My experience in teaching practicum II.

Before to start with the teaching practicum with teenagers my thoughts were totally different from what they are now. At the beginning I thought that it was going to be a difficult challenge to achieve, because I never before had the opportunity to teach English classes to teenagers; but in this practicum I did have, and it was one of the best experiences that I have had in my teaching process.

During this practicum I was assigned to work with two different groups of students. The first five weeks I worked with a small group of teenagers, they were only fourteen students between the ages of 15 and 16 years old. Then I worked with a bigger group. They were 26 students between 14, 15 and 16 years old. The groups were both totally different because in one group I could notice that the students were very quiet, they worked most of the time but sometimes they were very shy. One of the reasons I think they were very shy was because they were afraid of making mistakes and they were very sensitive about what other classmates thought or said about them. I knew that some teenagers are very sensitive about what other people think about them,because this was one of the characteristics that I studied during the first weeks of the course. That is why in my lessons I tried to use activities and techniques that engaged students to participate; also I tried to keep their self-esteem high by doing activities in groups because I knew in that way they were able to participate and take more risk.

Otherwise, the second group was very different because the teenagers liked to talk a lot, they were not shy, in a way they were very confident, but sometimes they were easily distracted that their attention span was shorted. For that reason, I always tried to look for interesting activities for them, because in that way they were going to be busy doing something fun or interesting. Nonetheless, that was not difficult for me because I had a lot of fun with them, I practiced and the most important thing I improved a lot during the five times that I was asked to teach a class, of course there were times in which I was assigned to teach only two or three stages of the lesson, and sometimes I was given with the opportunity to teach a complete lesson plan of one hour. This was really meaningful for me because I had the opportunity to work with real students even though, only were 9 weeks that I worked with them I learned many things because the feedback and advice that my mentor teacher gave me were  really useful for me and I am so thankful because she was a good mentor and model for me. In addition to this, the students I was working with were kind and respectful with me; they looked at me as a real teacher not as a student who was only there to practice.

Also, in my participations I felt so proud of myself because every time I taught a class my mentor teacher gave me some advice and feedback to improve for the next time and I took that into consideration that before to teach a class I had in mind all that she said to me and when I finished my lessons I was happy to see that the goal was achieved because I was improving every time.

In general the experience was really good because we learned many things but sadly there are good and bad aspects about this. One of the good aspects about this experience was the place, because we were in the university and we were practicing with real students, also we had a mentor teacher that was there to guide us and give us some advice to improve. The bad aspects were the day and the schedule because for me was a little bit difficult to stay at the university so late because of the transportation and the time of departure.

Class observation from Saturday, October 29^th 2016.

Teacher Ingrid started the class with a warm up activity called “Let’s construct sentences logically”. Each student had to say a word in order to construct a sentence. Students were asked to do this activity because teacher Ingrid wanted students to practice speaking.

For the next activity students did some exercises to review the topic of the previous class. Then, students practiced a little bit of speaking using the passive voice, to keep practicing the same topic students were asked to read a text about earthquakes, after that student complete some exercises related to the text.

When teacher Ingrid finished all her activities it was my turn. I had the opportunity to teach a grammar class. I started the class with a warm up activity I played “the broken telephone”. Then, students were given with a worksheet. I played an audio and I asked students to complete a conversation,When they finished they compared the answers. 

For the next activity I asked students to pass the ball, the student who got the ball was asked to create a sentence using a noun and a verb that I gave and I asked students to go to the board and write the sentence. To finish the lesson, I asked students to work in pairs to create a conversation using the second conditional. I selected some students to pass in front of the class to  practice the conversation.

Class observation  from Saturday, October 22^nd

The class began and teacher Ingrid started with a listening activity about natural disasters. Students completed some exercises then they compare answers. When they finished these activities students watched some videos about natural disasters to get familiar with the topic. Students were given with a worksheet and they did a matching activity. After those activities she explained “the past passive”. Students were asked to complete some exercises then they compare the answers.

For the next part of the class I had the opportunity to teach a reading class I started with a survey. I asked students to stand up to complete a survey about music. I asked students to look for 2 different classmates and ask the 5 questions. Then I asked students to share their answers. Later I selected some students to do a matching activity. I asked students to match the definition with the word; I checked Student’s answer with help of students. I explained the meaning and I gave some examples.

For the next activity students were given with a work sheet and a text about music. I asked them to read the text and then complete some exercises about the reading, when they finished the activities they compare the answers with some classmates. To conclude, students were asked to create a conversation to talk about their favorite artists using the passive voice; some students were selected to pass in front of the class and practice the conversation. When I finished my class, students went to the lab to practice listening and when they came back to the classroom it was time to do the oral evaluation.

class observation from Saturday, October 15th 2016.

Lily had the opportunity to begin the class; she did a warm up activity and when she finished the game she introduced the topic “So do I” and “Neither do I” she explained to students when to use those expressions and also she explained the formation of the sentences. After that, she gave students a worksheet with some exercises, she asked students to work in pairs and when they finished students were asked to compare the answers. Then, she gave another worksheet to keep practicing the topic, she asked students to work in pairs and then compare the answers with another classmate. When students finished these activities they were asked to create a conversation in pairs using the grammar presented before. Some students were asked to pass to the front and practice the conversation.

For the second part of the class teacher Ingrid explained the topic “used to” she explained the formation of the sentences also, she explained how to use the topic and when to use it. She worked in the book and students completed some exercises. When they finished they were asked to create a conversation using “used to” teacher Ingrid asked student to create a conversation in pairs to talk about what they used to do in their childhood. Some students were selected to pass to the front to practice the conversation.

Class observation from Saturday October 1st

In this class I had the opportunity to teach a complete lesson plan, I felt very excited and happy with this class because since the first time that I teach I had improved a lot.

To get started with the class I did a brainstorming activity, I started discussing about future plans and dreams and I asked students to stand up and go to the board and write a dream or plan that they had for the future. I read students plans and I asked students why they had those dreams. For the next activity I introduced new vocabulary, I had 5 words with 5 pictures, I selected some students and I asked them to look for the picture or word and match the picture with the word and paste the flashcards on the board. Then I asked students if the pictures were ok, and I told them if they had questions about the vocabulary. In the next activity students were asked to read a text about “future plans and dreams” I asked some students to read the text when they finished reading the text I ask them to complete some exercises related to the reading, after that I asked them to compare the answers. In the last activity students were asked to write a paragraph about their future plans and dreams. When they finished writing I asked students to give me the papers and I told them that they had to read the paragraph they got and I told students to guess the writer.

When I finished my participation teacher Ingrid started with her lesson. She introduced the topic “Adverbs” she explained the formation and when to use them. After that she gave some sentences and adverbs, students had to match the sentences with the adverbs when they finish teacher Ingrid checked student’s answers. In the next activity students practiced some exercises, she gave a worksheet and students practice some exercises. Later she did other activities and students work in the book. After all these activities teacher Ingrid gave students some time  to practice speaking because they were going to have an evaluated role play.

Class observation from Saturday September 24^th

To begin with the class my mentor teacher started with a warm-up activity. She played “hangman” students enjoyed this activity, because it was like a competition. Also, it was a good idea before to start the class and introduce the new topics.

The class began and Teacher Ingrid worked with the book, she asked students to read a history from the book and complete some exercises, Students were asked to compare the answers and then share with the whole class. In this activity it would have been better to introduce the new vocabulary before to read the text because some students were lost with the meaning of some words but at the end the activity worked very well and students could do all the activities that they were told to do.

After that activity, it was time for me and Lily to teach a complete lesson plan. First, Lily started with the encounter, some strips of paper with should and shouldn`t were given to the students, Students pasted on the board the strips of paper with should and shouldn’t. Then she explained the negative/ positive and contraction of should and shouldn’t and introduced the questions “what should I do?” When she finished explaining the topic, it was time for students to practice some exercises, she asked students to complete a worksheet individually using should and shouldn’t. Students completed the worksheet individually, then, they compared answers with the person that was next to them. For the following activities, I was in charge of developing them.I asked students to choose a picture and write a sentence according to the picture that they saw. I told them to use Should or shouldn’t to write the sentences after that I checked the sentences with Student’s help.

When they finished the activity I asked them to write a problem

that they had, I told them that it could be real or imaginary. They wrote the Problem in a blank page, when they finished of writing I collected all the papers and asked students to work in trios. I gave to each group 3 problems and students had to write at least 5 advices per each situation.Then I asked students to read the problems and share the advices with the whole class.

Class observation from Saturday September 17^th.

  During this class I was 

given with the opportunity to teach two stages of the lesson plan. I was in charge of encounter and remember. 

I introduced vocabulary about jobs around the house. I selected some students to go to the board and   paste the definition with the words. Then, I asked students who didn’t participate in the activity if the definition with the words   were ok. After that I asked  students  if they had  questions about vocabulary; some students  were not clear with  some words like “do the vacuum” I explained  the meaning and I gave  some  examples.  Luckily I had the pictures and that was useful because with the pictures students had a better idea of the meaning.  For the next stage teacher Lily the other TA was in charge of the grammar explanation she explained the topic “be going to” using a power point presentation. Later it was time for me again to practice. I asked students to go to the board and do some exercises on the board. Then students practice other exercises in the book and they compared the answers. In the second part of the class teacher Ingrid explained another topic. She explained the use of have and has, and then students practiced some exercises in the book when they finished, students did a review of the whole unit. To finish, students practice writing before the evaluated exam.

Class observation from Saturday September 10th

 In this class I felt more confident and relaxed, this time I had the opportunity to meet my mentor teacher Ingrid Girón as it was going to be the first time with her I was not assigned to teach any stage of the lesson but I was asked to monitor students.

She started the class by asking what students did in the previous class some students gave their opinion and then she introduced the topic “The comparative”; she explained the rules and exceptions to form the comparison after, the explanation, she asked some students to go to the board and do some exercises.

After, the last exercise students did a listening activity about physical appearance when they finished, teacher Ingrid asked for a volunteer to stand up in front of the class and she asked students to describe their classmate. In my personal opinion that was a good activity before to do next one because then, pupils were asked to describe the physical appearance of one of their classmates so that, using that example was easier for students to describe their classmates.

For the next activity teacher Ingrid gave students a blank page because they were going to draw a monster. She gave instructions and said that she was going to describe a monster and Students had to listen to the teacher a draw it. I could notice that students enjoyed this activity and they were laughing a lot when they were comparing their drawings.

In the next activity students work in pairs and they write 5 questions about preferences when they finished, they were asked to go outside and ask 5 different teachers those questions; when they came back to the classroom they shared the answers. Finally, it was time for students to do the oral test students were in pairs and they had around one hour to study and prepared the conversation.

Class observation from Saturday, September 3^rd

During this class I was really excited and nervous about what it was going to happen, because it was my first day as a TA (teacher assistant) and also, the first time that I had to work with teenagers. So I felt a little bit nervous but positive and with many expectations about the class. Sadly my mentor teacher was not in the university that day that is why I did not have the opportunity to meet her and explain the reason of why I was there, but another teacher came instead of her. 
Before the class started I introduced myself with the teacher and the students, I told them that I was going to be with them helping the teacher and helping them in the whole module. In that moment I could notice that some students were surprised about me but then, they were kind with me and I started asking them their names.

The class began and as it was the first time that teacher Karla was in that classroom, she asked the name of the eight students that were that day, after that she asked to her Ss if they were good with verbs some of them said yes and others said no. Teacher Karla wrote on the board some verbs in the base form and she asked students to pass the marker and the student who got the marker had to go to the board and write the verb in the past form, after all students passed to the board she checked the answers, teacher Karla was surprised because all verbs were in the correct form. When T Karla was developing this activity I could see that students were excited to pass to the board because they knew all the verbs, in that moment I thought that it was a good activity to check the background knowledge of students.

For the next activity T Karla asked students to work in page 24 from the book American More 2. They were asked to fill a chart with some information in the book, after that activity, she introduced for questions: Where did you go on vacations? When did you go to the mall? What did you do on vacations? And How long did you stay there?. She asked one by one the questions and students answered and gave their opinion. In the next activity students worked in the book, they had to put in order some questions students work individually and when they finished I checked student’s answers I asked them to compare the answer with the people that were next to them; then I selected some students to read the sentences out loud to compare with the whole class.

In the next activity students were asked to stand up and ask 4 different classmates what they did last vacation using the 4 questions that were introduced when they finish the activity all students shared their answers.

One of the activities that I liked in this class was Sharks are coming because students were bored and when they played this game they enjoyed it and they felt more relaxed for the next activity because it was going to be a reading task and sometimes some students might find really stressful and boring this kind of activities so as teacher I must find the way to have my students focus on the class by doing activities that they enjoy.

Introduction.

Hello, everybody welcome to my teaching practicum blog. My name is Fatima Arias, I am twenty years old and I am studying teaching at Don Bosco University. This is the second practicum that I am taking, the first practicum that I took was with kids and all that I can say is that it was an unforgettable experience because I learned many things that I did not know before but now it is time to practice and put all my knowledge and skills to work by teaching English to teenagers. I feel excited and with a lot of expectations about this new experience because I am sure I will learn many things and, all the knowledge that acquire will be useful for me as a future teacher.

I have always said that teaching is meaningful and rewarding so for that, I decided to choose this profession because I am able to transmit all my knowledge to different people and it is something meaningful that makes me feel proud of myself. Also, I want to be a teacher because thanks to all my teachers that I have had a long this process I have learned  many things that I want to put in practice for the future so, thank you for molding me and teaching me amazing things to become a better teacher. To conclude, I would like to say that I am ready to learn new things and improve everyday to be an amazing teacher who inspires the life of other people.

Physical  Development in Teenagers

Before I read information about physical development in teenagers my knowledge about this topic was a little bit different from what I know after reading.

What I knew

I knew that teenagers present many physical changes during the adolescence period and they might start experimenting changes in their body around 11 or 12 years old. Also, I knew that boys usually present physical changes later than girls. In addition to this, I was conscious about the physical changes that boys present, some of them are the voice change and the facial hair. Unlike to girls, they experience radical changes like the period or menstruation and the appearance of  pubic hair.

All this information presented above was a little bit of what I knew before reading about teens but now it is time to explain the information that I have read related to the teenager development.

After reading

According to the Raising Children Network "the period between child hood and young adult is a period of rapid changes". This means that, the physical, cognitive, emotional and social changes are happening during the adolescence period.What I found pretty interesting about the article “Physical Development” is the fact that some girls can start experimenting changes before the age of 12 the same happens with boys they can start as young as nine years old; as a consequence of the puberty the physical changes include: 

in the case of girls:

Breast development

Growth of pubic and body hair

The start of periods

And for boys physical changes include:

Growth of the penis and testes

Growth of body and facial hair

Voice changes.

Something that it is important to point out is that during this period teenagers can have the opportunity to get some skills like playing an instrument, learning a new language or practicing any sport, so it is a good time to encourage teenagers to do something meaningful and useful for them.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, I can say that teens go through many critical changes in their bodies, and they might be very sensitive to how others perceive their physical changes but as a future teacher I have to think about effective lessons and how to keep their self- esteem high by doing meaningful activities like group work where they will be able to take risks easily or as it is mentioned in the book “ Teaching across levels” making competitions between classmates it is a good way to make our students participate in class and keep their self- esteem high.

References

Andrea Ramires.(2007).Learner VariablesI: Teaching across levels.Oxford University press. 

Physical Changes during adolescence. Raising Children Network. (2016).

Phychosocial development in teenagers.

What I knew

Before looking for information about psychosocial development my knowledge about this topic was that during this period the teenager goes through many emotional changes and they experience things very intensely. Also, I knew that teens tend to be more sensitive to social approval and what other people think and say about them really matters. Likewise, peer pressure it is an important issue for teenagers because friends are important and as far as I know peer pressure is critical for the teenager development that is why teens are always looking for acceptance from friends and from themselves.

After Reading

I have found pretty interesting information about this topic and I am going to start by saying that “Physical development is linked to the hormonal and neurodevelopment change”(World Health Organization, 2005). This means that, the intellectual and emotional changes are taking place during this period.

Erick Erikson described this process as identity versus identity confusion; so as a result, teenagers are in search of their identity, goals and beliefs to be accepted in the society. Apart from the search of identity there are two important aspects to mention and take into consideration, the number one is sexuality and the second one is the relationship between family and friends.

According to the book “Human Development” sexuality can be influenced by the environmental factors or it can be partly genetic as a result, teenagers tend to have a sexual behavior, so for that, it is important to know that teenagers have a great risk of pregnancy or even worse a sexually transmitted disease.

The second aspect that the book point out is the relationship between family and friends. The first thing that we need to know it is that the relationship between family changes, teenagers want to have more intimacy as a result, conflicts with parents become more frequent. Second, the relationship with peers has a negative or positive influence. Also, in this stage teenagers worry about the physical appearance and they may think that if they break stereotypes they cannot be accepted in society.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, I can say that during this stage teenagers have to deal with emotional, personality and social changes and, all this factors affect the family and school environment. So, as a future teacher I need to be aware of these changes and find suitable activities to apply in the ESL classroom. Also, we teachers have to keep their self-esteem high by saying students that mistakes  are allowed so in that way teens do not have to feel nervous or frustrated about what other people are going to say about them, something to take in consideration is that teenagers hate embarrassing moments so we need to avoid that in class.

References

Diane E. (2016) Human Development.

World Health Organization (2005) Adolescence: Phychosocial and Social Developmet.

Cognitive Development in Teenagers

What I knew

cognitive Development in Teenagers

What I knew

What I knew about cognitive development is that at this stage teenagers can solve more complex problems. Also, the ability to reason is increasing, and they consider different opinions and points of view.

After reading

After reading information about this topic, I can define this process as the capacity to think and reason in a complex way by reflecting on the way teenagers make decisions.

According to the book “Human Development” there are two ways of thinking:

Concrete operations: this process is called this because children (6 to 12 years old) can think concretely and what they are thinking about it is physically present (e.g. subtract or divided).

The second thinking process is called formal operations by this time adolescence can develop more complex thinking, including abstract thinking, they can create new ideas or make questions and they can consider different points of view according to the criteria they have.

Something that called my attention while reading this article is that some indicators are indicating a progression from simple to more complex thinking development, and these indicators are the following:

Early adolescence: complex thinking is focused on school and home environments.

Middle adolescence: complex thinking is focused on futuristic plans for different possibilities.

Late adolescence: complex thinking is focused on personal decisions, idealistic views on specific topics also, is focused on making career decisions.

Conclusion.

During this process, there are really important changes happening in the teenager’s brain but the intellectual capacity is increasing and they can solve more complex problems so as a future teacher, I can put my students to work in solving a complex task with logical thinking but, of course, I need to be aware of the attention span because with many changes happening in the brain their attention span can be shorted. So for that, I need to look for interesting tasks or topics that called the attention of my students we do not have to work only with worksheets because that could be so boring for students.

References

Diane E.(2016) Human Development. Cognitive Development.

Renata Sanders (2013). Adolescent Phychosocial,Social, and Cognitive Development. Pediatrics in review.