MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS AND POTENTIAL

WHAT'S THE RELEVANCE THAT FEEDBACK AND HOMEWORK HAVE FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHERS?

Homework is a useful resource that effective teachers use to assess their students´ progress. So, effective teachers should know how to select and to assign homework because this homework should be suitable and significant for students. Homework has positive effects on student achievement when it is explained and related to the topic studied in class. Besides, effective teachers should know how to deal with homework and students´ responsibility.

Feedback is more than wrong or right. Feedback is an important technique to increase learning in our students. Effective teachers use feedback as a way to provide specific explanations of what students are doing correct or incorrect. Finally, effective teachers use feedback to encourage their students and to let them know that they are important for us.

WHY DOES ASSESSMENT PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN TEACHING?

Assessment is very important and it plays a central role in teaching because it is use to evaluate student progress and learning. Besides, it is important to determine the effectiveness of a lesson, and we can determine it through a good assessment. Effective teachers assess their students´ work before giving feedback to them. Besides, we can use assessment to assess and evaluate our own teaching practice in terms of student learning.

WHAT ARE SOME EFFECTIVE WAYS OF MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS?

We, as teachers, have some effective ways to monitor student progress such as homework and assessment. Homework is a good way to know if our students have understood any topic and to expand our student´s learning. Besides, we can use assessment as a good way of monitoring our student´ progress. Through this assessment we can give useful and suitable feedback to our students.

DAPA

Word Tennis     7:00 AM – 7:11 AM

Description:

  7:00 AM

- She greeted the class.

- She started to ask us about tennis.

- She didn’t say the purpose of the activity.

- She asked us to divide the class into two groups. (Girls and boys)

- She gave us some pieces of paper which had some words.

  7:04 AM

- She asked us to rewrite the words in a different order.

  7:08 AM

- She asked group A to show its first word in order for group B to guess the word.

- She asked group B to show its first word in order for group A to guess the word.

- Both groups continued doing the same routine until there were no more words to guess.

  7:11 AM

- She ended the activity.

Analyzing:

- According to what I know about Warmers, she should have explained the purpose of the activity.

- According to what I know about Classroom Management, she was very confident in order to succeed in the activity.

- According to what I know about CCQing, she gave an example in order to CCQ, but I think it wasn’t enough. 

Plan of Action:

- In the near future, if I use this activity, I am going to explain the purpose of the activity.                

- I am going to give more than two examples in order to CCQ.                     

- I am going to be more energetic because according to what I know about Classroom Management, a good teacher should show energy in order for his students to be motivated.             

- I am going to be mobile during the activity because according to what I know about Classroom Management, a good teacher should be mobile in order to catch his students’ attention.

Questions I am Still Thinking About:

- How can I improve this activity?

- How can I be more energetic?

- Is it enough just to give examples when CCQing?

Advice for Novice Teachers:

- Keep instructions short and simple and CCQ.

- Give clear instructions.

IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTION

HOW CAN TEACHERS IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AND MAKE THEM CONDUCIVE TO MEANINGFUL LEARNING?

First of all, teachers should know their subject matter very well. Then, teachers should know how to transmit their knowledge to the students in the classroom. So, teachers should use some instructional strategies such as direct teaching, guided teaching and/or independent practice. Besides, effective communication is very important in the classroom as well as clarity in explanations. So, teachers should know how to communicate expectations and how to give clear directions during a class. Finally, teachers should engage their students in order for them to learn better.

WHY IS COMMUNICATION OF CONTENT AND SKILLS KNOWLEDGE A CHARACTERISTIC OF GOOD TEACHERS?

Communication of content is a characteristic of good teachers because it is the way teachers and students interact in the classroom. Teachers who know their subject very well should know how to communicate this information to the students in an understandable way. So, teachers should know the importance of clarity in explanation, and they should know how to explain in a clear way.

HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN YOUR OWN TEACHING PRACTICUM, AS THE AGE OF YOUR STUDENTS IS A CRITICAL ONE?

I try to engage my students by using some strategies such as calling on students in random order, illustrating and clarifying some information. Besides, I like to use questioning techniques in class, and in this way, I try to involve everybody.

I also try to engage my students by varying activities in the classroom, for example oral and written practices. Besides, I like to give my students real examples. I mean things they are familiar with such as music, actors and actresses, movies, and the like. Finally, I try to lead every activity we do in the classroom. In this way, students are more focused and concentrated in the activity.

Mind Map Presentation: Attention

How does attention empower my own teaching practicum?

Attention is a very important management parameter that we should take into account when teaching at any level. All of us know how difficult is to get students´ attention. So, it is really important for us to know how to manage attention in the classroom. 

We, as teachers, should know most of the attention moves in order to use the most appropriate move or moves in a specific case. This empowers my teaching practicum because if I know how to manage attention I can keep my students on task during my classes. Besides, I can get their attention when talking or explaining something. This empowers my teaching practicum and improves my students´ learning.

Organizing for Instruction

How do you focus on instruction?

Well, I focus on instruction by taking into account the time I have for each class, and based on that, I try to organize and prepare each class as best as I can in order to use the time for instruction effectively.

How do you maximize instructional time?

First, I maximize instructional time by arriving at school early. In this way, I can prepare or place all my materials before my students enter the classroom. I also maximize instructional time by letting my students know what our routine is. For example, they already know they have to form a line to enter the classroom, and they already know what their seats are. Besides, I keep my students working while I check the homework assignment. This means, I first do the warm up activity or a review of the last topic. Then, I explain the topic. After that, my students and I do the exercises in the oral form, and then, I ask them to solve them in the written form while I check some homework assignments.

I think, a good way to maximize instructional time is by preparing materials in advance as well as a good and clear lesson plan for each topic.

How do you expect students to succeed in your classes?

I expect my students to succeed by letting them know the expectations I have for them. I have explained to them that I don’t want them just to pass the subject but I want them to learn some Basic English. Besides, I try to encourage them to learn English for their future. I have explained to them the importance of English around the world but especially in our country.

How do you plan and prepare for instruction?

First, I plan my lesson plan and create the materials I use in each class. In the lesson plan, I include just important information and the most suitable exercises about the topic. I think it is also important to give some time to each part of the lesson plan in order for it to be organized. Besides, I create and prepare some useful materials to explain the topic very well. In this way, my students understand quickly and better. Useful materials facilitate the teaching learning process.

Do you make last-minutes changes when things are not working? Based on what premises, have you made such changes? Did they work?

Sometimes it is necessary to make last-minutes changes when you consider things are not working. I make last-minutes changes when I consider it is necessary, for example, when I lose some minutes of class because the students enter the classroom late, I modify some things in order to recover that time. For example, when I don’t have enough time to write on the board, I dictate the information or I just explain it.  Another example can be when the students don’t want to participate in the warm up activity I suspend it and I start explaining the topic. In my case these changes have worked because I have had a good lesson plan to follow.  I didn´t get lost or frustrated.

What needs to be done to better your instruction?

I think time is the key to improve my instruction. I think sometimes I fail in my instruction because of the time. I think time is not enough to cover everything, although I organize everything and prepare my materials in advance. I think public schools need at least five hours of English a week in order for us, as teachers, to use that time to give a better instruction.

Classroom Management and Organization

Classroom management and organization is an interesting topic to take into account when beginning classes with a group of students. We as teachers should know a lot about this topic because it is not enough just to prepare an excellent lesson plan if we don’t have the appropriate classroom management and organization.  So, Organization becomes a very important word when we try to have a very good classroom management, but specifically classroom organization which includes classroom arrangement, discipline, the creation of routines and a plan to teach the students how their learning environment is organized.

After reading this chapter, I have analyzed my performance in my first classes. I think I have some previous knowledge from my previous teaching practices, but according to this chapter I am in a novice level according to classroom management and expectations for student behavior, but in public schools, we don’t have the resources to have classroom organization as is established in chapter three. In our country most schools don’t have more than desks and boards in their classrooms, but we can organize our classes in order to have a good sequence in our classes.

This chapter is very useful for novice teachers who are about to start our working life as real teachers. It gives us some useful tips such as take a week to establish rules and to create rapport in our classroom before starting formal classes. This will help us to have a better classroom management and organization. 

 

 During this practice, I will try take some time in order to know my students. Then, the students and I will establish important rules and routines they will have to respect in my classes. Likewise, I will try to maintain the discipline in the classroom in order to prevent inattentions, problems, and disruptions.  I will also try to have extra material in case of unexpected problems when teaching. Finally, I will report and resolve inappropriate behaviors promptly and I will reinforce and reiterate the expectations for good and positive behaviors.

Teaching Practice at C. E INSA

Last Monday, I started my teaching practice at C. E INSA. My tutor is Licenciada Nora Anzora de Jerez. This week I was there just observing some English classes. It was insteresting to observe the interaction between my tutor and her students. She is very kind, professional and creative when teaching English. She is also very friendly with her students, so her students are not afraid of participating in class.

I felt very comfortable and relaxed at school this week because this is the same school where I am doing my Teaching Practice IV. I already knew the many people and how the environment is there

The Teacher as a Person

Everybody thinks teachers should know their subject very well, but sometimes, this is not enough. Teachers should have some characteristics that identify them as persons. It is important to be aware that we as teachers should play some important roles in order to be more than traditional teachers.

I think the role of fairness and respect is the most important, but social interaction with students has almost the same importance. These two characteristics are the key to establish good relationships with our students and to create rapport in the classroom.

The most important value in our classroom should be respect. We should respect all our students in order for them to respect us, and we should also ask our students to respect each other.  Besides, respect is related to fairness because if we are not fair with our students, we cannot say we respect them. So, respect involves fairness and vice-versa. Furthermore, this role should be present when interacting with students outside the classroom (social interaction). This means to interact in activities that are not directly related to our subject or the syllabus such as sporting events, concerts, conferences, etc. 

In my opinion, social interactions with students and the role of fairness and respect are two of the most important characteristics of the teacher as a person. We cannot have a good social interaction with our students if we don’t respect them or if we are not fair when interacting with them in or/and outside the classroom.

We should erase that traditional idea that teachers ask for respect without  respecting their students, and that teachers interact with students only in the classroom. We should demonstrate that teachers can be respectful, fair, and friendly with our students.