This blog was created for students teachers to reflect on their teaching experience at school and share this experience with one another. As each shares and collaborates on best practices, successes as well as mistakes in teaching ESL, it is hoped that student teachers will benefit from such collaborative reflections on this blog platform and continue to appreciate the use of such a platform for further collaborations even after Teaching Practice.

Thursday 1 November 2012

“Just one last dance, before we say goodbye”



Happy to see all of you here again J . We only have less than two weeks to go, wish everything still goes well in your schools. Sorry for my late posting, this is my third reflection.    

Two observations by Madam Shanina (Week 3 & Week 5)

The first observation was conducted in my Form 2 class and it is 80 minutes class. This English proficiency level of this class is not very good, but generally I feel they did good job in the class. However, after listening to Madam Shanina’s comments, I just realized that I made a big mistake and this is really stupid.

Madam Shanina said “I like the first half of the class about the poem “I WONDER”, but you suddenly jump to the English language class is wrong”. In the first half class, I helped students better understand the poem “I WONDER” by playing the song “LEMMON TREE”, showing pictures and asking students to draw the picture in their mind. The wrong thing here is I asked students stop drawing when there are 25 minutes left and I asked them to focus on the grammar rules on the board and do the grammar game. Actually, in this process, I’ve already killed the joy of the students in the poem class. I record this experience here, I wish I can remember this big mistake and never do it again. I believe you guys won’t make the same mistake like me, poor me!  L   Anyway, one good thing for me, I found the students are interested in drawing, as I showed the pictures before, every student has potential.





Because of the time crash with Madam Shanina, the second observation was again conducted in 2 AMANAH class. Considering the lesson from first observation, this time I planned everything only for the first method. I planned a game about “MAMMALS” for students, which requires their full participation and Madam Shanina gave high evaluation on it.

During the observation, there is an accident; one of the lights in classroom fell down on the floor because of the strong wind. In order to continue with the class, I was trying to attract students’ attention. I told them “hey, dears, we are high class “mammals” right? We are strong and let’s ignore the natural disaster. Turn off the lights and sit in front, make sure everybody is safe.” All the students are laughing and the rest of the class goes well. I feel proud of my students because at least they still try to concentrate under this situation.


Form 4: 4 IKHALS  (Week 4 - Week 9)

The first time I meet 4 IKHLAS students, I can feel that they are quite creative and cooperative. At that time, I believe we can have best time with each other. However, it is a little pity because form 4 students start the exam much earlier than form 2. I remember at the end of the week 3, I made a competition board for them, but they start the exam on week 5, therefore the board is almost empty until week 8. I feel sad and I think this teaching practice period is not the best time for us to go to the school. Anyway, everything cannot always go the way you like. What I need to do is to make the best of the rest of the days.    

The first 4 weeks classes for form 4 are good, they enjoyed the game I prepared for them. However, in the following weeks, the time I spent with them is only in the exam time, and I’m the examiner. In normal class, I always smile but in the exam, I’m quite serious and much stricter than normal time. After 4 weeks exam, I went into the class room, I feel it’s been long time we haven’t talk to each other and one of the boys came to me and said “Teacher, you are a little fierce”    

Ø  Problem 1: “Teacher, you are a little fierce to me”
This is the student who is a little bit naughty in the exam, I guess this is the reason he says this to me. But I’m a little bit sensitive about this sentence. I’m thinking about “Am I too serious in the classroom?” After the class, three of the students came to me and want to interview me, after the interview, I asked them whether I am too serious in the classroom?” two of the girls say “ No” and they think that I’m cute, but one of the boy said “A little bit when you are angry”

   Strategy:
   I go back and rethink about myself, I guess maybe I’m too strict with that boy, therefore, after class, I was trying to talk to him. I asked him “Why do you think I’m fierce? Never mind, just give me some comments because teacher also wants to improve on myself.” Then, he replied “No, teacher, I was just playing around, you are a good teacher” I’m not so sure whether he is talking the truth, but I think I should talk to them more if I have chance later. Knowing them is best way to know about the truth.

Ø  Problem 2: They are cooperative but just few of them are passionate.
After exam, I can easily feel that they are much more relaxed then before and even sometimes I asked them to do something, they still do, but you can see from their face that they are not passionate as before. I try to make the best of rest of the days, so I planned to prepare some games for them.
   Strategy:
   Be positive, open and try to talk to them more. I searched the internet and try to find games for their rest of days and it works.

One day I bring the Poker card to the classroom. Students are quite good, they told me “Teacher, we are not allowed to play that in the class room” Actually, I know this and I told them “you are not allowed to gambling, but you are allowed to discover brain by using that”. Besides, I also tell them that this is an exercise taken from leadership management programme.

 I divided the students to the group and give each group 7 cards. I asked students to figure out a way to carry all 7 cards using only 1 card. The final result is like this:




At the beginning, students are interested but they cannot really figure out, so I was trying to show some tips one by one. Finally, one of the groups figures it out and they scream a lot. After all of them know, they are all very excited.

After they finish I just ask them to conclude what leadership management skill is involved in this game. Finally, they know that it is related to problem solving and decision making skill.


Form 2: 2 AMANAH (Week 4- Week 9)
Different from 4, I spent most of the time with my form 2 students. At the beginning, few of them don’t have manners and it brings me a lot of headache. As madam Shanina advised me, “They are not disciplined, never mind, be patient with them, talk with them”.

Ø  Problem: Students lack of discipline and avoid talking to me in English.

I took the advice from Madam Shanina, I tried a lot to talk to them as long as I feel they don’t behave well in the classroom. At first, I talked to some boys, they even cannot stand properly in front of me, so I try to ask them to stand well and I start to talk until they stand in the right way. When I start talking, they also don’t look at me and act like they don’t care. Alright, I keep calm and look at them until they look at me. They told me they cannot speak English well and that’s why they don’t speak. I try my best to encourage them, i said " i dont care whether you are good now or not, i care whether you you try or not, so next time, no matter you are speaking right or not, as long as you try, i will think you  are a good boy. and in the following days, it do work out, they speak a little bit more than before. :)

Ø  Relaxing time
After form 2 exam, I also give some games to them. For example, the poker game is also reachable in form 2 class. At the beginning, they are quite concentrated, as I did in form 4, after their trial, I show the steps one by one. Finally, they are all successful and you can see their happiness on their face.


Ø  Sweetness in Farewell Party
For me, I think the most unforgettable moment in teaching practice should be in this week, the farewell party. On this Tuesday, it should be my mentor’s last observation and I’ve already informed my form 2 students on Monday. However, on the way to the classroom, one of my students stopped me and tricked me not to go to the classroom and saying “teacher, there is something wrong in the office, go there and have a look”.
I was confused and just kept asking her go back to the classroom because I was thinking about my mentor should be waiting for me. Then, a teacher pass by tells me that they want to give me a surprise and I was shocked.  After that, I went back to classroom, the mentor is not there, and instead, the students put two big cakes, a big box of fried rice, some snacks and some cups on the table. I asked them why today, they told me “teacher, today is the only day that most of us are here, next week, maybe we won’t come”.

Besides, they also told me that the cake and rice were all made by themselves. I think I will keep these most beautiful sentences in my mind forever and thanks to university because it provides us chance to have time with these children. Although it’s hard at the beginning, now, I feel warm in my deep heart. Worth it! And luckily, my mentor was busy that time; she didn’t come to observe me and she will choose other day. 

the cake made by students


Alright, this is my third reflection before our teaching practice finish, again,i wanna say we still have one more week to go, wish all my friends here can enjoy the rest of the days, hope to see you soon ! :)

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