as possible to be the winner. After this activity, We all went to the church, which is next to the school. They had prepared a special mass where some of them read wishes and thanks that they had written by themself. Then there were a chorus and a group of students who brought the work they did in their tutorial as an offering. This mass finished at ten o'clock more or less and then we went to the playground to drink hot chocolate. Finally, they had activities like dancing flamenco, playing play station, and so on. I was very happy for the high level of participation. Students spend their free time preparing activities for this special day at the school, and they also had a great behaviour.
Yes! Today is the Day! Today... I started with Practicum.
Well, everything went great, but why? simple answer, I had no classes with children yet. Tomorrow, I will. Tomorrow, I will start with simple topics, such as the measurement of time, why the Earth is round, dear children? I have got many ideas about that, but, my tutor told me that children have little, if not very little, level of English. Oh, my God, what can I do now?? Ok, no more jokes, I can only say that I will try to do my best. During this day I have been looking documents and eye throwing to the didactic units. I have met more teachers, and curiously today (29th of February) was the birthday of one of them... What luck have a birthday every four years... ;) Thank you very much!! Soon, more news.
Today I would like to talk about my experience in 3º and 4º in ESO. Wellw these classes remembered me the typical english classes: grammar, vocabulary,some listening and speaking but there is something unusual: they didn´t read the text in class, the teacher order them to read at home and they have to record their voice in a pendrive. With this record, the teacher put them a mark. In 3º ESo I develop the lesson of the future: will/going to. The children of these classroom are really motivated and they acquire knowledge as quick as a flash. The activities are typical: fill in the gaps with will or going to but the last day I did a new activity. I began to read a text and they had to continue the story, of course with the use of going to or will. This activity was really interesting because you can have a look the imagination the students could have.
Well done! There is a tool very easy to use: voxopop, students can record their voices there. As for the CLIL experience, no chance of doing CLIL at all? If so you haven't told me about it.
Also in 4ºESO I have to explain the past perfect. At the beginning it is a bit complicate to explain that the first action in the past is the past perfect then the second action is in past simple but the difficulty appeared when they have to choose what action happened before but with the practise of the activities they acquire the knowledge. I evaluate them with a test of the past participle of the verbs. Generally they get good marks but also there were some students who failed because they didn´t study. In addition, I order them to do a writing about a story where they have to use the past perfect and the students who failed the test and the students who didn´t do a good composition are the same students. The last day, I prepare some keys about beefeaters and they have to guess who am I. It was really fun! I had a good time in this school!
Hello everybody!! Yesterday was a quiet day. I had the first contact with the class of 1st f ESO B, and children were very pleased with the novelty of a new teacher, but they were concerned as to teach science in English. On next Monday I will start with the introduction of the unit 8. Today, I've started that Unit with the other class,1st of ESO A. I started with warm up activities (brainstorming, checking prior knowledge, etc) followed by an explanation of the time measuring instruments and lastly the pupils have been made a diagram of the daytime terms and notions. It was a time class very quickly and the tutor has been very attentive to my presentation. Thank you!! See you in class this afternoon.
Hi guys!I have just had a lesson today with first of ESO. We were checking some writings about polar bears. They read in loud voice their writings while the rest of the class had to pay attention and they wrote down in a sheet of paper what they thought it was wrong in the classmate's writings. It was a very interesting task because they could realize about the most common mistakes they are making. After that, we were sumarizing unit 5, because they are going to have the exam tomorrow. At the end of the class the teacher gave them the mark of the last exam, and they were lower than the first trimester. So we will see what happen in the exam of unit 5. Thank you! :)
Hi again mates! Today I had classes with 1st ESO B and C. They were doing an exam of unit 5, as I told you in my last post. During the third hour of class rang the fire alarm. Today we practiced a fire drill. It was very real because the firefighters used smoke to use multiple exits. I think I'm having a very full experience in this school. So that is all about today. More news tomorrow! Bye bye! :)
Hello everyone! I started my teaching Unit about In and out of the school today! The first class was in 1º ESO B, which is a class divided into different groups, only fridays they are together in english lessons. So I have started explaning what I am going to teach during my didactic unit: vocabulary about hobbbies, food and drinks, grammar: countables and uncountables, and modal verbs like can and must, a speaking about a conversation in a restaurant and so on. After that, I had a brainstorming activity about which foods they already known. And they all had to tell me two sentences using like and dislike and two words about food or drinks. Then, I have shown them a vocabulary list that I have done where they can see: hobby, food and drink vocabulary, an example of conversation in a restaurant, a list of regular and irregular verbs, and some verbs to use when they are describing which hobbies they like. So I had prepared two videos, one of them about an example of conversation in a restaurant, and the other one about food, it was like a tutorial to know how pronounce food in english. They really ejoyed it and they were very participative. To finish the class, they did some activities about vocabulary. Students were quite relax at the very beggining of the class,and I could say quite shy as well. But they were really motivated and I am really happy about that. I love teaching in 1st ESO! More news about my second lesson on Monday! Have a good weekend!
Good evening!! I would like to say the differences I've found in both classes, 1st of ESO A and B. A is a class where the group of children is characterised as noisy and very talkative. On the contrary, B group has showed as being a compact group and attentive. Today I've checked the homework commanded to the A group and to my surprise they have done it quite well. They liked the introduction of the Unit 8.
Yesterday the B class learnt the same topic as A, and showed interest in my explanations. Also, they used the English, although they were very shy. I think they thought they would do a review or a big test, I don't know... so when I finished the lesson that I have planned, I commanded them some tasks as a reinforcement of all they have learnt. Today I asked them to deliver their notebooks, and only 7 from 30 pupils have done the homework!! I nearly came close to becoming "Hulka". Suddenly I felt some anger, but after of that, I thought and took a deep breath...This happens in all schools. Class B were very attentive during my exposure, but also, lazy.
Chary, you have to take it easy, you supposed to be learning there there. studentes are the way they are, we have to use to techniques to involve them in the process.Well done!!
Today has been my first day in Almedina school. It has been such an amazing experience. This is a school where they have been working with CLIL for ten years so I am sure that I am going to learn so much:)
I have first met my lovely tutor (Rosa), she is the head of the English department and I am going to be with her during my placement period. Not only does she teach English, but she also teaches sciences in primary.
Today I have been in three different classes (3rd, 4th and 5th of primary)in sciences. I was impressed about the students' level of English.
I also would like to say that the teacher uses our mother tongue whenever is necessary for their students in order to understand something and it was great.
Yesterday was my second day at Almedina School. It was a wonderful day :)
I started in 6th of primary. It was a lesson called "communicative skills" and it was based on the preparation for the Trinity exams that the students will have next month. My tutor split up the group into two and we were working on speaking skills. It was an interactive class and I liked it very much.
Then, I moved to the 3rd sciences class. They were working on the "Water" unit and I had the chance to explain the water cicle with my tutor. We did a listening activity, it consisted of the different stages of the cicle and they had to put them in order and we also did some activities using the digital blackboard in order to practice some specific vocabulary. I was impressed by how motivated the students were during the class.
In the other classes, they had finished a unit recently so they were working in groups doing some experiments, power point presentations and projects. Each group focused their work on their favourite topic of the unit. We were guided them and helping them with some expressions, vocabulary...
I have to say that I am really happy in this school and I am learning so much thanks to my tutor.
Hi! Today I had my second lesson of my Teaching Unit with first ESO B. In this second lesson, they were learning hobbies vocabulary throughout a song and they were providing me some examples and trying to produce oral messages about what they use to do in their free time. They forget sometimes that, when you are using the verb 'like', and you are talking about what you like to do, you have to use the -ing from, for example: I like reading books. After that, I taught them modal verbs like must and can. I thought it was better that they tried to explain me what they already know about those verbs. Then I explained them the uses of modals verbs and the structure they have to use. Finally, they gave me some examples of each verb in different forms (negative, interrogative...) This group is very participative when I ask about examples and that makes me happy because it means they understood what I have been explaining.
I also had an hour of lecure to support students of first ESO A. That is all about today guys!
I had classes with both courses of first of ESO, B and C. I have to say that I have an extra lesson in first ESO B. So lessons are not going to be parallel in both courses because the level of students in the first ESO C is less than the other course and classes have different rates.
While I was planning my lessons I had to take into account this evaluation structure:
1. Exam (70%) 2.Work in class (30%) 2.1. Comprehesion (4) 2.1.1. Listening 2.1.2. Reading 2.2. Use of English 2.2.1. Vocabulary 2.2.2. Grammar 2.3. Production 2.3.1. Writing 2.3.2. Speaking
So I had to organize everything and to adapt it to a real time, which is really difficult because the rate of the classes depend on the students and I have only five and six sessions to explain an unit completely.
So in the first hour we were checking some activities that they did at home about modal verbs and after that they were doing a reading and they took notes. They also answered comprehesion questions from the book and an exercise about true or false they had copied in a sheet of paper.
When they finished, they gave me their homework to check it at home. Finally, I explained them the topic of the writing, which is about how to write an e-mail and how many parts it have to have.
In the second hour, I has been in first ESO C. ANd we were doing the same that I did in the second lesson of first ESO B. I also have been in a support class in fourth of ESO. Some students are not going to do the examn of 'selectividad'. So those students who are not going to do it go to this class and my tutor prepares them to pass an exam of 'Junta de Andalucía', the entrance exam.
They work a lot about readings and grammar as if they were in Bachillerato, but in a lower level. And that is all for now mates! More news tomorrow!
Hello again mates! Today I have been alone in class because my tutor had an exam with students of Bachillerato. So I had the third lesson in first ESO C, where I was explaining countable and uncountable nouns. We were doing a brainstorming about what they alreadt know about countable and uncountable nouns, and besides that, I made an outline to make them understand faster the theory.
Students provide their own examples about the topics to prove that they really understood the explanation.
Secondly, I explained to the students what they have to do in their writings and how to do it. So, as I did in the other course, I wrote on the blackboard a kind of struture which they have to follow to do the writing. Of course they have to do homework everyday to practice what they learn. They use to do homework from the WorkBook. One of the groups, first ESO C, is quite nervous because tomorrow they have to do the speaking. I think they are going to do it pretty well. They have to work a conversation in a restaurant in pairs. In this way, they can use permission verbs and vocabulary about food.
I have to say that I am very happy with first ESO C! They prepared their own food with paper to simulate food of a restaurant! They were really creative and we really enjoyed this role-play!
On the other hand, I explained countable and uncountable nouns in first ESO B, as I did in the other group yesterday.
Hi again mates! My teaching practice is getting over! :(
Today was the last class for one of the first courses of ESO. Today's class was a review of grammar, vocabulary and everything related to unit 6, in and out of the school. Students of first ESO C have made the listening today.
In the other course, they have made the oral examination of a situation in a restaurant. Students are very responsible and committed to their tasks. In this course there are some support students and they only pay attention in class. So after listening to their mates, they set out to improvise a little conversation in the restaurant. The rest of the students helped by giving the materials they had prepared. They did very well.
On the other hand I have to say that I had to keep the contents of the textbook, and we have used for some activities from the WorkBook, from my point of view it was too much. But parents of the students think students have to use it because it has been a cost for them.
I tried to incorporate something new and useful expressions of everyday life so they can use. They will have the exam next Tuesday.
Yesterday I spent a brilliant day at Almedina school. We had four hours of sciences in primary and one of English Language.
Year 3; They had finished the "Water" unit so we did some revision activities (some individually, others in pairs and then, some as a whole group) in order to share what they had learnt about that topic. They worked interactivelly, they felt involved in the class and they loved using the digital blackboard.
Year 4; We worked on the political Spanish map. They were researching on the different capital cities of Spain and my tutor and I explained them a project that they are going to start next week. It consists of building up a political map, we divided the class into several groups, each of them has to carry out with one or two Autonomous Comunity and search somre relevant information about them. I'm sure they will do it properly because they loved that idea.
Year 5; They started with their power point presentations, I was completely impressed by how they did them.
Year 6; We did a conceptual map about the "Light" unit.
Finally we had an English Language exam in year 6.
We started the morning with the "Communicative skills" lesson in year six. We practiced the speaking part of the Trinity College exams. I would like to point out their interest in doind their best.
Sciences in year 3, we have started to prepair their projects. We gave them some ideas, resources and they started to work on their own.
In year 4, I have explained "What is a minicipality?,and a comarca? and a capital city? and a region?" I used the digital blackboard and the teacher's book. It has been a good experience. They were so kind, they asked me lot of things, they paid attention to my explanation so they made me feel quite comfortable.
In year 5 and 6, in sciences, we continued with the power point presentations (year 5 in pairs and year 6 individually)Not only did they explain clearly their topics, but they also asked some feedback to their classmates. After each presentation, my tutor and I gave them some advices for future projects and we congratulated them.
I really like this school and the way they are working on CLIL. They are doing and excellent job!
I already finished my teaching experience at St. Victoria. I was at the school on monday and thursday because they had the exam, and first ESO B had an extraclass to remember how would be the exam.
I have been correcting exams and grades were pretty good. On Thursday I went to school to discuss the most common mistakes of exams and to give students the grades. On Friday I went early because one of the courses had prepared a farewell surprise party. I've been great at this center and it has been an experience I would repeat over and over again. Students made me feel that my work has paid off and there is nothing better than the feeling of gratitude.
I hope you enjoy your practice. Greetings to everyone :)
That is my first time in the blog, so let’s introduce a little bit my first days at the school. To start with, I would like to tell you that I am in Seneca school. Here, teachers are very kind and they have given me a warm welcome. I am very happy. Also with my students, I have been in 4 different classes, though there are a lot of pupils, they have a good behavior.
Talking about school, this school hasn’t got CLIL program yet, but the next year will. So they are working on material and looking for some new methodology for the future.
During my practical period I will help them to get it.
Yesterday 20th March was my first day in La Piedad, bu I didn´t have time to write here. I will tell you what I did in the school.
”. My first contact with teaching was with a teacher of the first level of primary who wants to improve her pronunciation in English. First of all we did an introduction of ourselves: name, age, where are we from?, studies and hobbies. Then, I prepared two texts about the importance of English and the advantages or disadvantages of studying English abroad. I think that reading aloud with somebody who can correct you constitutes another way to improve pronunciation. As I mentioned before, the first text talked about the importance of English and its spread all over the world. Firstly, I asked her to read the text and then I did it because it is good that she can compare different ways of pronunciation (hers and mine). After reading, I posed some questions about the text and she gave me her opinions. Then, I did the same with the second text. During the session, I tried to correct her pronunciation and to explain some basic things. After that session, I worked with the English teacher in the 6 level of primary. They were studying the story of Robin Hood together with the past simple tense. In previous days, the teacher suggest me to do something about Robin Hood in the class and I prepared a video in English about the story of Robin Hood and then, through a Power Point presentation, I made them some questions about the video and this legendary man. After that, the teacher proposed me to correct with them some exercises that they had to do for that day. The exercises were about making questions and answer using the past simple, so I ask for some volunteers to make these questions to their partners. In the afternoon, I also went to the school. Some others teachers of primary wanted a conversation lessons to improve their pronunciation and fluency and I used the same method as the first teacher in the morning (reading texts and making a debate).
This was my first day and the experience have been really exciting! Part of my task in this school is to help teachers to improve theis English, so as you can imagine,they must work a lot to face the CLIL program. I will do all my best to get it!
Now I will tell you what I have done today, 21st March, in the school.
Today I have worked again with the sixth level of primary in the English subject. I corrected with the students some exercises about the regular past simple tense. The exercises consisted, mostly, in forming sentences and questions using the past tense. We checked the exercises aloud and everybody has participated because tomorrow they will have the exam. I haven´t prepared additional material because, as the teacher told me, checking the exercises was the priority.
That´s all for today! Tomorrow I will tell you my "day as teacher". Thank you!
Yesterday, 22nd March, I also went to La Piedad but I didn´t have time to write in the blog so I will do now.
Yesterday was a more peaceful day because I was with the students of 6º of primary and they did an exam about the unit 4. The exam was about some expressions learnt in the unit 5 and some regular verbs in the past simple tense. After finishing the exam we checked the exam aloud.
Today, after some days at school, I would like to point out a key topic, METHODOLOGY. For me, this is very interesting, why? Because Juan (my tutor) and Charo, the two 2nd ESO teachers, have a very different way to teach, and both of them get good results.
On the one hand, Juan uses PBA( project based approach). As you know, PBA is a method based on the developing of a project at the end of the unit. In that unit they have recorded a video interviewing some foreigners. The results have been AMAZING because you can see a face to face interaction between students and the English speakers, it was really interesting!!
On the other hand, Charo uses a method based on the ICT in which students are involved in some competitions with a lot of schools in Spain (we are in 8th place). Here, we can see how motivation helps our pupils to learn quickly.
I will follow telling you interesting things in next comments!!
I am still learning something new every day at this school. I feel lucky because, as I am carrying out my placement with the head of the languages department, she is teaching me quite a lot, not only how do they work cooperatively between different departments, but I am also learning in each class that I am attending.
Last thursday, I just attended to three classes because year six was on a trip in "Sierra Nevada".
In year three, the pupils started with their projects presentations. They did it individually, they basically explained how they had worked their topics. They were so excited while they were talking to their classmates. We constantly encouraged them to do it interactively, advicing them how they could ask some questions... It was a hard job because we had to be so pacient, they did it slowly but it is a brilliant idea that they start to work on that way since they are that young.
In year four we finished the unit doing some revision activities, they did a mind map using a really useful listening.
In year five we finished with the power point presentations and they were asking us their doubts of the unit.
On friday, I was at the school at nine in the morning as usual. The first hour I was helping my tutor to correct some exams and to prepare further activities for next week.
Then, in year three we followed with their presentation, I really enjoyed that class.
In year five, they had an exam so I did not do too much.
Finally, in year four I started a new unit "The Landscapes", I did some pre-tasks activities: we worked with a text and some questions to check the comprehension, we also did a listening activities to introduce them some vocabulary that they will require during the unit and they also produce a text with this new vocabulary. They worked in pairs and individually, it was a great class.
Then I stayed in the school with my tutor helping her and she was also explain me more details about the Almedina School.
Even if I have finished the thirty hours I will stay next week again because I am really happy there!
Today has been my first day as a teacher. I am doing my practicum at "Nuestra Señora de la Piedad" and I have started with English subject in the first cycle of secondary education.
All the material I have prepared has been created by me and they are focused in speaking and listening skills.
At 8.30 I have had class with 2ºA of secondary education. I had prepared a power point about "new technologies" because Manoli (the English teacher) had asked me to do something focused on that. The session have been both in English and in Spanish because students didn't understand so much. This power point focused on speaking and listening skills. The students haven't participate too much and I have had to use my imagination to ask yes/no question instead other questions I had prepared previously.
At 9.30 I have been with 1ºA of secondary education. I have prepared a power point focused on cultural aspects of Great Britain (differences between English and Spanish schools). The students have participated a lot and they have made question about other aspects of GB. I am very happy with this group of students.
At 10.30 I have had class with 2ºB of secondary education. I have used the same power point that in 2ºA. This class has been a little bit chaotic because the majority of the students haven't participated and there was a small group of three that were making noise. I have used English and Spanish too to make questions. There are huge differences between the level of English of the students.
Today, I would like to divide my day into two parts: morning and afternoon.
Morning
There aren’t many things to tell you about the day. We have focused on our classes (1st and 2nd E.S.O) in a kind of revision lessons because tomorrow they have the final exams of that term. It seems to be a synchronized school but it’s by sheer chance.
Afternoon
It has been an interesting afternoon. Today we have had a meeting and although I didn’t have to come I do it, because the topic of the meeting is bilingualism so this is a great opportunity to know the entire process that a school suffers to develop a CLIL program.
If I had to summarize some key questions, I would highlight the following in brief:
• The English integration at school considering the language and the culture (some festivities as St. Patrick day, Easter, Halloween…) • The election of the sciences book that students in 1st level are going to use the next year. • The creation of new materials to complement the book.
Yesterday, 26th March, I worked with 4 years students. The school also wants to implement the bilingual program at these levels. I was surprised because the children had a good level of English according to their age. The teacher told me that she uses a new methodology called “phonics”. This year is the first that the school has accomplished “phonics” and it consists in teaching phonemes. For instance, the teacher teaches them the /s/ phoneme, they repeat it sometimes and then she gives the students a word containing this phoneme (“sun”). Therefore, they will learn a new word for each phoneme. I have read some articles about this methodology and it seems successful. However, in my personal opinion, I think that teaching by this method is very difficult because you have to work with words which have any relation between them and are complicated for 4 years students. But, it is also true that, as I have said before, children have a good level of English and the teacher is sure that it is due to this methodology. Yesterday was the first time that I heard about “phonics” methodology and, although the teacher helped me, I was lost in the class because I had to guide it and I didn´t know how to do it with "Phonics".
After revising all the phonemes, I followed a sort of “routine” that the teacher has everyday with them. It consists in revising numbers, days of the week, colours, questions such as “what is your name?” or “how old are you?”.
And that´s all guys! I will tell you more things during this week ;)
Todays has been my second day at my school. At 8.30 I have worked with 1ºB of secondary education. I have used the power point of "English and Spanish schools" that I used with 1ºA yesterday. The student have not participate too much, neither in English nor in Spanish. Just two or three students have spoken in English. Then, they have worked in groups to think about a cultural task they must do for this subject. Afterwards they have to design it and give it to me the next month. I asked for the same task in 1ºA class.
At 9.30 I have been with 2ºB of secondary education. Today we have been doing grammar exercises about the future with going to and will. The students have been doing some exercises of the activity book and they have been asking me questions about vocabulary or grammar structures. They have been more active than yesterday.
Today I have also gone to La Piedad and I´ve worked with 3 and 5 years students. They don´t work with the “Phonics” method so, the class has been easier for me.
I´ve been half an hour with each group and I´ve started with the group of 3. They are learning some vocabulary related with clothes such as hat, t-shirt, jacket, trousers, socks and shoes. Through some flashcards, we´ve revise all the clothes and some other vocabulary such as colours or animals. Then, the teacher has put a CD which has told them a story about where we must wear each garment: “the shoes in the feet”, the t-shirt in the tummy”, etc., so that they learn vocabulary of clothes and revise the parts of the body at the same time. Then, they´ve done an exercise which has consisted in matching each garment with the part of the body where it must be worn. I loved the experience because children were extremely obedient.
After working with 3 years students, I´ve gone to the 5 year´s class. With this group I´ve revised some vocabulary with them (colours, parts of the body and so on) and then, the teacher put a CD with a story related to clothes and the weather. Then they´ve made an exercise in which they had to listen to a song about the colours of some Easter eggs and painting the egg with the correct colour (given in the song). The experience has been amazing too.
Finally, I´ve worked with the 6º level of primary. The teacher and I´ve explained them how to form past sentences (affirmative and negative). After that I´ve also carried out a brainstorming of “birthday´s party” because most of the vocabulary within the unit is about this topic. They´ve told me the first thing that has come to their minds about birthday´s party and I´ve written it in the blackboard. Everybody has participated in this exercise and I´ve discovered the wide vocabulary that they have.
As I told you yesterday, today I have a relax day because our students had to do the final exam. It was about a unit 5 developing the past simple and the present perfect and vocabulary related to transport. I think that the exam was quite difficult but we will see the result next day.
Generally speaking, teachers are very happy because they think that students have done a great effort in that unit. Also, the project is a key point to evaluate not only the exam.
Thinking about tomorrow, I guess we will have a busy day, correcting the exams and preparing the final marks, but this I will tell you tomorrow.
Yesterday, I was right; today I have been a busy day. Although we have some free hours, also we have to spend them correcting exams and calculating the final mark of the term.
I can say after now that I am an expert preparing the final result.
On the other hand, I would like to show you how I feel after spending some hours teaching English. Though I have worked as teacher in several schools, this situation was different because I had a person who is evaluating me. So I’ve tried to do the best.
Moreover, I have been introducing the next unit, unit number 6 which is about MYSTERY and THE PARTS OF THE HOUSE. I have just focused this lesson with vocabulary because my tutor told me to work on it. I started using a brainstorming to know their previous knowledge and then I gave them a handout about a haunted house, in this activity students have to complete the frame with the appropriate word. Later on, match each word with a definition and a wordseach. To finish the lesson they have to write some definitions about some objects in a house. That’s all more or less.
Yesterday was my last day before the Easter break. I only worked with 6º of primary. During half an hour they rehearsed a song in English which they will represent before all the school.
After that, we came back to the class and we did an exercise that I prepared for them. The exercise was based on the brainstorming made on the previous day. I give them some vocabulary related with birthday´s party and, in groups of five, they had to classified it in some given categories such as “things that we say in a birthday party”, “things that we give” things that we have”, etc. With this exercise, they also worked with some of the verbs included in the unit that they are learning: give, say, have. Each group might choose a spokesperson to write in the blackboard one of the categories so that everybody could correct the exercise.
Hi mates! I'm here after Easter holidays... Today I have had three classes like my last Monday at "Nuestra Señora de la Piedad" School.
At 8.30 I have worked with 2ºA of secondary education. Today we have listened two listenings and they have done several exercises about the vocabulary of the unit: new technologies. After that I have reviewed the grammar of the lesson (past simple and first conditional) through some oral questions and two brief exercises. Students have gone to the blackboard to check the answers. Then they have been doing some reading exercises of the text book. At the end of the class I have been working with two students with special needs. They are not following the same text book and they need more attention from the teacher. I have had to explain them the exercises with past simple in Spanish and a lot of times. I have realised it is very hard to work with this type of students.
At 9.30 I have gone with 1ºA of secondary education. We have worked two listenings with their corresponding exercises of the text book. Then we have reviewed the vocabulary of the unit through several oral questions. Later they have been doing reading exercises of the unit: living at the school.
At 10.30 I have class with 2ºB of secondary education. I have worked the same aspects than in 2ºA. At the end of the class I have been working with a guy with special needs. He didn't want to do the exercises and Manoli (the charming English teacher) has asked me to work with him. He has started crying and I have felt a little bit awkward. The thing is that he is intelligent but he needs a lot of attention to do anything.
I think I am learning a lot because I am working with "different" kind of students and I am realising that the way of teaching English to these children is very complicated.
I'll tell you more about my teaching practice tomorrow in the morning.
Hi mates! Yesterday was my first day in La Piedad after the Easter break. I worked with 1º of primary in the subject of Science. They started a new unit about “La Localidad” and the teacher made an introduction, in Spanish, of the main vocabulary which was about the different types of houses (piso, casa, chalet, iglú, jaima…). Then, I taught them the same vocabulary but in English (flat, house, chalet, igloo, tent…). I talked with them in English about the topic and then they copy on their notebook the vocabulary and one of the most important question that they learnt: “Where do you live? I live in a flat/house/…”. Each students told us in English where does he/he live. After that, they drew on their notebook each type of house and put their English names below.
At 8.30 I have gone with 1ºB of secondary education. We have worked two listenings with their corresponding exercises of the text book, the same as I did yesterday with 1ºA of secondary education. Then we have reviewed the vocabulary of the unit through several oral questions. After that they have been making sentences with the vocabulary of the unit and they have written some of these sentences on the blackboard to check them.
At 9.30 I have worked with 2ºB of secondary education. We have been checking the exercises I asked them to do at home, and I have been answering their doubts about the exercises. Then I have explained the grammar: to be going to through the text book and they have been doing the corresponding exercises of the book.
At the beginning of the last class, the students have introduced me a new girl in the class. I was very surprised because I've thought that they were kiding me about that. Then, Manoli (the teacher)has told me that the girl has entered today at the school for the first time in the year. I didn't think that this type of things will be possible in Spanish educational system.
I think I am learning a lot in this school, it is being a very good experience for my professional life.
Yesterday I couldn´t write here because I was very busy but I do it now.
Yesterday 10th April I worked with students of 3 and 5 years. With the first group, we checked some vocabulary (colours, animals, numbers…) using flashcards and then they did some exercises related with the vocabulary of clothes. With the second group, we also checked some vocabulary and then I taught them some animals using flashcards. After that, they listened to a song about animals and did three exercises about that. After working with those students, I was with students of the 6th level of primary. They had to study the first ten irregular verbs of their list because the following day they had an exam. We practiced those verbs through several games. Firstly we played to “hangman”: one volunteer had to think on one of these verbs (whether on the infinitive or past form) and the rest of the class had to guess it. Then, I prepare other game which consisted of identifying the verbs which were written in the blackboard. Two volunteers had to stand in front of the blackboard with their eyes closed and when I said “now!” they had to open their eyes and raise their hand. The winner is the first student who raises the hand and says the past form of the verb correctly. In the afternoon, I worked with some teachers of primary. They wanted to improve their pronunciation in English so I prepare two exercises. In the first one they had to talk about a famous person who appeared in a photo. Then, one teacher chose a photo and his/her partners had to guess, through asking yes/no questions, who was the person in the photo. And finally, I prepared for them a role-play with two different situations.
Now I´m going to tell you what I have done today in the school(11th April). I have worked with students of the 6th level of primary. I hav prepared an exercise about the verbs go, have, say and give. Firstly I have given them a text in which they had to fill the gaps with the verbs in brackets (using the present simple tense). At the same time, they could see the text in a Power Point presentation. The second exercise has consisted of changing the same text into the past simple tense. They have done it in class and I will corrected it at home. Everyone has got a good mark.
Hello!! I´m goint to tell you what I did yesterday in La Piedad.
Firstly, I worked with students of 4 years. We made a revision of the vocabulary that they had already learnt such as colours, numbers, greetings. Then, we revised some vocabulary through the “Phonics” method and then I taught them the vocabulary of clothes through the cartoons of a boy and a girl. Finally, we divided the class into three groups and each group was doing different things:
Group 1: it had to form words with pieces of a puzzle. Group 2: it had to match phonemes with the correct picture (for instance, the phoneme /a/ with the picture of an “apple”). Those relations are known for the students. Group 3: it had to sign in some pictures the phonemes that they listened to.
After that, I worked with 6th level of primary. I gave the students the corrections of the exercise that I had given for them the day before and then, we worked with the Class´s book. Firstly we listen to some useful sentences and one by one they had to repeat them. After that, I wrote some questions and answers related with the unit, and, in pairs, they had to practice them.
Hi!!! Today I have worked with 2ºA, 1ºA and 2ºB of secondary education. I have prepared a power point about movies. First we have done a brainstorming about the topic with some guided questions. After that I have selected four silent short movies. The students have watched the videos and then, they have answered some guided questions about the short movies, both orally and in a written way.
I have asked them to do a group task in which they have to analyze a short movie (name, main characters, genre, summary and an alternative ending). They were so excited because they aren't used to do this kind of activities in English class.
Some students have started to send me the cultural task I asked them before Easter holiday. I am so surprised because they are very original children and they work very hard.
I'll tell you more about my practicum tomorrow morning!
Today I have had class with 1ºB of secondary education. I have worked with the power point I prepared about movies, and I have followed the same way of taking the class.
Then I have moved to 2ºB. We have done the listenings corresponding to the second part of the unit 6. I have repeated the listenings three times and they have completed the exercises of the text book. Afterwards, we have been correcting previous exercises about reading from the text book.
Today I have been alone in the class (without Manoli) because there have been a meeting, so I have worked without any supervision. We have been revising the vocabulary (food and drink) and they have been doing its corresponding exercises from the textbook. Then, we have been checking the exercises of grammar (countable and uncountable nouns: any, some, a lot of, much and many). Students have written the answers on the blackboard and they've asked me their doubts.
At the end of the class, a boy have asked me if I could help him with his accademic future. I was very surprised because he asked me about university, the degree he wants to study... He wanted some information and he came to me for his worry. I have felt ok because I have realized that the children trust me and they think I can help them beyond the English class.
Yesterday I didn´t have time for writting in the blog. I´m going to tell you what I did yesterday and what I have done today.
Tuesday 17th April: Firstly I worked with students of the first level of primary in the subject of Natural Science. We practice the types of houses: flat, house, chalet, igloo, tent. I prepared for the students some flashcards to practice this vocabulary. Then, we learnt the parts of a house (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and dining-room). I also prepared for them some materials and we hung flashcards and labels with the names in the wall. Each student took one part of the house and after saying loudly “In my house there is a kitchen”, the person who had the flashcard of kitchen had to hung it in the wall. We repeated the same process until every student participated. Then I worked with 3 and 5 years groups. In the first one, we checked some vocabulary and we made some exercises from the book related with the new vocabulary which was about animals. After that, I worked with the 5 years group. We also checked some vocabulary and then, we listened to a song about animals. I told them a story about animals and then, I asked them some things about the story. Finally, I worked with the students of the 6º year of primary. The teacher decided that they had to do some exercises from their book, and they were all the class doing this homework. I helped them if they didn´t understand something.
Wednesday 18th April Today I have been alone in the class. The teacher couldn´t come. We have listened to the song of the unit and then, I have prepared for them some Power Point presentation about the months of the year, seasons and the main festivals in each month. Then, we have listened to the story of the unit and I prepared for them some questions about the story using the past simple tense.
Today has been a a "light" day because some students have the exam of the unit this Friday and the other groups, the next week. We have been correcting all the exercises of the unit from the activity book and the text book. Then they have been asking their doubts about vocabulary and grammar.
Today I´ve been with 4 years students. We´ve worked with the “Phonics” method and the phonemes /h/ and /b/ after checking some vocabulary. We did some exercises about both phonemes and I taught them some vocabulary containing those phonemes.
Today I have been working with speaking, reading and vocabulary exercises of the textbook. We have checked all the exercises of the unit because their exam is very soon. Students have been working individually and, then I have helped them with the exercises they considered more difficult. They have been asking me their doubts and they have given me the task I asked them to do about the powerpoint about "the short movies".
esterady, I was with students of the 1st level of Primary education, in the Science subject. We checked some vocabulary of the type of houses and the parts of a house with some material that I prepared for the previous days. While we were checking that vocabulary, the teacher recorded me to put the video in the webpage of the school. Then I prepared material for teaching new vocabulary: buildings in the city (cinema, hospital, market, gym…). I prepared flashcards and we practiced with them and played some games. The children enjoyed a lot.
Then, I worked with students of the 6th level of Primary Education, in the English subject. They did an exam of some irregular verbs, and then the teacher told them to do exercises of the Activity´s book; I solved all their doubts about the exercises. While they were doing them, I corrected their verb exams.
I have finished my practicum in the school La Piedad. I finished on Thursday so, sorry for the delay in writting here (I have been ver very busy those days).
In my last day in the school I worked with 3 and 5 years students. We followed the same process as previous days: revision of vocabulary and realization of some exercises related with the vocabulary which they were learning at that moment. Then, I went to the 5 years classroom, and we did exactly the same.
Finally, I worked with the 6th level of Primary Education. I had prepared some material related with some expressions such as “make my bed” “tidy my room” etc., but they prepared me a surprise and the lesson had to change its dynamic. They gave me some gifts and then I played with them some games in English.
That´s has been all in La Piedad. The experience has been amazing because it has been the first time that I have stood in front of so many children but I think that I have learnt a lot. All the teachers have been extremely kind with me and I am very thankful for that and for give me the opportunity to stay in their institution. However, there are some points that I think that must be improved so that, I will give some proposals in the memory.
I didn't write my last day in the school Nuestra Señora de la Piedad. I was making a summary of the unit Tone colour. Instrumentation for Music subject. I prepared the summary of the lesson and the corresponding exercises. The teacher gave me the text book and the workbook and I mixed all the information of both books in a four pages summary.
I work this material with 1ºA and B. Students didn't understand so much but they could follow the class because they had the same material in Spanish.
That's been all in my school. It has been a great experience and I have enjoyed a lot teaching in secondary education and I've realised that I'd love teaching in the future.
today was my first day in Alauda College. It was my first time in a private school, so I didn't quite know what to expect(I have spent all my practices periods from my career in public schools). I was like a sponge, trying to watch, listen and learn everything. To summarize, the childer behave more "properly" than in my last school, are all wearing white shirts and ties (both girls and boys), are not allowed to speak during the classroom without raising their hands (no spontaneous remarks, no jokes and hardly smiling) The teacher, very young, but with 5 years of experience, was a filologist, having studied en "Filosofia y Letras" some years ago. She has a very good English, good pronounciation and a fluent communication in the class. I have seen Primary classes and 1º ESO classes. All of them have digital boards, (no blackboard, no chalk, no dust, almoust no writing), different spacial situation (tables and chairs).
Good to remember: she is asking the students to follow with their finger the text while they listen to the audio. This way they can hear how every word sounds (their reading and speaking were very good).
Not to do thing: when a teacher assesses reading (intonation, pronounciation...) s/he can't take away one point just because the student isn't paying attention. We can't mix formal assessement with attitudes.
Tomorrow i'm going to change the teacher and see another classes. Keep in touch!
Yesterday, 5th March was my first day in Sto.Trinitarios School, which is a concerted school where the students wear uniforms. It was a very enjoyable day. I arrived there at 9:00 o’clock and I met the English teacher, Carmen, and she showed me the classes and the lessons I was going to teach. I was going to teach English in 1st and 2nd of Primary Education. I worked with children of six, seven and eight years old. In class they speak Spanish and English; it depends according to the level and the students. This first day was an introductory day and I just met the students. I helped them supervising their work, and improving their English. In 1st of Primary Education they have worked with the activity book. In the 2nd course is the same method but with a different unit and more complex vocabulary. We’ve listened to songs in English, while the students did exercises. The teacher is a good person, she has a very good English pronunciation and she has a good organization of the class. The behavior of the children is good. The level of English of these children is amazing. I worked with them in the didactic unit about toys. They used rich vocabulary like marbles, doll, plane, computer-games... using it in several funny activities. To finish the class and make it more fun we did a game where we worked with the vocabulary of the unit and we also reviewed pronunciation. It was a very special day. Next week I'm going to see other classes.
The monday 11th of March 2013 was my second day of practice in the school Sto. Trinitarians. I accompanied the English teacher of Primary Education from 9:00 to 12:00 in their respective classes. Today I was in the 1st and 2nd grade of primary education. I've been in 2nd grade B and A. We had class of knowledge of the environment, which is taught in English. They studied plants reproduction. They have learnt vocabulary such as shrubs, trees and lawns. To liven the class up we did an experiment with glasses of water, celeries and colors such as red, yellow and blue. The purpose was to see if the celery was colored or not. In this week they have also seen their plants have grown lentils. Their enthusiasm was reflected in their faces. In 1st A I’ve worked a new teaching unit: parts of the house and possible dangers (plugs, fire, etc.). We have also reviewed prepositions through exercises of the activity book. We worked vocabulary such as: kitchen, plug, fire pot, bedroom, etc.. Other routines remain the same as always, for example, singing a song in English at the beginning and at the end of the class. The teacher name a leader of the class that changes every day who says the date of the day and what the weather is like, always in English. At the end of the class and in order to make it more entertaining we usually play games with which we work the vocabulary of the unit and review pronunciation.
Yesterday, 12th March was my third day of practice in the school Sto. Trinitarians. I accompanied the English teacher in the classes of 1st and 2nd grade of primary education. The first two hours were in 2nd grade A and B. Today, in both classes, while the teacher was remembering some concepts of the unit seen in previous classes, such as prepositions and toys, and asking them to do some exercises from the work book, I've been explaining to two children who were missing the previous days the review of the unit. It is also true that these children had more difficulties than the rest of the class in all subjects, but especially in English. I worked with them the numbers, colors and the food. Once again I have proven that with hard work anything can be achieved, since they first seemed not to have learnt anything in class, but when they performed the exercises they did very well. I loved helping them and seeing how they progressed. At the third hour I've been in 1st grade A, where we reviewed several concepts such as prepositions and numbers from 1 to 20, among others, by some exercises from the workbook. At the end of the class we played a game using the vocabulary and numbers studied.
That's all for today. Next week more and better news. Thank you!
Dear classmates, The last Wednesday 3rd March was my first day in El Carmen school. I have to say that due to personal reasons I will go to school from Wednesday to Friday every weeks. I arrived the school at 9 o’clock and looked for my tutor, Miriam, who received me gratefully. The children of second course were entering the classroom and all of them were happy to see a new teacher in their classroom. After 5 minutes, Miriam introduced me to another teacher called Juan with whom I will be every Wednesday for 2 hours in the Science lessons in first course of Primary Education. So I was in this class for the first two hours of the morning where I could observe how Juan carried out the lesson. Then, he told me that I would give the class the next Wednesday. For it, he borrowed me some books: two books about Science and another two books of contents of Maths, Science and Language. I was two more hours with Miriam giving English lessons in two groups of second course of Primary Education. I introduced the fourth unit called "The house" using some home-made flashcards to introduce the new vocabulary. For the last hour of the morning I was in another English class of third course of Primary in this case, with another teacher called Inma. It was a class about animals and I could notice some methodological differences between the way of teaching of both teachers Miriam and Inma. And that was all! Thanks!
Hello everybody! I'm going to continue narrating you the course of my second and third days in El Carmen school:
Thursday 4th March
According to my schedule, on Thursdays I enter the school at 10 o'clock. The first class of the day was in a class of 3rd course of Primary with Inma. It was quite similar to the last class of the previous day (animals). The teacher gave a big input of vocabulary to the students and some of the words were unknown to them. She asked me to read all the words aloud to the students so that they know how these words are pronounced, and after have repeated each word with me, the students copied the new vocabulary in their notebooks. They also wrote the meaning of each word next to it. I could make some reflections about the different methodologies that I can observe from different teachers, for example, in Miriam's class the students never copy the new vocabulary the first day that it is introduced. Maybe the methodology that Inma applies would be more appropriate in higher courses. The second class that I attended was in Pre-school Education, where I only observed the performance of the lesson. Children didn't use to pay much attention because of their ages. And the last lesson of the morning was in second course. I met a girl with special educative needs, in fact, I have known some students with this kind of needs in the different classes that I attend and it is gratifying for me helping them. The students were doing exercises about parts of the house.
Friday 5th March On Fridays, I enter the school on 12 o'clock so I can only attend two English classes in second course. I had prepared the next session and I gave the lesson on my own. I added three words more after have reviewed the vocabulary orally. Then, I introduced the grammar structure of "Where is...?" and the prepositions: in, on, under, next to and in front of. We practised the vocabulary, the grammar structure and the prepositions using the poster of the unit. Finally, the students copied from the blackboard all what they had learnt in the lesson.
Today was my first day of practice in Virgen del Carmen school. When I arrived at the school I went to look for my tutor who is he teacher of a group of the first year of primary education. My tutor teaches the subject of Science in the three clases of the first year that are in this school. Today I taught a Science class to one of these classes. Students were watching the unit number 9 which is about landscapes and today we have finished two pages that weren't done. One of them included a listening, which only repeated the vocabulary words in the same order they are placed in the book, so students get lost and they do not pay attention because they do not have to do anything just listen, which find quite boring. The second activity was also a listening activity but it was more atractive. The audio said the colour in which students have to color some coastal landscapes that appeared in the picture. After finishing this page, we have worked in the following one the differences between natural non-made and man-made features. After that, we made the presentation, together the three first courses, of the next unit, which will be worked as a project. The teacher has put the children some videos in which we have seen ideas from the three branches of the proyect: jobs, tools and machines
And that's all today. Tomorrow more and better! See you soon
Hello everybody! Today was my second day of practice I gave class to a first grade grou. As they have exam next Friday, we have been reviewing key concepts and expressions. We have reviewed them with a game using flashcards: first with the help of the children I have sung a song that is: shuffle, shuffle, one, two, three, shuffle, shuffle, one, two, three.Then I say the name of one of the children and he/she told me a number and I count the flashcards until I get to that number. My tutor told me that the class in which we have been today is very good and children study a lot and it was true because they were most of the time paying attention and they all knew the vocabulary of the unit. When we reviewed all the flashcards, we have developed the same activity that I did yesterday with the other class. I've also been helping my tutor to develop the material related to the project that we will carry out from tomorrow. Bye! Have a nice day!
I was wrong and posted two messages on another forum, so I attach them here. These comments relate to the 11 and 12 of March.
Hello! Today was my first day at school. I'm in a bilingual class, with children under 6 years. In addition, the class is also bilingual in sign language, because there is a deaf girl, who has the help of an interpreter, but is fully integrated into the class with other students and activities. I was very surprised by this, because one thing that is very difficult for me, they see it as normal. When explaining a concept, they do sign language too, and all children learn the necessary gestures to communicate with her. In class there is a board with the alphabet in sign language, and the child is actively involved in all activities, responding aloud to some of them, or going to the board to solve exercises. The first class was Environmental Knowledge, during which they have done a test, first in Spanish and then in English, but with different questions each, as the Spanish exam focused more on the content, and the English exam focused on vocabulary. The second class have spent doing math problems in which the deaf girl has also been active, solving any of them on the board. After recess I had a free hour, during which I have been preparing material for bilingual classes with the class tutor, and late in the language class, we explained the steps to write a recipe, and also for finally, we sang a song with the days of the week and months of the year in sign language. ---------------------------------------------------------
Today was my second day of practice at school. In the first class, we have language, we could not take the class because students had medical. A second hour, we have math, addition and subtraction by ones and tens. After recess we had Environmental Awareness, and have reviewed the water cycle in English and sign language at the same time. Finally, I had a free hour, during which I have been with the class tutor, who taught me integrated curricula, which are preparing, and bilingual teaching units with chips, tests and activities. I have also helped make a mural about the water cycle, with stickers and velcro, so that students can add and remove pieces while they study.
On 3 and 4 April were my third and fourth day at school. On day 3, during the first class, we read a story and then did some exercises about it. During the second hour, I helped the teacher to explain the seasons, in Spanish and English, and the interpreter did it in sign language for all children in the class could learn. After we had math class, in which the children made an exam. After the break, I had a free hour, during which I was helping the teacher with the murals they perform for bilingual classes. I found it very interesting this method of learning because through visual tools we are able to catch the attention of children and make learning easier for the deaf student. During the last class of the day, I was in English class, in which I explained to the children how they can present to another person, and were practicing in pairs. Thus, through the active participation of students in class, meaningful learning is achieved and also with this exercise children improve its expressiveness and become more confident in themselves.
On day 4, during the first two hours, we were in classes of 1 A and 1 B, and helped the teacher to explain the difference between coastal landscape and mountain landscape, in Spanish and English, with the mural we had made the day before. The children went to the board and put the mural pieces into their places. After the break, we had craft class, during which the children made a flower for Mother's Day. Then, in language class, we read a story and students answered several questions about the characters, to check their reading comprehension and expressive capacity. The last time I had free hour and was talking to the interpreter who works with the deaf girl, because I think she does a great job and I was curious about how she carried out their daily work with this student.
Hi! Today the teacher and I have been during the first hour underlining what the children of first course will write so as to make the book of the country of Malta.Then in the following two hours we have give each child a text to copy and they have been writing under our supervising. At the end of the day we have been doing the daily routine (maths and language).
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarIt is Cristóbal (Christopher from now). Yesterday, 13th February was my first day in Calasancio School. It was a very exciting nd amazing day, because I was new at school and everybody shows interest for you. I met my tutor (Chari), although I have met her before, in a pevious meeting, and she showed me the classes and lessons I was going to teach. I was going to teach English in 3º and 4º of Secondary Education (ESO), so four clases, because there is a "3ºA" and "3ºB" and same for "4º"; and I was going to teach the Unit "The Universe" in 1º of Secondary Education (ESO) as a bilingual experience.
This first day was an introductory day and I just met the students, but I helped them supervising their work, speaking to and with them and encoraging to speak in English in stead of Spanish. Through jokes and some funny situations they met me and, according to my tutor, Chari, they like me so it is a very important beginning at Calasancio School.
The enviromnment of the school can be reflected in a lot of organizational elements I will describe along the period I stay here.
From now, I am in the PC waiting for the students, because today it is a special date, St. Valentine's Day and we are going to prepare something related to it.
If you want to know what will happen, just follow me ;).
I started teaching English yesterday to 3º and 4º ESO and it was a great experience. The students looked at me carefully and constantly, and they laugh very much about my English accent (some of them told me I had a british accent and they liked it). I prepared some activities related to Saint Valentine's Day and they liked very much. I always take advantage of the funniest students in order to implicate and make them participate in the lesson, craeating funny situations and engaging as many students as I can. I prepared some tasks such as: write a romantic poem, read some love poems with passion (they enjoyed it, because the like theatre very much) and write some romantic and love stories. Most of them were sad stories and students showed me their feelings about them. It was so emotional! It was a very special day because some people interrupted the lesson sometimes to deliver roses, carnations, lollypops and love letters or cards.
ResponderEliminarToday it is the third day of my Practicum stay in Calasancio. I have started to teach the CLIL Didactic Unit "The Universe" for students of 1º Secondary Education (ESO). I have taught in two different classrooms: 1º ESO A and 1º ESO B. Firstable, I taught in 1º ESO B, a 23-24-students classroom. They were nervous, but excited, because they were going to have a new teacher: me.
ResponderEliminarWe have been working on The Solar System, the first epigraph of the Didactic Unit and I have introduced it throug the technique "Brainstorming". I told the some jokes to create a good atmosphere and they have enjoyed a lot. Something which I liked very much and that surprised me was when I was leaving the classroom and a group of students told me if I was going to come back to the classroom. I smiled and told them "yeah, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow". They were so happy! During this firs lesson, I was with the Sciences teacher and my tutor, Charo, was in 3ºESO B, and the students of this classroom asked her where I were :).
The second classroom, 1º ESO A, is a 24-students classroom, but with a huge difference: you cannot hear even the flies. They were so so quiet, but I prepared some activities, such as an "energyzer" to implicate them and make participate in my lesson. I could do more activities in this classroom, because they were faster than the other students from 1º ESO B. Finally, we organised a debate and they participated actively, so I am so happy because I know they liked the lesson! :).
TO BE CONTINUED...
On Thursday 16th February I started the lesson very early, at 8am, with 1º ESO A. We started the lesson with an “energyzer”, because it was very early and the pupils were a bit tired and sleepy. The task consisted on waliking around the classroom, because they were planets orbiting the Solar System, and when I told a number of planets they had to form groups compouned by this number of people/planets. They really liked it.
ResponderEliminarAfter waking them up we were reviewing some vocabulary and contents of the past days and I explained some contents related to “The Sun”. So I asked them to read the texts aloud and try to understand them. We worked on some pronunciation aspects and then they had to answer some qestions about the content. We share this information through a speaking task and we finished the lesson with a debate about if they think we could live in another planet different from the Earth.
E had free time until 12.30pm, when I was in 3º ESO A collaborating with my tutor. At 1.30pm I had the same lesson with 1º ESO B.
I am very happy because people are knowing me better and they think now I am not a crazy person, as they considered the first day.
It’s Friday, last day of this very intense and intensive working week! It was the last sesion of my Didactic Unit of “The Universe”. Today it was the exam day and students did not know about it! I did not tell them and they were really worried about it. The told me angrily they had not studied and I tried to calm them down. I explained it was not a real exam and it was really easy.
ResponderEliminarI explained the last point of the Didactic Unit: “The planets”. I gave them very basic information about the planet in the solar system and we were reviewing past information using a technique making mistakes. I told them I lived in other planet and I did not know anything about the planets and the solar system. So I started walking around the classroom telling false sentences such as: “The Earth is in the centre of the Solar System” and they had to refute this information and tell me the correct sentence.
During the three lessons I have focused also on grammatical and pronounciation skills, pointing at some words or expressions and asking them to repeat them correctly. I told the students to do the exam and when they wrote the questions, they told me it was very easy! But it is ok, because the exam is only one of the assessment strategies I was going to consider to evaluate the students.
Hi Chris!!
EliminarThanks for sharing your experience!! I see that you've enjoyed and learnt a lot with the pupils!!
Let's see how the things go with me...
Byee!!
Hello peers, and good afternoon!
ResponderEliminarToday,Águeda and me have had the first meeting with some tutors of primary and secondary of the Trinitarios School.
They have been very kind and gave us full freedom.
We have given all instructions and schedules in order to choose the stage and level.
In my case, I chose to teach Sciences in the first cycle of Secondary, but I'll have the opportunity to practice in primary (4th level) and the tutor of 4th ESO, has asked me to lecture on some topics of culture of the English-speaking countries.
Well, I'll begin the Practicum the 29th of February, together with Águeda.
So that's all.
More news soon... Bye ;)
I am happy you have a good impression of the school and the lesson planning you are going to have. I am finishing at school :( and I feel a bit sad. Today, a student (a 15 year-old girl) told me to stay there for longer, because "she likes the way I teach English and the way I speak with them". It made me happy, because I feel I am helping the students and that's one of my aims, the most important. Being a teacher during these days at this school has supposed for me... to reflect about the different contexts which exist. I have been teaching in other contexts but all of them are different, with different needs and different particularities. So that's the most beautiful part of being a teacher: to know to your students and try to help them and motivate them :).
EliminarThat's the point dear friend! Our job is extremely vocational!
EliminarI am so happy for you both guys! Good luck with you Practicum Chary! You'll be fine! :)
EliminarCristobal and Chari, you are doing pretty good, go ahead!!!
ResponderEliminarToday it is after-carnival week! I am not going to 1º ESO anymore to teach them but I have to tell them their marks, very good marks after taking the exam and having corrected it and the exercises (portfolio, homework...) I like this school more and more. I feel confortable with students and teachers, and the director is really nice. I had a lesson with 4º ESO A, a classroom I was the first day but they did not see me “in action”, because it was my introductory day. They were really expectant because they did not know I was going to give them the lesson. We were working and reviewing the phrasal verbs, creating stories and sharing information. This lesson focused basically on speaking and listening skills. I proposed the students some roleplayings and asked them to create a song with phrasal verbs. They were really creative and created very interesting and funny songs which helped them to memorise and understand the phrasal verbs.
ResponderEliminarI had the same lessons in 4º ESO B and 3º ESO A and B, because my tutor tries to teach the same contents at the same time, but going deeper in the upper levels.
Today I started lessons in 4º ESO B, singing songs. The students sang some songs and the teacher assessed the speaking skill. The students were a bit shy when they had to sing, but, on the other hand, some students had passion for singing and they did it really well. We were practicing the phrasal vebrs again and some tenses. Some students were a bit sad because I was going to leave the school in just one day. Some of them asked me again to stay there at school.
ResponderEliminarI have corrected the exams and exercices of both 1º ESO A and B and I will tell them the final mark tomorrow. They were very excited and happy because I told them the marks were really good.
We were watching some videos about british culture and we asked the students to discuss about what they had listened to. They shared with us the information and learnt about british culture.
In other classes, like 3º DC (Curricular Adaptations), where there are just five SENS (Specific Educational Needs Students) we tried to adapt the videos and the tasks and asked them to copy some information to check if they had understood the videos and share later with the classroom.
Last day at school! Wow, the time has gone, very fast, quicly. During eight days I have been teaching English and some topics, such as Sciences (The Universe) in Secondary courses. I have a very good impression about the school and teachers, and studens also, and I think they have the same impression about me. Some teacher have been commenting and taliking about me and it is very funny, because a lot of students have asked them if I was a foreigner! They smiled and told I was from here but I had passion for the language. And that is true! I have tried to analyze all the spaces and elements in the context: the time planning, the spaces, the organizational culture, the students backgrounds, the teachers, the government at school, the religious issue and more things which conditionate the life of the school.
ResponderEliminarThe last day at school I prepared some games, activities and funny tasks to motivate the students and say good bye. They enjoyed it a lot while learning and reviewing contents from previous units. Some games were focused on trasnalation, make and do, phrasal verbs... For example, with translation games, I proposed them to form groups and stand at the back of the classroom. When I told an expression one member from each group had to run to the blackboard and write it in English. I did the same activity with make and do expression and they really liked it.
It was very curious because although the school is very big and cold because of the huge walls, it is really warm because of the students and the teacher that everyday do their jobs create a perfect atmosphere and anviroment of learning. And that is the most important thing: the human factor.
I´m going to introduce all my experience in this paragraph. I did my practises in the same school as Christopher, in Calasancio school. The first day I observe all the classrooms and some characteristics of each student. Generally, they show motivation and they participated in the activities. The first days I was a bit nervous because I had to teach in 3 and 4 of secondary school. Also, with 6º of primary school I didn´t have any problem. In this course, I taught science in english. At the begging, I though that this kind of subject will be a bit difficult but when I took it into the practise it was so easy.
ResponderEliminarThe first lesson in science´s class I explain the electricity. All the materials I had were: a CD, a balloon, a poster and the book. So with this materials, I explained that the atom has negative particles(electron) and positive particles (proton) and other kind of particles which haven´t got any charge (neutrons). To check that the students had understand the lesson I put the cd and they had to complete the exercises of their books. Then, I would like to show them a real experiment. To explain the static electricity I used a balloon and a girl who had long hair, I began to rub the balloon through her hair and of course they attrack. I started to ask the student about the experiment and they guess that the particles had different charges. With this experiment, I explained all the static electricity. Then when I finished my explanation they did their exercises and they did a little chart with the vocabulary they learned this lesson. The next day, I explained the electrical circuits. I used the same materials more and less. With the poster I introduce them the components of a electrical circuit. To teach this subject was really easy and comfortable because they know the lesson in spanish, so in english class they only focused on the english vocabulary. However I pretend that they develop their oral skills so I asked them about Is the electricity dangerous? and they told me about the dangerous and the cases that they knew.
Wooow! Good idea, Laura to explain the static electricity!!
EliminarI hope not to have to explain the Big Ban Theory!!!
Laura, that was exactly the idea. Well done!!
EliminarHello everybody!
ResponderEliminarI am so sorry to be "late" on this forum! I started my first lesson last Monday! I am doing my teaching practice in Sta Victoria. In this school we can find elementary school, primary education, ESO and Bachillerato. I was speaking with my tutor and we think it could be great to visit a class of each level. So my timetable is quite mixed.
My first lesson was in second of bachiller. They had an English exam and we were there to solve some doubts.During that time, we were talking about how organize my teaching unit, how many lessons I have to teach per course, and the way she is doing to teach. I am preparing a teaching unit for 1st ESO called in and out of school. So, in my first lesson I have the choice to know students from 1ºB, and I also had a tutorial with them. I could realise that students in 1ºESO have a great ability to communicate. When they try to justify a problem in tutorials they use a very formal language.
And lastly, I also have been in lecture class for those students who have not a really good comprehensive reading level.
All of them were really curious to know a new teacher so that was better for me, because I could catch their attention easily.
Hi again! Today (23/02/2012) was my second day at the school. It was a really weird day because the school is organising several activities. Some of them for Andalucia's day, and another one for tomorrow because they celebrate Madre Paula's day.
ResponderEliminarThey have been organising a mass during the morning where students participate reading and singing. In the break they have an extra time to drink hot chocolate and to eat delicious cones, and after that, they have activities like questions games, dancing sevillanas, sing star and so. Today I supposed to be in a elementary class ( 5 years old) to know the "phonics" method. But they hadn't got classes at that time because they were preparing an activity for Andalucia's Day. So I just have been in 1st ESO B and C, where we were doing speaking and some of then had to make a power point presentations talking about a spanish festivity or an animal.
They were really good talking but they still do not know some grammatical structures.
We were trying to make them speaking to practice things that they already know like "like" or "do not like".
Students are very participative and they always try to speak in english even they do not know the correct words.
Friday 24th February
ResponderEliminarHello! On Friday we celebrated Madre Paula's Day!! It was a really great experience! I started at 8 in the morning in 2nd of ESO. My tutor had prepared a game similiar to 50x15 with questions about Madre Paula's life. So we divided students into four groups and they had to answer correctly as much questions as possible to be the winner. After this activity, We all went to the church, which is next to the school. They had prepared a special mass where some of them read wishes and thanks that they had written by themself. Then there were a chorus and a group of students who brought the work they did in their tutorial as an offering. This mass finished at ten o'clock more or less and then we went to the playground to drink hot chocolate.
Finally, they had activities like dancing flamenco, playing play station, and so on.
I was very happy for the high level of participation. Students spend their free time preparing activities for this special day at the school, and they also had a great behaviour.
Good afternoon!!!
ResponderEliminarYes! Today is the Day! Today... I started with Practicum.
Well, everything went great, but why? simple answer, I had no classes with children yet.
Tomorrow, I will.
Tomorrow, I will start with simple topics, such as the measurement of time, why the Earth is round, dear children?
I have got many ideas about that, but, my tutor told me that children have little, if not very little, level of English.
Oh, my God, what can I do now??
Ok, no more jokes, I can only say that I will try to do my best.
During this day I have been looking documents and eye throwing to the didactic units. I have met more teachers, and curiously today (29th of February) was the birthday of one of them... What luck have a birthday every four years...
;)
Thank you very much!!
Soon, more news.
Hello patners!
ResponderEliminarToday I would like to talk about my experience in 3º and 4º in ESO. Wellw these classes remembered me the typical english classes: grammar, vocabulary,some listening and speaking but there is something unusual: they didn´t read the text in class, the teacher order them to read at home and they have to record their voice in a pendrive. With this record, the teacher put them a mark. In 3º ESo I develop the lesson of the future: will/going to. The children of these classroom are really motivated and they acquire knowledge as quick as a flash. The activities are typical: fill in the gaps with will or going to but the last day I did a new activity. I began to read a text and they had to continue the story, of course with the use of going to or will. This activity was really interesting because you can have a look the imagination the students could have.
Well done!
EliminarThere is a tool very easy to use: voxopop, students can record their voices there.
As for the CLIL experience, no chance of doing CLIL at all? If so you haven't told me about it.
Also in 4ºESO I have to explain the past perfect. At the beginning it is a bit complicate to explain that the first action in the past is the past perfect then the second action is in past simple but the difficulty appeared when they have to choose what action happened before but with the practise of the activities they acquire the knowledge. I evaluate them with a test of the past participle of the verbs. Generally they get good marks but also there were some students who failed because they didn´t study. In addition, I order them to do a writing about a story where they have to use the past perfect and the students who failed the test and the students who didn´t do a good composition are the same students. The last day, I prepare some keys about beefeaters and they have to guess who am I. It was really fun! I had a good time in this school!
ResponderEliminarOk Laura. No CLIL at all I see.
EliminarHello everybody!!
ResponderEliminarYesterday was a quiet day. I had the first contact with the class of 1st f ESO B, and children were very pleased with the novelty of a new teacher, but they were concerned as to teach science in English.
On next Monday I will start with the introduction of the unit 8.
Today, I've started that Unit with the other class,1st of ESO A. I started with warm up activities (brainstorming, checking prior knowledge, etc) followed by an explanation of the time measuring instruments and lastly the pupils have been made a diagram of the daytime terms and notions.
It was a time class very quickly and the tutor has been very attentive to my presentation.
Thank you!!
See you in class this afternoon.
They will love your science unit. Just go ahead!
EliminarWednesday 29th February
ResponderEliminarHi guys!I have just had a lesson today with first of ESO. We were checking some writings about polar bears. They read in loud voice their writings while the rest of the class had to pay attention and they wrote down in a sheet of paper what they thought it was wrong in the classmate's writings.
It was a very interesting task because they could realize about the most common mistakes they are making.
After that, we were sumarizing unit 5, because they are going to have the exam tomorrow. At the end of the class the teacher gave them the mark of the last exam, and they were lower than the first trimester. So we will see what happen in the exam of unit 5. Thank you! :)
Thursday 1st March
ResponderEliminarHi again mates!
Today I had classes with 1st ESO B and C. They were doing an exam of unit 5, as I told you in my last post.
During the third hour of class rang the fire alarm. Today we practiced a fire drill. It was very real because the firefighters used smoke to use multiple exits. I think I'm having a very full experience in this school. So that is all about today. More news tomorrow!
Bye bye! :)
Friday 2nd March
ResponderEliminarHello everyone! I started my teaching Unit about In and out of the school today! The first class was in 1º ESO B, which is a class divided into different groups, only fridays they are together in english lessons. So I have started explaning what I am going to teach during my didactic unit: vocabulary about hobbbies, food and drinks, grammar: countables and uncountables, and modal verbs like can and must, a speaking about a conversation in a restaurant and so on.
After that, I had a brainstorming activity about which foods they already known. And they all had to tell me two sentences using like and dislike and two words about food or drinks. Then, I have shown them a vocabulary list that I have done where they can see: hobby, food and drink vocabulary, an example of conversation in a restaurant, a list of regular and irregular verbs, and some verbs to use when they are describing which hobbies they like.
So I had prepared two videos, one of them about an example of conversation in a restaurant, and the other one about food, it was like a tutorial to know how pronounce food in english. They really ejoyed it and they were very participative. To finish the class, they did some activities about vocabulary.
Students were quite relax at the very beggining of the class,and I could say quite shy as well. But they were really motivated and I am really happy about that.
I love teaching in 1st ESO! More news about my second lesson on Monday! Have a good weekend!
Good evening!!
ResponderEliminarI would like to say the differences I've found in both classes, 1st of ESO A and B.
A is a class where the group of children is characterised as noisy and very talkative.
On the contrary, B group has showed as being a compact group and attentive.
Today I've checked the homework commanded to the A group and to my surprise they have done it quite well.
They liked the introduction of the Unit 8.
Yesterday the B class learnt the same topic as A, and showed interest in my explanations. Also, they used the English, although they were very shy.
I think they thought they would do a review or a big test, I don't know... so when I finished the lesson that I have planned, I commanded them some tasks as a reinforcement of all they have learnt.
Today I asked them to deliver their notebooks, and only 7 from 30 pupils have done the homework!!
I nearly came close to becoming "Hulka". Suddenly I felt some anger, but after of that, I thought and took a deep breath...This happens in all schools.
Class B were very attentive during my exposure, but also, lazy.
I have nothing more to say...
Byee!!!
Chary,
Eliminaryou have to take it easy, you supposed to be learning there there. studentes are the way they are, we have to use to techniques to involve them in the process.Well done!!
Hello everybody,
ResponderEliminarToday has been my first day in Almedina school. It has been such an amazing experience. This is a school where they have been working with CLIL for ten years so I am sure that I am going to learn so much:)
I have first met my lovely tutor (Rosa), she is the head of the English department and I am going to be with her during my placement period. Not only does she teach English, but she also teaches sciences in primary.
Today I have been in three different classes (3rd, 4th and 5th of primary)in sciences. I was impressed about the students' level of English.
I also would like to say that the teacher uses our mother tongue whenever is necessary for their students in order to understand something and it was great.
Let's keep in touch mates ;)
BYE!!
Great, well done!
EliminarHello everyone!
ResponderEliminarYesterday was my second day at Almedina School. It was a wonderful day :)
I started in 6th of primary. It was a lesson called "communicative skills" and it was based on the preparation for the Trinity exams that the students will have next month. My tutor split up the group into two and we were working on speaking skills. It was an interactive class and I liked it very much.
Then, I moved to the 3rd sciences class. They were working on the "Water" unit and I had the chance to explain the water cicle with my tutor. We did a listening activity, it consisted of the different stages of the cicle and they had to put them in order and we also did some activities using the digital blackboard in order to practice some specific vocabulary. I was impressed by how motivated the students were during the class.
In the other classes, they had finished a unit recently so they were working in groups doing some experiments, power point presentations and projects. Each group focused their work on their favourite topic of the unit. We were guided them and helping them with some expressions, vocabulary...
I have to say that I am really happy in this school and I am learning so much thanks to my tutor.
Have a nice weekend! Talk to you soon!
Bye :)
Monday 5th March
ResponderEliminarHi! Today I had my second lesson of my Teaching Unit with first ESO B. In this second lesson, they were learning hobbies vocabulary throughout a song and they were providing me some examples and trying to produce oral messages about what they use to do in their free time.
They forget sometimes that, when you are using the verb 'like', and you are talking about what you like to do, you have to use the -ing from, for example: I like reading books.
After that, I taught them modal verbs like must and can. I thought it was better that they tried to explain me what they already know about those verbs.
Then I explained them the uses of modals verbs and the structure they have to use. Finally, they gave me some examples of each verb in different forms (negative, interrogative...) This group is very participative when I ask about examples and that makes me happy because it means they understood what I have been explaining.
I also had an hour of lecure to support students of first ESO A. That is all about today guys!
See you! :)
Tuesday 6th March
ResponderEliminarHello everyone!
I had classes with both courses of first of ESO, B and C. I have to say that I have an extra lesson in first ESO B. So lessons are not going to be parallel in both courses because the level of students in the first ESO C is less than the other course and classes have different rates.
While I was planning my lessons I had to take into account this evaluation structure:
1. Exam (70%)
2.Work in class (30%)
2.1. Comprehesion (4)
2.1.1. Listening
2.1.2. Reading
2.2. Use of English
2.2.1. Vocabulary
2.2.2. Grammar
2.3. Production
2.3.1. Writing
2.3.2. Speaking
So I had to organize everything and to adapt it to a real time, which is really difficult because the rate of the classes depend on the students and I have only five and six sessions to explain an unit completely.
So in the first hour we were checking some activities that they did at home about modal verbs and after that they were doing a reading and they took notes. They also answered comprehesion questions from the book and an exercise about true or false they had copied in a sheet of paper.
When they finished, they gave me their homework to check it at home. Finally, I explained them the topic of the writing, which is about how to write an e-mail and how many parts it have to have.
In the second hour, I has been in first ESO C. ANd we were doing the same that I did in the second lesson of first ESO B. I also have been in a support class in fourth of ESO. Some students are not going to do the examn of 'selectividad'. So those students who are not going to do it go to this class and my tutor prepares them to pass an exam of 'Junta de Andalucía', the entrance exam.
They work a lot about readings and grammar as if they were in Bachillerato, but in a lower level.
And that is all for now mates! More news tomorrow!
Bye, bye! :)
Wednesday 7th March
ResponderEliminarHello again mates!
Today I have been alone in class because my tutor had an exam with students of Bachillerato. So I had the third lesson in first ESO C, where I was explaining countable and uncountable nouns. We were doing a brainstorming about what they alreadt know about countable and uncountable nouns, and besides that, I made an outline to make them understand faster the theory.
Students provide their own examples about the topics to prove that they really understood the explanation.
Secondly, I explained to the students what they have to do in their writings and how to do it. So, as I did in the other course, I wrote on the blackboard a kind of struture which they have to follow to do the writing. Of course they have to do homework everyday to practice what they learn. They use to do homework from the WorkBook.
One of the groups, first ESO C, is quite nervous because tomorrow they have to do the speaking. I think they are going to do it pretty well. They have to work a conversation in a restaurant in pairs. In this way, they can use permission verbs and vocabulary about food.
I will see how things are going!
Bye for now! :)
Thursday 8th March
ResponderEliminarHello!
I have to say that I am very happy with first ESO C! They prepared their own food with paper to simulate food of a restaurant! They were really creative and we really enjoyed this role-play!
On the other hand, I explained countable and uncountable nouns in first ESO B, as I did in the other group yesterday.
See you tomorrow! :)
Ok, the food stuff is closer to what we aim to.
EliminarSorry about that Javier, but I couldn't do a CLIL teaching Unit. I had to teach the unit that they had prepared for these weeks.
EliminarFriday 9th March
ResponderEliminarHi again mates! My teaching practice is getting over! :(
Today was the last class for one of the first courses of ESO. Today's class was a review of grammar, vocabulary and everything related to unit 6, in and out of the school. Students of first ESO C have made the listening today.
In the other course, they have made the oral examination of a situation in a restaurant. Students are very responsible and committed to their tasks. In this course there are some support students and they only pay attention in class. So after listening to their mates, they set out to improvise a little conversation in the restaurant. The rest of the students helped by giving the materials they had prepared. They did very well.
On the other hand I have to say that I had to keep the contents of the textbook, and we have used for some activities from the WorkBook, from my point of view it was too much. But parents of the students think students have to use it because it has been a cost for them.
I tried to incorporate something new and useful expressions of everyday life so they can use. They will have the exam next Tuesday.
See you on Monday guys! :)
15th Thursday
ResponderEliminarYesterday I spent a brilliant day at Almedina school. We had four hours of sciences in primary and one of English Language.
Year 3; They had finished the "Water" unit so we did some revision activities (some individually, others in pairs and then, some as a whole group) in order to share what they had learnt about that topic. They worked interactivelly, they felt involved in the class and they loved using the digital blackboard.
Year 4; We worked on the political Spanish map. They were researching on the different capital cities of Spain and my tutor and I explained them a project that they are going to start next week. It consists of building up a political map, we divided the class into several groups, each of them has to carry out with one or two Autonomous Comunity and search somre relevant information about them. I'm sure they will do it properly because they loved that idea.
Year 5; They started with their power point presentations, I was completely impressed by how they did them.
Year 6; We did a conceptual map about the "Light" unit.
Finally we had an English Language exam in year 6.
Bye :)
16th Friday
ResponderEliminarWe started the morning with the "Communicative skills" lesson in year six. We practiced the speaking part of the Trinity College exams. I would like to point out their interest in doind their best.
Sciences in year 3, we have started to prepair their projects. We gave them some ideas, resources and they started to work on their own.
In year 4, I have explained "What is a minicipality?,and a comarca? and a capital city? and a region?" I used the digital blackboard and the teacher's book. It has been a good experience. They were so kind, they asked me lot of things, they paid attention to my explanation so they made me feel quite comfortable.
In year 5 and 6, in sciences, we continued with the power point presentations (year 5 in pairs and year 6 individually)Not only did they explain clearly their topics, but they also asked some feedback to their classmates. After each presentation, my tutor and I gave them some advices for future projects and we congratulated them.
I really like this school and the way they are working on CLIL. They are doing and excellent job!
Have a good weekend!
Bye!
Hi everyone!
ResponderEliminarI already finished my teaching experience at St. Victoria. I was at the school on monday and thursday because they had the exam, and first ESO B had an extraclass to remember how would be the exam.
I have been correcting exams and grades were pretty good. On Thursday I went to school to discuss the most common mistakes of exams and to give students the grades. On Friday I went early because one of the courses had prepared a farewell surprise party.
I've been great at this center and it has been an experience I would repeat over and over again. Students made me feel that my work has paid off and there is nothing better than the feeling of gratitude.
I hope you enjoy your practice.
Greetings to everyone :)
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarThat is my first time in the blog, so let’s introduce a little bit my first days at the school. To start with, I would like to tell you that I am in Seneca school. Here, teachers are very kind and they have given me a warm welcome. I am very happy. Also with my students, I have been in 4 different classes, though there are a lot of pupils, they have a good behavior.
Talking about school, this school hasn’t got CLIL program yet, but the next year will. So they are working on material and looking for some new methodology for the future.
During my practical period I will help them to get it.
I will tell you in next comments!!
See you!!
Ok Carmen,just try to apply our CLIL ideas as dará as possible
EliminarHi guys!!
ResponderEliminarYesterday 20th March was my first day in La Piedad, bu I didn´t have time to write here. I will tell you what I did in the school.
”. My first contact with teaching was with a teacher of the first level of primary who wants to improve her pronunciation in English. First of all we did an introduction of ourselves: name, age, where are we from?, studies and hobbies. Then, I prepared two texts about the importance of English and the advantages or disadvantages of studying English abroad. I think that reading aloud with somebody who can correct you constitutes another way to improve pronunciation. As I mentioned before, the first text talked about the importance of English and its spread all over the world. Firstly, I asked her to read the text and then I did it because it is good that she can compare different ways of pronunciation (hers and mine). After reading, I posed some questions about the text and she gave me her opinions. Then, I did the same with the second text.
During the session, I tried to correct her pronunciation and to explain some basic things.
After that session, I worked with the English teacher in the 6 level of primary. They were studying the story of Robin Hood together with the past simple tense. In previous days, the teacher suggest me to do something about Robin Hood in the class and I prepared a video in English about the story of Robin Hood and then, through a Power Point presentation, I made them some questions about the video and this legendary man. After that, the teacher proposed me to correct with them some exercises that they had to do for that day. The exercises were about making questions and answer using the past simple, so I ask for some volunteers to make these questions to their partners.
In the afternoon, I also went to the school. Some others teachers of primary wanted a conversation lessons to improve their pronunciation and fluency and I used the same method as the first teacher in the morning (reading texts and making a debate).
This was my first day and the experience have been really exciting!
Part of my task in this school is to help teachers to improve theis English, so as you can imagine,they must work a lot to face the CLIL program. I will do all my best to get it!
Good luck with your practice!
Now I will tell you what I have done today, 21st March, in the school.
ResponderEliminarToday I have worked again with the sixth level of primary in the English subject. I corrected with the students some exercises about the regular past simple tense. The exercises consisted, mostly, in forming sentences and questions using the past tense. We checked the exercises aloud and everybody has participated because tomorrow they will have the exam. I haven´t prepared additional material because, as the teacher told me, checking the exercises was the priority.
That´s all for today! Tomorrow I will tell you my "day as teacher". Thank you!
Bye!!
Hello again!
ResponderEliminarYesterday, 22nd March, I also went to La Piedad but I didn´t have time to write in the blog so I will do now.
Yesterday was a more peaceful day because I was with the students of 6º of primary and they did an exam about the unit 4. The exam was about some expressions learnt in the unit 5 and some regular verbs in the past simple tense. After finishing the exam we checked the exam aloud.
And that´s all.
Bye!
Hi everybody!!
ResponderEliminarToday, after some days at school, I would like to point out a key topic, METHODOLOGY. For me, this is very interesting, why? Because Juan (my tutor) and Charo, the two 2nd ESO teachers, have a very different way to teach, and both of them get good results.
On the one hand, Juan uses PBA( project based approach). As you know, PBA is a method based on the developing of a project at the end of the unit. In that unit they have recorded a video interviewing some foreigners. The results have been AMAZING because you can see a face to face interaction between students and the English speakers, it was really interesting!!
On the other hand, Charo uses a method based on the ICT in which students are involved in some competitions with a lot of schools in Spain (we are in 8th place). Here, we can see how motivation helps our pupils to learn quickly.
I will follow telling you interesting things in next comments!!
See you!!
22nd March
ResponderEliminarHi everybody!Here I am one more week :)
I am still learning something new every day at this school. I feel lucky because, as I am carrying out my placement with the head of the languages department, she is teaching me quite a lot, not only how do they work cooperatively between different departments, but I am also learning in each class that I am attending.
Last thursday, I just attended to three classes because year six was on a trip in "Sierra Nevada".
In year three, the pupils started with their projects presentations. They did it individually, they basically explained how they had worked their topics. They were so excited while they were talking to their classmates. We constantly encouraged them to do it interactively, advicing them how they could ask some questions... It was a hard job because we had to be so pacient, they did it slowly but it is a brilliant idea that they start to work on that way since they are that young.
In year four we finished the unit doing some revision activities, they did a mind map using a really useful listening.
In year five we finished with the power point presentations and they were asking us their doubts of the unit.
That was a short but intensive day.
See you!
23rd March
ResponderEliminarHi again!
On friday, I was at the school at nine in the morning as usual. The first hour I was helping my tutor to correct some exams and to prepare further activities for next week.
Then, in year three we followed with their presentation, I really enjoyed that class.
In year five, they had an exam so I did not do too much.
Finally, in year four I started a new unit "The Landscapes", I did some pre-tasks activities: we worked with a text and some questions to check the comprehension, we also did a listening activities to introduce them some vocabulary that they will require during the unit and they also produce a text with this new vocabulary. They worked in pairs and individually, it was a great class.
Then I stayed in the school with my tutor helping her and she was also explain me more details about the Almedina School.
Even if I have finished the thirty hours I will stay next week again because I am really happy there!
Have a good weekend!
26th March
ResponderEliminarHi mates!
Today has been my first day as a teacher. I am doing my practicum at "Nuestra Señora de la Piedad" and I have started with English subject in the first cycle of secondary education.
All the material I have prepared has been created by me and they are focused in speaking and listening skills.
At 8.30 I have had class with 2ºA of secondary education. I had prepared a power point about "new technologies" because Manoli (the English teacher) had asked me to do something focused on that. The session have been both in English and in Spanish because students didn't understand so much. This power point focused on speaking and listening skills. The students haven't participate too much and I have had to use my imagination to ask yes/no question instead other questions I had prepared previously.
At 9.30 I have been with 1ºA of secondary education. I have prepared a power point focused on cultural aspects of Great Britain (differences between English and Spanish schools). The students have participated a lot and they have made question about other aspects of GB. I am very happy with this group of students.
At 10.30 I have had class with 2ºB of secondary education. I have used the same power point that in 2ºA. This class has been a little bit chaotic because the majority of the students haven't participated and there was a small group of three that were making noise. I have used English and Spanish too to make questions. There are huge differences between the level of English of the students.
I'll tell you more about my practicum tomorrow.
See you.
Hi again!
ResponderEliminarToday, I would like to divide my day into two parts: morning and afternoon.
Morning
There aren’t many things to tell you about the day. We have focused on our classes (1st and 2nd E.S.O) in a kind of revision lessons because tomorrow they have the final exams of that term. It seems to be a synchronized school but it’s by sheer chance.
Afternoon
It has been an interesting afternoon. Today we have had a meeting and although I didn’t have to come I do it, because the topic of the meeting is bilingualism so this is a great opportunity to know the entire process that a school suffers to develop a CLIL program.
If I had to summarize some key questions, I would highlight the following in brief:
• The English integration at school considering the language and the culture (some festivities as St. Patrick day, Easter, Halloween…)
• The election of the sciences book that students in 1st level are going to use the next year.
• The creation of new materials to complement the book.
And that’s all.
See you
Hi friends!!
ResponderEliminarYesterday, 26th March, I worked with 4 years students. The school also wants to implement the bilingual program at these levels. I was surprised because the children had a good level of English according to their age. The teacher told me that she uses a new methodology called “phonics”. This year is the first that the school has accomplished “phonics” and it consists in teaching phonemes. For instance, the teacher teaches them the /s/ phoneme, they repeat it sometimes and then she gives the students a word containing this phoneme (“sun”). Therefore, they will learn a new word for each phoneme. I have read some articles about this methodology and it seems successful. However, in my personal opinion, I think that teaching by this method is very difficult because you have to work with words which have any relation between them and are complicated for 4 years students. But, it is also true that, as I have said before, children have a good level of English and the teacher is sure that it is due to this methodology.
Yesterday was the first time that I heard about “phonics” methodology and, although the teacher helped me, I was lost in the class because I had to guide it and I didn´t know how to do it with "Phonics".
After revising all the phonemes, I followed a sort of “routine” that the teacher has everyday with them. It consists in revising numbers, days of the week, colours, questions such as “what is your name?” or “how old are you?”.
And that´s all guys! I will tell you more things during this week ;)
Bye!
Good morning mates!
ResponderEliminarTodays has been my second day at my school. At 8.30 I have worked with 1ºB of secondary education. I have used the power point of "English and Spanish schools" that I used with 1ºA yesterday. The student have not participate too much, neither in English nor in Spanish. Just two or three students have spoken in English. Then, they have worked in groups to think about a cultural task they must do for this subject. Afterwards they have to design it and give it to me the next month. I asked for the same task in 1ºA class.
At 9.30 I have been with 2ºB of secondary education. Today we have been doing grammar exercises about the future with going to and will. The students have been doing some exercises of the activity book and they have been asking me questions about vocabulary or grammar structures. They have been more active than yesterday.
That's all mates! Have fun during the holidays!
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarToday I have also gone to La Piedad and I´ve worked with 3 and 5 years students. They don´t work with the “Phonics” method so, the class has been easier for me.
I´ve been half an hour with each group and I´ve started with the group of 3. They are learning some vocabulary related with clothes such as hat, t-shirt, jacket, trousers, socks and shoes. Through some flashcards, we´ve revise all the clothes and some other vocabulary such as colours or animals. Then, the teacher has put a CD which has told them a story about where we must wear each garment: “the shoes in the feet”, the t-shirt in the tummy”, etc., so that they learn vocabulary of clothes and revise the parts of the body at the same time. Then, they´ve done an exercise which has consisted in matching each garment with the part of the body where it must be worn. I loved the experience because children were extremely obedient.
After working with 3 years students, I´ve gone to the 5 year´s class. With this group I´ve revised some vocabulary with them (colours, parts of the body and so on) and then, the teacher put a CD with a story related to clothes and the weather. Then they´ve made an exercise in which they had to listen to a song about the colours of some Easter eggs and painting the egg with the correct colour (given in the song). The experience has been amazing too.
Finally, I´ve worked with the 6º level of primary. The teacher and I´ve explained them how to form past sentences (affirmative and negative). After that I´ve also carried out a brainstorming of “birthday´s party” because most of the vocabulary within the unit is about this topic. They´ve told me the first thing that has come to their minds about birthday´s party and I´ve written it in the blackboard. Everybody has participated in this exercise and I´ve discovered the wide vocabulary that they have.
That´s all by the moment!
See you!
Hello!
ResponderEliminarAs I told you yesterday, today I have a relax day because our students had to do the final exam. It was about a unit 5 developing the past simple and the present perfect and vocabulary related to transport. I think that the exam was quite difficult but we will see the result next day.
Generally speaking, teachers are very happy because they think that students have done a great effort in that unit. Also, the project is a key point to evaluate not only the exam.
Thinking about tomorrow, I guess we will have a busy day, correcting the exams and preparing the final marks, but this I will tell you tomorrow.
See you!!
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarYesterday, I was right; today I have been a busy day. Although we have some free hours, also we have to spend them correcting exams and calculating the final mark of the term.
I can say after now that I am an expert preparing the final result.
On the other hand, I would like to show you how I feel after spending some hours teaching English. Though I have worked as teacher in several schools, this situation was different because I had a person who is evaluating me. So I’ve tried to do the best.
Moreover, I have been introducing the next unit, unit number 6 which is about MYSTERY and THE PARTS OF THE HOUSE. I have just focused this lesson with vocabulary because my tutor told me to work on it. I started using a brainstorming to know their previous knowledge and then I gave them a handout about a haunted house, in this activity students have to complete the frame with the appropriate word. Later on, match each word with a definition and a wordseach. To finish the lesson they have to write some definitions about some objects in a house. That’s all more or less.
I will write next day to tell you my last hours.
Bye bye!
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarYesterday was my last day before the Easter break. I only worked with 6º of primary. During half an hour they rehearsed a song in English which they will represent before all the school.
After that, we came back to the class and we did an exercise that I prepared for them. The exercise was based on the brainstorming made on the previous day. I give them some vocabulary related with birthday´s party and, in groups of five, they had to classified it in some given categories such as “things that we say in a birthday party”, “things that we give” things that we have”, etc. With this exercise, they also worked with some of the verbs included in the unit that they are learning: give, say, have. Each group might choose a spokesperson to write in the blackboard one of the categories so that everybody could correct the exercise.
That was my "short day".
Happy Easter break!!!
Bye ;)
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarI'm here after Easter holidays... Today I have had three classes like my last Monday at "Nuestra Señora de la Piedad" School.
At 8.30 I have worked with 2ºA of secondary education. Today we have listened two listenings and they have done several exercises about the vocabulary of the unit: new technologies. After that I have reviewed the grammar of the lesson (past simple and first conditional) through some oral questions and two brief exercises. Students have gone to the blackboard to check the answers. Then they have been doing some reading exercises of the text book. At the end of the class I have been working with two students with special needs. They are not following the same text book and they need more attention from the teacher. I have had to explain them the exercises with past simple in Spanish and a lot of times. I have realised it is very hard to work with this type of students.
At 9.30 I have gone with 1ºA of secondary education. We have worked two listenings with their corresponding exercises of the text book. Then we have reviewed the vocabulary of the unit through several oral questions. Later they have been doing reading exercises of the unit: living at the school.
At 10.30 I have class with 2ºB of secondary education. I have worked the same aspects than in 2ºA. At the end of the class I have been working with a guy with special needs. He didn't want to do the exercises and Manoli (the charming English teacher) has asked me to work with him. He has started crying and I have felt a little bit awkward. The thing is that he is intelligent but he needs a lot of attention to do anything.
I think I am learning a lot because I am working with "different" kind of students and I am realising that the way of teaching English to these children is very complicated.
I'll tell you more about my teaching practice tomorrow in the morning.
See you!
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarYesterday was my first day in La Piedad after the Easter break. I worked with 1º of primary in the subject of Science. They started a new unit about “La Localidad” and the teacher made an introduction, in Spanish, of the main vocabulary which was about the different types of houses (piso, casa, chalet, iglú, jaima…). Then, I taught them the same vocabulary but in English (flat, house, chalet, igloo, tent…). I talked with them in English about the topic and then they copy on their notebook the vocabulary and one of the most important question that they learnt: “Where do you live? I live in a flat/house/…”. Each students told us in English where does he/he live. After that, they drew on their notebook each type of house and put their English names below.
That´s all!
See you! :)
Good morning everybody!
ResponderEliminarAt 8.30 I have gone with 1ºB of secondary education. We have worked two listenings with their corresponding exercises of the text book, the same as I did yesterday with 1ºA of secondary education. Then we have reviewed the vocabulary of the unit through several oral questions. After that they have been making sentences with the vocabulary of the unit and they have written some of these sentences on the blackboard to check them.
At 9.30 I have worked with 2ºB of secondary education. We have been checking the exercises I asked them to do at home, and I have been answering their doubts about the exercises. Then I have explained the grammar: to be going to through the text book and they have been doing the corresponding exercises of the book.
At the beginning of the last class, the students have introduced me a new girl in the class. I was very surprised because I've thought that they were kiding me about that. Then, Manoli (the teacher)has told me that the girl has entered today at the school for the first time in the year. I didn't think that this type of things will be possible in Spanish educational system.
I think I am learning a lot in this school, it is being a very good experience for my professional life.
Bye!
Hi mates!!
ResponderEliminarYesterday I couldn´t write here because I was very busy but I do it now.
Yesterday 10th April I worked with students of 3 and 5 years. With the first group, we checked some vocabulary (colours, animals, numbers…) using flashcards and then they did some exercises related with the vocabulary of clothes. With the second group, we also checked some vocabulary and then I taught them some animals using flashcards. After that, they listened to a song about animals and did three exercises about that.
After working with those students, I was with students of the 6th level of primary. They had to study the first ten irregular verbs of their list because the following day they had an exam. We practiced those verbs through several games. Firstly we played to “hangman”: one volunteer had to think on one of these verbs (whether on the infinitive or past form) and the rest of the class had to guess it. Then, I prepare other game which consisted of identifying the verbs which were written in the blackboard. Two volunteers had to stand in front of the blackboard with their eyes closed and when I said “now!” they had to open their eyes and raise their hand. The winner is the first student who raises the hand and says the past form of the verb correctly.
In the afternoon, I worked with some teachers of primary. They wanted to improve their pronunciation in English so I prepare two exercises. In the first one they had to talk about a famous person who appeared in a photo. Then, one teacher chose a photo and his/her partners had to guess, through asking yes/no questions, who was the person in the photo. And finally, I prepared for them a role-play with two different situations.
Now I´m going to tell you what I have done today in the school(11th April).
I have worked with students of the 6th level of primary. I hav prepared an exercise about the verbs go, have, say and give. Firstly I have given them a text in which they had to fill the gaps with the verbs in brackets (using the present simple tense). At the same time, they could see the text in a Power Point presentation. The second exercise has consisted of changing the same text into the past simple tense. They have done it in class and I will corrected it at home. Everyone has got a good mark.
That´s all for today! Thanks!
Hello!!
ResponderEliminarI´m goint to tell you what I did yesterday in La Piedad.
Firstly, I worked with students of 4 years. We made a revision of the vocabulary that they had already learnt such as colours, numbers, greetings. Then, we revised some vocabulary through the “Phonics” method and then I taught them the vocabulary of clothes through the cartoons of a boy and a girl. Finally, we divided the class into three groups and each group was doing different things:
Group 1: it had to form words with pieces of a puzzle.
Group 2: it had to match phonemes with the correct picture (for instance, the phoneme /a/ with the picture of an “apple”). Those relations are known for the students.
Group 3: it had to sign in some pictures the phonemes that they listened to.
After that, I worked with 6th level of primary. I gave the students the corrections of the exercise that I had given for them the day before and then, we worked with the Class´s book. Firstly we listen to some useful sentences and one by one they had to repeat them. After that, I wrote some questions and answers related with the unit, and, in pairs, they had to practice them.
I will tell you more things next week, Thank you!
See you! ;)
Hi!!!
ResponderEliminarToday I have worked with 2ºA, 1ºA and 2ºB of secondary education. I have prepared a power point about movies. First we have done a brainstorming about the topic with some guided questions. After that I have selected four silent short movies. The students have watched the videos and then, they have answered some guided questions about the short movies, both orally and in a written way.
I have asked them to do a group task in which they have to analyze a short movie (name, main characters, genre, summary and an alternative ending). They were so excited because they aren't used to do this kind of activities in English class.
Some students have started to send me the cultural task I asked them before Easter holiday. I am so surprised because they are very original children and they work very hard.
I'll tell you more about my practicum tomorrow morning!
Bye!
Good morning everybody!
ResponderEliminarToday I have had class with 1ºB of secondary education. I have worked with the power point I prepared about movies, and I have followed the same way of taking the class.
Then I have moved to 2ºB. We have done the listenings corresponding to the second part of the unit 6. I have repeated the listenings three times and they have completed the exercises of the text book. Afterwards, we have been correcting previous exercises about reading from the text book.
It has been a very common day...
See you soon!
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarToday I have been alone in the class (without Manoli) because there have been a meeting, so I have worked without any supervision. We have been revising the vocabulary (food and drink) and they have been doing its corresponding exercises from the textbook. Then, we have been checking the exercises of grammar (countable and uncountable nouns: any, some, a lot of, much and many). Students have written the answers on the blackboard and they've asked me their doubts.
At the end of the class, a boy have asked me if I could help him with his accademic future. I was very surprised because he asked me about university, the degree he wants to study... He wanted some information and he came to me for his worry. I have felt ok because I have realized that the children trust me and they think I can help them beyond the English class.
Have a nice day!
Bye!
Hello!!
ResponderEliminarYesterday I didn´t have time for writting in the blog. I´m going to tell you what I did yesterday and what I have done today.
Tuesday 17th April:
Firstly I worked with students of the first level of primary in the subject of Natural Science. We practice the types of houses: flat, house, chalet, igloo, tent. I prepared for the students some flashcards to practice this vocabulary. Then, we learnt the parts of a house (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and dining-room). I also prepared for them some materials and we hung flashcards and labels with the names in the wall. Each student took one part of the house and after saying loudly “In my house there is a kitchen”, the person who had the flashcard of kitchen had to hung it in the wall. We repeated the same process until every student participated.
Then I worked with 3 and 5 years groups. In the first one, we checked some vocabulary and we made some exercises from the book related with the new vocabulary which was about animals. After that, I worked with the 5 years group. We also checked some vocabulary and then, we listened to a song about animals. I told them a story about animals and then, I asked them some things about the story.
Finally, I worked with the students of the 6º year of primary. The teacher decided that they had to do some exercises from their book, and they were all the class doing this homework. I helped them if they didn´t understand something.
Wednesday 18th April
Today I have been alone in the class. The teacher couldn´t come. We have listened to the song of the unit and then, I have prepared for them some Power Point presentation about the months of the year, seasons and the main festivals in each month. Then, we have listened to the story of the unit and I prepared for them some questions about the story using the past simple tense.
That´s all!
See you!!
Hello!
ResponderEliminarToday has been a a "light" day because some students have the exam of the unit this Friday and the other groups, the next week. We have been correcting all the exercises of the unit from the activity book and the text book. Then they have been asking their doubts about vocabulary and grammar.
That's all!
Bye!
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarToday I´ve been with 4 years students. We´ve worked with the “Phonics” method and the phonemes /h/ and /b/ after checking some vocabulary. We did some exercises about both phonemes and I taught them some vocabulary containing those phonemes.
That´s all at the moment.
Bye!
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarToday I have been working with speaking, reading and vocabulary exercises of the textbook. We have checked all the exercises of the unit because their exam is very soon. Students have been working individually and, then I have helped them with the exercises they considered more difficult. They have been asking me their doubts and they have given me the task I asked them to do about the powerpoint about "the short movies".
That's all!
Bye!
Hello!
ResponderEliminaresterady, I was with students of the 1st level of Primary education, in the Science subject. We checked some vocabulary of the type of houses and the parts of a house with some material that I prepared for the previous days. While we were checking that vocabulary, the teacher recorded me to put the video in the webpage of the school. Then I prepared material for teaching new vocabulary: buildings in the city (cinema, hospital, market, gym…). I prepared flashcards and we practiced with them and played some games. The children enjoyed a lot.
Then, I worked with students of the 6th level of Primary Education, in the English subject. They did an exam of some irregular verbs, and then the teacher told them to do exercises of the Activity´s book; I solved all their doubts about the exercises. While they were doing them, I corrected their verb exams.
That´s all
See you!
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarI have finished my practicum in the school La Piedad. I finished on Thursday so, sorry for the delay in writting here (I have been ver very busy those days).
In my last day in the school I worked with 3 and 5 years students. We followed the same process as previous days: revision of vocabulary and realization of some exercises related with the vocabulary which they were learning at that moment. Then, I went to the 5 years classroom, and we did exactly the same.
Finally, I worked with the 6th level of Primary Education. I had prepared some material related with some expressions such as “make my bed” “tidy my room” etc., but they prepared me a surprise and the lesson had to change its dynamic. They gave me some gifts and then I played with them some games in English.
That´s has been all in La Piedad. The experience has been amazing because it has been the first time that I have stood in front of so many children but I think that I have learnt a lot. All the teachers have been extremely kind with me and I am very thankful for that and for give me the opportunity to stay in their institution. However, there are some points that I think that must be improved so that, I will give some proposals in the memory.
That´s all guyss! Thank you!
Bye!
Hi mates!
ResponderEliminarI didn't write my last day in the school Nuestra Señora de la Piedad. I was making a summary of the unit Tone colour. Instrumentation for Music subject. I prepared the summary of the lesson and the corresponding exercises. The teacher gave me the text book and the workbook and I mixed all the information of both books in a four pages summary.
I work this material with 1ºA and B. Students didn't understand so much but they could follow the class because they had the same material in Spanish.
That's been all in my school. It has been a great experience and I have enjoyed a lot teaching in secondary education and I've realised that I'd love teaching in the future.
See you soon!
Dear all,
ResponderEliminartoday was my first day in Alauda College. It was my first time in a private school, so I didn't quite know what to expect(I have spent all my practices periods from my career in public schools). I was like a sponge, trying to watch, listen and learn everything. To summarize, the childer behave more "properly" than in my last school, are all wearing white shirts and ties (both girls and boys), are not allowed to speak during the classroom without raising their hands (no spontaneous remarks, no jokes and hardly smiling) The teacher, very young, but with 5 years of experience, was a filologist, having studied en "Filosofia y Letras" some years ago. She has a very good English, good pronounciation and a fluent communication in the class. I have seen Primary classes and 1º ESO classes. All of them have digital boards, (no blackboard, no chalk, no dust, almoust no writing), different spacial situation (tables and chairs).
Good to remember: she is asking the students to follow with their finger the text while they listen to the audio. This way they can hear how every word sounds (their reading and speaking were very good).
Not to do thing: when a teacher assesses reading (intonation, pronounciation...) s/he can't take away one point just because the student isn't paying attention. We can't mix formal assessement with attitudes.
Tomorrow i'm going to change the teacher and see another classes. Keep in touch!
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarYesterday, 5th March was my first day in Sto.Trinitarios School, which is a concerted school where the students wear uniforms. It was a very enjoyable day.
I arrived there at 9:00 o’clock and I met the English teacher, Carmen, and she showed me the classes and the lessons I was going to teach. I was going to teach English in 1st and 2nd of Primary Education. I worked with children of six, seven and eight years old. In class they speak Spanish and English; it depends according to the level and the students. This first day was an introductory day and I just met the students. I helped them supervising their work, and improving their English. In 1st of Primary Education they have worked with the activity book. In the 2nd course is the same method but with a different unit and more complex vocabulary. We’ve listened to songs in English, while the students did exercises.
The teacher is a good person, she has a very good English pronunciation and she has a good organization of the class. The behavior of the children is good. The level of English of these children is amazing.
I worked with them in the didactic unit about toys. They used rich vocabulary like marbles, doll, plane, computer-games... using it in several funny activities. To finish the class and make it more fun we did a game where we worked with the vocabulary of the unit and we also reviewed pronunciation.
It was a very special day. Next week I'm going to see other classes.
Next week more and better news. Thank you!
Have a good day!
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarThe monday 11th of March 2013 was my second day of practice in the school Sto. Trinitarians. I accompanied the English teacher of Primary Education from 9:00 to 12:00 in their respective classes. Today I was in the 1st and 2nd grade of primary education.
I've been in 2nd grade B and A. We had class of knowledge of the environment, which is taught in English. They studied plants reproduction. They have learnt vocabulary such as shrubs, trees and lawns. To liven the class up we did an experiment with glasses of water, celeries and colors such as red, yellow and blue. The purpose was to see if the celery was colored or not. In this week they have also seen their plants have grown lentils. Their enthusiasm was reflected in their faces.
In 1st A I’ve worked a new teaching unit: parts of the house and possible dangers (plugs, fire, etc.). We have also reviewed prepositions through exercises of the activity book. We worked vocabulary such as: kitchen, plug, fire pot, bedroom, etc..
Other routines remain the same as always, for example, singing a song in English at the beginning and at the end of the class. The teacher name a leader of the class that changes every day who says the date of the day and what the weather is like, always in English.
At the end of the class and in order to make it more entertaining we usually play games with which we work the vocabulary of the unit and review pronunciation.
Have a good day!
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarYesterday, 12th March was my third day of practice in the school Sto. Trinitarians. I accompanied the English teacher in the classes of 1st and 2nd grade of primary education.
The first two hours were in 2nd grade A and B.
Today, in both classes, while the teacher was remembering some concepts of the unit seen in previous classes, such as prepositions and toys, and asking them to do some exercises from the work book, I've been explaining to two children who were missing the previous days the review of the unit. It is also true that these children had more difficulties than the rest of the class in all subjects, but especially in English. I worked with them the numbers, colors and the food. Once again I have proven that with hard work anything can be achieved, since they first seemed not to have learnt anything in class, but when they performed the exercises they did very well. I loved helping them and seeing how they progressed.
At the third hour I've been in 1st grade A, where we reviewed several concepts such as prepositions and numbers from 1 to 20, among others, by some exercises from the workbook. At the end of the class we played a game using the vocabulary and numbers studied.
That's all for today.
Next week more and better news. Thank you!
Good day!
Dear classmates,
ResponderEliminarThe last Wednesday 3rd March was my first day in El Carmen school. I have to say that due to personal reasons I will go to school from Wednesday to Friday every weeks.
I arrived the school at 9 o’clock and looked for my tutor, Miriam, who received me gratefully. The children of second course were entering the classroom and all of them were happy to see a new teacher in their classroom. After 5 minutes, Miriam introduced me to another teacher called Juan with whom I will be every Wednesday for 2 hours in the Science lessons in first course of Primary Education. So I was in this class for the first two hours of the morning where I could observe how Juan carried out the lesson. Then, he told me that I would give the class the next Wednesday. For it, he borrowed me some books: two books about Science and another two books of contents of Maths, Science and Language.
I was two more hours with Miriam giving English lessons in two groups of second course of Primary Education. I introduced the fourth unit called "The house" using some home-made flashcards to introduce the new vocabulary.
For the last hour of the morning I was in another English class of third course of Primary in this case, with another teacher called Inma. It was a class about animals and I could notice some methodological differences between the way of teaching of both teachers Miriam and Inma.
And that was all! Thanks!
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarI'm going to continue narrating you the course of my second and third days in El Carmen school:
Thursday 4th March
According to my schedule, on Thursdays I enter the school at 10 o'clock. The first class of the day was in a class of 3rd course of Primary with Inma. It was quite similar to the last class of the previous day (animals). The teacher gave a big input of vocabulary to the students and some of the words were unknown to them. She asked me to read all the words aloud to the students so that they know how these words are pronounced, and after have repeated each word with me, the students copied the new vocabulary in their notebooks. They also wrote the meaning of each word next to it. I could make some reflections about the different methodologies that I can observe from different teachers, for example, in Miriam's class the students never copy the new vocabulary the first day that it is introduced. Maybe the methodology that Inma applies would be more appropriate in higher courses.
The second class that I attended was in Pre-school Education, where I only observed the performance of the lesson. Children didn't use to pay much attention because of their ages.
And the last lesson of the morning was in second course. I met a girl with special educative needs, in fact, I have known some students with this kind of needs in the different classes that I attend and it is gratifying for me helping them. The students were doing exercises about parts of the house.
Friday 5th March
On Fridays, I enter the school on 12 o'clock so I can only attend two English classes in second course. I had prepared the next session and I gave the lesson on my own. I added three words more after have reviewed the vocabulary orally. Then, I introduced the grammar structure of "Where is...?" and the prepositions: in, on, under, next to and in front of. We practised the vocabulary, the grammar structure and the prepositions using the poster of the unit. Finally, the students copied from the blackboard all what they had learnt in the lesson.
Good nights!
Hello classmates!
ResponderEliminarToday was my first day of practice in Virgen del Carmen school. When I arrived at the school I went to look for my tutor who is he teacher of a group of the first year of primary education. My tutor teaches the subject of Science in the three clases of the first year that are in this school.
Today I taught a Science class to one of these classes. Students were watching the unit number 9 which is about landscapes and today we have finished two pages that weren't done. One of them included a listening, which only repeated the vocabulary words in the same order they are placed in the book, so students get lost and they do not pay attention because they do not have to do anything just listen, which find quite boring. The second activity was also a listening activity but it was more atractive. The audio said the colour in which students have to color some coastal landscapes that appeared in the picture.
After finishing this page, we have worked in the following one the differences between natural non-made and man-made features.
After that, we made the presentation, together the three first courses, of the next unit, which will be worked as a project. The teacher has put the children some videos in which we have seen ideas from the three branches of the proyect: jobs, tools and machines
And that's all today. Tomorrow more and better!
See you soon
Hello everybody!
ResponderEliminarToday was my second day of practice
I gave class to a first grade grou. As they have exam next Friday, we have been reviewing key concepts and expressions. We have reviewed them with a game using flashcards: first with the help of the children I have sung a song that is: shuffle, shuffle, one, two, three, shuffle, shuffle, one, two, three.Then I say the name of one of the children and he/she told me a number and I count the flashcards until I get to that number.
My tutor told me that the class in which we have been today is very good and children study a lot and it was true because they were most of the time paying attention and they all knew the vocabulary of the unit. When we reviewed all the flashcards, we have developed the same activity that I did yesterday with the other class.
I've also been helping my tutor to develop the material related to the project that we will carry out from tomorrow.
Bye! Have a nice day!
I was wrong and posted two messages on another forum, so I attach them here. These comments relate to the 11 and 12 of March.
ResponderEliminarHello! Today was my first day at school. I'm in a bilingual class, with children under 6 years. In addition, the class is also bilingual in sign language, because there is a deaf girl, who has the help of an interpreter, but is fully integrated into the class with other students and activities.
I was very surprised by this, because one thing that is very difficult for me, they see it as normal.
When explaining a concept, they do sign language too, and all children learn the necessary gestures to communicate with her. In class there is a board with the alphabet in sign language, and the child is actively involved in all activities, responding aloud to some of them, or going to the board to solve exercises.
The first class was Environmental Knowledge, during which they have done a test, first in Spanish and then in English, but with different questions each, as the Spanish exam focused more on the content, and the English exam focused on vocabulary.
The second class have spent doing math problems in which the deaf girl has also been active, solving any of them on the board.
After recess I had a free hour, during which I have been preparing material for bilingual classes with the class tutor, and late in the language class, we explained the steps to write a recipe, and also for finally, we sang a song with the days of the week and months of the year in sign language.
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Today was my second day of practice at school. In the first class, we have language, we could not take the class because students had medical. A second hour, we have math, addition and subtraction by ones and tens. After recess we had Environmental Awareness, and have reviewed the water cycle in English and sign language at the same time.
Finally, I had a free hour, during which I have been with the class tutor, who taught me integrated curricula, which are preparing, and bilingual teaching units with chips, tests and activities.
I have also helped make a mural about the water cycle, with stickers and velcro, so that students can add and remove pieces while they study.
On 3 and 4 April were my third and fourth day at school. On day 3, during the first class, we read a story and then did some exercises about it. During the second hour, I helped the teacher to explain the seasons, in Spanish and English, and the interpreter did it in sign language for all children in the class could learn.
ResponderEliminarAfter we had math class, in which the children made an exam.
After the break, I had a free hour, during which I was helping the teacher with the murals they perform for bilingual classes. I found it very interesting this method of learning because through visual tools we are able to catch the attention of children and make learning easier for the deaf student.
During the last class of the day, I was in English class, in which I explained to the children how they can present to another person, and were practicing in pairs. Thus, through the active participation of students in class, meaningful learning is achieved and also with this exercise children improve its expressiveness and become more confident in themselves.
On day 4, during the first two hours, we were in classes of 1 A and 1 B, and helped the teacher to explain the difference between coastal landscape and mountain landscape, in Spanish and English, with the mural we had made the day before. The children went to the board and put the mural pieces into their places.
After the break, we had craft class, during which the children made a flower for Mother's Day. Then, in language class, we read a story and students answered several questions about the characters, to check their reading comprehension and expressive capacity. The last time I had free hour and was talking to the interpreter who works with the deaf girl, because I think she does a great job and I was curious about how she carried out their daily work with this student.
Hi!
ResponderEliminarToday the teacher and I have been during the first hour underlining what the children of first course will write so as to make the book of the country of Malta.Then in the following two hours we have give each child a text to copy and they have been writing under our supervising. At the end of the day we have been doing the daily routine (maths and language).