Classroom Instruction

1. Many teachers think that instruction consists on telling students what to do and sitting on a chair waiting until they finish. Once I met a teacher that used to tell students “open you book on page number 50 and do the exercises until page 53.” Then he used to open his laptop start checking his email, and playing games while students were learning?

My personal conception of instruction goes beyond of a student just filling in a book. I try to prepare my classes in a way that students will learn for life. Sometimes I try to use collaborative learning in order to make them help themselves. I also try to provide visuals that will empower my explanations as well as asking students to help me writing on the board, solving a problem or to give their opinion. Of course I ask them things I am sure they can do successfully. Even though some exercises seen difficult, I ask them because I know they are able to overcome the fear and to perform well.

2. To maximize the time I use for teaching, I use a lot of collaborative learning. I try to use warm ups as introduction for a topic. Most of them related to communicative language teaching and total physical response. I also try to involve and give some responsibility to those students who promote disruption. That has helped me a lot because now those who used to misbehave now are those who are willing to participate.

3. In these days I have been observing student´s response to each activity I have developed in my classes. Taking notes of each response has helped me to recognize which activities help them learn more. So now whenever I have to prepare and develop an activity I know that they will bright and respond positively to my teaching style. I also try to encourage them to go beyond the book and to take responsibility in their learning.

4. I try to adapt the activities that the book suggests to my teaching style. I do big effort preparing visuals and analyzing how can I explain the topic in a way that students will achieve it and use it for life.

5. This experience has taught me a lot. I have learned a lot from my students. As an example I have learned how to cope with discipline issues in the classroom and that some students misbehave because they find classes boring and tedious but making changes in order to include them in the group makes big changes. Another thing is that I have learned the importance of not giving your opinion whenever they make a comment about a specific teacher. Whatever that I said will be repeated by them. I have also learned that they judge all participations I have had in the classroom.