EXPECTING AND GETTING THE BEST FROM OUR STUDENTS

WHY SHOULD WE AS EFFECTIVE ELT PRACTITIONERS HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS?

It is important for us to have high expectations for all our students because it is a good way to motivate our students. So, we should let our students know our expectation we have for them. In this way, they will have a clear idea about they should do and what we want them to achieve in our subject matter. We should also ask our students what expectations they have for them in order to take them into account when teaching them.

HOW COME WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE THEM TO OUR STUDENTS? HOW DO WE DO THAT?

We should communicate our expectations in a clear and friendly way. We should also communicate them in a positive manner. We need to explain that achieving our expectations is possible if they do their best to achieve them. Likewise, we should guide our students to reach their own expectations in a positive way. This means to explain the importance of English around the world and to make them aware that they are the key in their learning process. We, as teachers, are just a guide and a counselor.

 HOW DO WE SUPPORT THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR LEARNING EXPECTATIONS?

 First, we should know their learning expectations very well. Then, we can support them to achieve those expectations by encouraging them to do their best. Another way to support them is to demonstrate that we care about their learning by giving feedback and by praising them because of their performance.

Our students will feel more confident if they are aware that we are with them in their learning process. In this way, they will feel more comfortable to reach and achieve their expectations.

 HOW DO WE DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR STUDENTS' LEARNING?

We can demonstrate that we are responsible for our students´ learning in many ways. For example, we can show our real interest in their learning by asking them about their expectations and interests about English. We should let them know our expectations we have for them to achieve. After knowing their expectations and letting them know ours, we should demonstrate we really want to achieve those expectations by doing our best, and helping them as much as we can. We should support and guide them in their learning process. However, we should let them know they are responsible for their own learning, too. Furthermore, we should let them know they are more responsible for their learning than we are. We should let them know they are the principal actors and actresses in the teaching learning process.

HOW BENEFICIAL WAS THIS BOOK TO HAVE A BETTER IDEA ON WHAT TEACHING IS ALL ABOUT?

This book was really helpful for me because I learned a lot about teaching. So, I got a better idea about what teaching is. It shows the reality of the teacher´s role and that gave me all the information I needed to be sure about the profession I have chosen. This book was a really useful source of information which I didn’t know anything about. Now, I know a little bit more about teaching, and I try to put into practice some pieces of advice to organize and manage a classroom, to organize and implement instruction, and to provide feedback to my students. I think that now, I feel more comfortable and confident when teaching because of the information of this book.

 

INCLUDE A DAPA OF ONE YOUR LESSONS.

DAPA

The Broken Telephone (Warm-up)                        1:40 PM to 1:52 PM

Description:

1:40 PM

-       I greeted my students.

-       I told my students about the activity.

-       I explain the steps and rules of the activity.

-       I didn’t explain the purpose of the activity.

-       I didn’t CCQ. I just asked them “Do you understand?”

1:44 PM

-       I asked them to form two lines (Boys and Girls)

-       I asked the last person of each line to read a sentence I had written in some pieces of paper.

-       I asked them to whisper the sentence to the person who was in front of them until the message reach the first person of each line.

-       I asked the first person of each line to write the sentence on the board.

-       The students continued doing the same until there were no more sentences to whisper.

1:50 PM

-       The students and I checked the sentences they had written on the board in order to find mistakes who were the winners.

-       I ended the activity.

 Analysis:

-       According to what I know about Classroom Management, I showed some energy at the beginning of the activity in order to motivate my students to participate in the activity.

-       According to what I know about Giving Instructions, I gave clear steps and rules, but I didn’t CCQ. It was a big mistake.

-       According to what I know about Learning Styles, most of my students are visual and I didn’t use any visual aid.

 

Plan of Action:

-       In the near future, if I use this activity, I will try to give short and simple instructions in order to avoid problems.

-       I will use some visual aids in order to do this activity more interesting and in order to exemplify.

-       I will CCQ by asking my students about the steps and by giving examples.

Questions I am still thinking about:

-       What should I do to give clear and simple instructions?

-       How can I be more energetic?

-       How could I involve all my students?

Advice for Novice Teachers:

-       Whenever you explain an activity, you should CCQ.

-       Keep instructions short and simple in order to avoid vague instructions.

-       You should show self-confidence when guiding an activity.