Today was the first time to teach elementary students. That group is very strange, to say the least.
Got my first ABOVE STANDARD! :)))
I was so happy! ;)
I just tried to make my instructions as simple as possible and that was great ;)
trešdiena, 2010. gada 21. jūlijs
piektdiena, 2010. gada 16. jūlijs
The 2nd week is finally over!
I have been waiting this moment since the beginning of the week.
I haven't been able to get a single 'above standard' in my Teaching Practice - everyhting has been 'to standard'. Good thing of course, there is no 'below standard'. The lessons were different (I felt so and I could also say so because of the feedback). Now I feel much better when I'm teaching, I am not struggling with a lack of ideas if I still have time left. And, more importantly, I don't care if I am being observed! :)
I haven't been able to get a single 'above standard' in my Teaching Practice - everyhting has been 'to standard'. Good thing of course, there is no 'below standard'. The lessons were different (I felt so and I could also say so because of the feedback). Now I feel much better when I'm teaching, I am not struggling with a lack of ideas if I still have time left. And, more importantly, I don't care if I am being observed! :)
piektdiena, 2010. gada 9. jūlijs
1st Week is OVER!
Yeah. That has actually happened. The first CELTA week is over.
Basically, I am really enjoying the course, but it is really intensive, as I had heard it. We are eleven people in the course, and the tutors have said that we are very professional and experienced - usually all the tasks take ages because they didn't have the knowledge we have. Cool.
However, people are different, some are happy, some not so happy with the course. I am enjoying it. It is even more exciting than I thought it would be.
I have also understood that my English is brilliant:) My tutor 1 wrote in the first feedback - "a bright start". Now the main thing is to be bright at the end as well. I wish to get a couple of 'above standard' for my teaching practice. I have done 2 out of 9. During the next week I will have 3.
Basically, I am really enjoying the course, but it is really intensive, as I had heard it. We are eleven people in the course, and the tutors have said that we are very professional and experienced - usually all the tasks take ages because they didn't have the knowledge we have. Cool.
However, people are different, some are happy, some not so happy with the course. I am enjoying it. It is even more exciting than I thought it would be.
I have also understood that my English is brilliant:) My tutor 1 wrote in the first feedback - "a bright start". Now the main thing is to be bright at the end as well. I wish to get a couple of 'above standard' for my teaching practice. I have done 2 out of 9. During the next week I will have 3.
pirmdiena, 2010. gada 5. jūlijs
First day
First day.
11 crazy people (including me) who just didn't know what to do with a month of the summer! Holy cow - it feels as if two days have passed already! So imagine how intensive that is... Lots of activities. Interesting and exciting but at around 12-1 o'clock starts feeling tiring and even exhausting.
And that's just the first day - we didn't even do any teaching practice 9I am doing the first one already tomorrow).
Yeah, teaching practice - actually, the scariest part of the course (maybe because I feel that that's the most important part of the assessment). Only 6 hours (if I consider how many hours I am doing at PSU every week, this seems a piece of cake).
By the way, there are onbly two Latvians in the course :D
Many Russians, some Brits and Americans.
OK, maybe will add something later. Now I have a horrendous migraine. Still have to prepare for tomorrow somehow.
11 crazy people (including me) who just didn't know what to do with a month of the summer! Holy cow - it feels as if two days have passed already! So imagine how intensive that is... Lots of activities. Interesting and exciting but at around 12-1 o'clock starts feeling tiring and even exhausting.
And that's just the first day - we didn't even do any teaching practice 9I am doing the first one already tomorrow).
Yeah, teaching practice - actually, the scariest part of the course (maybe because I feel that that's the most important part of the assessment). Only 6 hours (if I consider how many hours I am doing at PSU every week, this seems a piece of cake).
By the way, there are onbly two Latvians in the course :D
Many Russians, some Brits and Americans.
OK, maybe will add something later. Now I have a horrendous migraine. Still have to prepare for tomorrow somehow.
svētdiena, 2010. gada 4. jūlijs
One day before the course - the evening
Yiihaa. I wouldn't actually say that I am on the seventh heaven. Not because I don't want to study, but because I am a bit scared of that 'being intensive, 9.30am-5.30 pm thing'.
Today I printed out the timetable that Robert sent us. I was reading what is going to happen tomorrow, on the first day of the course:
9.30-11.30
Introductions and warmers.
Foreign Language Lesson.
Break
12.00-1.30
Classroom management and speaking activities.
Lunch
2.30-5.00
Course overview.
Introduction to teaching practice (TP) and Guided Lesson Planning (GLP).
Ah well. It doesn't sound that bad. Not yet, at least. However, I admit, it is not very clear what is meant by 'Foreign Language Lesson', for example. That's why I googled a bit and found CELTA timetable (a bit more detailed than the one I have).
So...
Session 1 (90 minutes) Introduction
A whole group session where trainees experience a range of introduction activities.
Aim: to get to know each other, the course and the centre.
Key concepts:
1. dynamics, rapport, warmers;
2. classroom management: seating, names;
3. course administration: timetable, portfolio, course record booklet, tutorials;
4. centre facilities: resources, safety, regulations.
Session 2 (90 minutes) Foreign Language Lesson
Format: an approximately 40-minute session teaching the participants a language they are not familiar with, followed by a discussion (small group open class).
Aim: to experience communicative language teaching (CLT)
Key concepts:
1. learning style: experiential vs. analytic;
2. factors affecting learning: anxiety, motivation;
3. teacher roles: organising, facilitating, modelling, correcting;
4. classroom management: grading language, instructions, eliciting, drilling, correction;
5. communicative tasks: interaction, involvement;
6. communicative language teaching.
Session 3 Who are the learners?
Format: Observation (30 minutes). Focus on the learner, small group and open class discussion.
Aim: to raise awareness reagarding the learners, their backgrounds, their level of comprehension and production.
Key concepts:
1. factors affecting learning: age, cultural and educational background, learning styles;
2. reasons for learning English:ESL, EFL, EIL, ESP;
3. L1 and L2 differences: acquisition vs. learning;
4. monolingualism and multilingualism;
5. comprehension, production; [receptive and productive skills, probably]
6. classroom language: grading.
Session 4 Classroom Management
The first teaching Practice session usually involves all the candidates, divided into two or more TP groups, setting up or monitoring simple activities for about 20 minutes each - for example, find someone who, name learning game, simple speaking activities.
Aim: to familiarise trainees with TP procedures; to learn how to plan classroom management.
Key concepts:
1. groupings: individual, pair, group, mingle, information gap activities;
2. establishing rapport;
3. interaction: T-ss, ss-ss
4. teacher talk: giving instructions/grading language;
5. variety and pace.
Session 5 Facilities
Introduction to library, photocopying facilities, resources.
OK, Let's see how my first day goes.
Today I printed out the timetable that Robert sent us. I was reading what is going to happen tomorrow, on the first day of the course:
9.30-11.30
Introductions and warmers.
Foreign Language Lesson.
Break
12.00-1.30
Classroom management and speaking activities.
Lunch
2.30-5.00
Course overview.
Introduction to teaching practice (TP) and Guided Lesson Planning (GLP).
Ah well. It doesn't sound that bad. Not yet, at least. However, I admit, it is not very clear what is meant by 'Foreign Language Lesson', for example. That's why I googled a bit and found CELTA timetable (a bit more detailed than the one I have).
So...
Session 1 (90 minutes) Introduction
A whole group session where trainees experience a range of introduction activities.
Aim: to get to know each other, the course and the centre.
Key concepts:
1. dynamics, rapport, warmers;
2. classroom management: seating, names;
3. course administration: timetable, portfolio, course record booklet, tutorials;
4. centre facilities: resources, safety, regulations.
OK, I have no idea what is meant by protfolio, the course record booklet, etc, but I sincerely hope I will find it out tomorrow. Classroom management is something that I already know so that shouldn't be anything painful, either.
Session 2 (90 minutes) Foreign Language Lesson
Format: an approximately 40-minute session teaching the participants a language they are not familiar with, followed by a discussion (small group open class).
Aim: to experience communicative language teaching (CLT)
Key concepts:
1. learning style: experiential vs. analytic;
2. factors affecting learning: anxiety, motivation;
3. teacher roles: organising, facilitating, modelling, correcting;
4. classroom management: grading language, instructions, eliciting, drilling, correction;
5. communicative tasks: interaction, involvement;
6. communicative language teaching.
Some things are more familiar to me than others. I guess, nothing weird and nothing special. At least, the good thing is that I know some of those things already, so it doesn't feel as if I am going to do something that I have not the slightest idea about.
Being a non-native speaker of English, I am lucky of having already experienced a foreign language lesson. I know how it feels when you are taught a language and how frustrating it can be when you are unable to express yourself just because you don't know a specific word or you can't find the correct grammatical construction.
What is 'grading language'? I am not sure. Maybe I will find it out soon.
Student anxiety and motivation - good thing. I have experienced some of that...
Session 3 Who are the learners?
Format: Observation (30 minutes). Focus on the learner, small group and open class discussion.
Aim: to raise awareness reagarding the learners, their backgrounds, their level of comprehension and production.
Key concepts:
1. factors affecting learning: age, cultural and educational background, learning styles;
2. reasons for learning English:ESL, EFL, EIL, ESP;
3. L1 and L2 differences: acquisition vs. learning;
4. monolingualism and multilingualism;
5. comprehension, production; [receptive and productive skills, probably]
6. classroom language: grading.
Session 4 Classroom Management
The first teaching Practice session usually involves all the candidates, divided into two or more TP groups, setting up or monitoring simple activities for about 20 minutes each - for example, find someone who, name learning game, simple speaking activities.
Aim: to familiarise trainees with TP procedures; to learn how to plan classroom management.
Key concepts:
1. groupings: individual, pair, group, mingle, information gap activities;
2. establishing rapport;
3. interaction: T-ss, ss-ss
4. teacher talk: giving instructions/grading language;
5. variety and pace.
H-E-L-P!!!!!!! Teaching practice already on the first day??!!! How? When? WHY? Everyhting is OK, but how to think of a simple activities out of the blue? And if you are asked to do something, do you know how difficult it is to do something on demand? I hope only 2 students show up. At PSU that was quite common.
Session 5 Facilities
Introduction to library, photocopying facilities, resources.
Speaking about resources, I have ordered Michael Swan's book "Practical English Usage", but it hasn't arrived yet. I hope I get it as soon as possible because I have the feeling that I need it already!
OK, Let's see how my first day goes.
svētdiena, 2010. gada 27. jūnijs
June 27th, 2010
What's new? Nothing special, I guess.
I have been in Latvia for a couple of days now, but still haven't gone out. I don't know why. Just didn't feel like.
Being a good employee (yeah right), I am checking my PSU e-mail even in my vacation. Liliane has sent a bunch of e-mails - all of those some kind of goodbye-thank you stuff.
My CELTA course starts on the 5th July, I guess I will have more interesting things to post here then.
Meanwhile, I could put lots of vacation pics here. The pics though are still to be taken.
I have been in Latvia for a couple of days now, but still haven't gone out. I don't know why. Just didn't feel like.
Being a good employee (yeah right), I am checking my PSU e-mail even in my vacation. Liliane has sent a bunch of e-mails - all of those some kind of goodbye-thank you stuff.
My CELTA course starts on the 5th July, I guess I will have more interesting things to post here then.
Meanwhile, I could put lots of vacation pics here. The pics though are still to be taken.
piektdiena, 2009. gada 3. aprīlis
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