class number 8

Class number 8

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin=)

I think that we all have heard at least once these wise words; however, not all teachers put them in practice, but this is not the case of our English-kids project because we do involve our children in any task that we develop in the classroom. when we started with this project, we did not ask much for the kids’ participation; the lessons were pretty much about teachers teaching, giving a normal class in which the teacher talks and the students listen to him/her; nevertheless, as soon as we found out that involvement is the best of teaching; we all changed our lesson plans into great activities that require the students’ participation in the tasks, which are now having better results than traditional approaches that are neither meaningful nor motivating for the children’ learning process. Now, we know that at the end of the course, we will have good results and the children will return home with new knowledge that was gotten in a very cheerful and diverse way. 

Now let’s talk about this week class that was in charge of Juan and Raul!!!

During the class!!!

The presentation stage was in charge of Raul. This class was about using some verbs to denote actions, such as: jump, drive, run, and the like. Thus, in order for Raul to present the topics to the kids, he used many activities like, the use of a flipchart, adding gestures to the actions like: drive (make with your hands as if you’re driving) swim (make with your hands as if you are swimming) jump (kids jumped), etc. Finally; the students’ acquisition of the actions was tested in a task in which kids were asked to stand in lines. The two kids at the two of the lines were told a verb, and they had to take a hoop that was on the floor and throw it to some cones that were next to the kids lines in which the verbs were masked with figures; the child who thrown the hoop before in the corresponding verbs would be the winner and could get a coin. About this final activity, I can say it was great; however, the position in which the kids were set was not appropriate because girls were in disadvantage since boys were nearer the cones. I think that this task would have worked better if the two lines of kids would have been standing in front of the cones and not next to them.  These kinds of troubles should be perceived before the class starts by visualizing with anteriority how the activities will be developed, and how we are going to manage not only the space but also the students. Nevertheless, besides the difficulty, the activity’s aim was wonderful.  Thus, the presentation stage was successful.

Regarding Raul’s performance during the class, it can be said that he overcame the comments he received in his first participation.  This time I could observe a more confident Raul full of ideas not nervous at all, having control of the whole class, calling on kids’ specific names when they were not paying attention, and doing a great job. This means that Raul did learn from his first intervention and he decided to be better this time. Now, it was observable how Raul has learned from his mistakes to be a better teacher every day, and he could succeed. Great participation Raul…  

Now talking about learning from past experiences or some mistakes we have done in our teaching practices; it is important to have a very good attitude toward the feedback we have received so that we can grow and do a better job next time. Thus in order for us to do better at recovering from past mistakes, here you are some tips that can be really useful:

Ø Reframe Your Mistakes

First, use reframing to stop thinking of your mistakes as failures. They can be more accurately described as opportunities for learning—people generally learn more from mistakes than they learn from successes. With each mistake, you can learn valuable information that can be used for future success.

Ø Be Forgiving

Next, maintain perspective and don’t take mistakes too seriously. Blaming others for our mistakes can be a defense mechanism for those who are cruel with ourselves when we mess up—we stay in denial because we can’t take our own unforgiving self-condemnation. 

Ø See What You Can Change

Rather than thinking of who is more responsible for a situation—you or another person—look at the situation as a whole in terms of what you can change. What can you change next time, what do you have control over?—makes it an empowering experience to learn from your mistakes.

Ø Ask Questions

Ask for impartial opinions. Have a few trusted friends who will tell you the truth, and who can see things from both sides, and ask them what they see. Sometimes we’re too close to a situation to make sense of it at first, but an observer who isn’t so emotionally attached, and who can deliver their opinion with love and tact, is what we need to help us learn from our mistakes.

Ø Pat Yourself On The Back

Congratulate yourself for whatever growth you’ve gained from dealing with each difficult situation you encounter and each mistake you make. Remember that these things add value to life as much as the more pleasant experiences we all value. And be glad that you always have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes in one way or another.

Practice stage:

This practice stage was conducted by Juan. He used many activities to make students put into practice the verbs Raul had taught them. Some of these activities involved singing with all kids, spinning a wheel, and passing a hat at the beat of the music. All these activities were well assimilated by the kids and they could really practice what they had learned.

Regarding Juan’s performance, there is no much to say because he did a great job. Juan is very secure when teaching, he might not have the appearance of a kids’ teacher, but once he is teaching; he becomes in a different Juan full of ideas and with a good control of the class. The only thing he might want to control a little bit is his tone of voice because it can be a little tough, and when he is calling some kid’s attention it may seem as if he is nagging them. However, beside this little thing to care about, his participation was amazing.

To sum up, this class was very well designed and with clear objectives. Thus all that Raul and Juan had planned went well and the most important thing is that kids not only enjoyed the lesson, but also learned how to denote actions in English.

About my case of study

It is been noticeable during the whole project the misbehavior problems that Jefferson has had. Since the course started, Jefferson has always called the attention of every teacher in the classroom due to the way he behaves in the classes. He is constantly talking, he does not pay much attention to the teachers’ classes or instructions and he definitely interrupts his learning and the other kids’ learning with this bad behavior. Nevertheless, decisions and actions have been taken by all teachers in order to remedy the situation without good results. All groups of my classmates, every time they get to teach have prepared and applied many techniques with the purpose of having all kids who are troublemakers well behaved being Jefferson one of the most terrible ones. However, until this time; nothing has worked with Jefferson; he continues presenting a conduct that is not appropriate.

All the exposed about leads me to think that the problem goes beyond the classroom environment. There should be a reason why Jefferson has a bad conduct. I have observed Jefferson outside the classroom and I can clearly see that his naughtiness occurs everywhere not only in classes. This is because Jefferson’s parents are what papalia (2006) calls “permissive parents” (referred to as indulgent parents, have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control). Thus, due to the little discipline that Jefferson has received, he misbehaves everywhere he goes.

Finally, having discovered what the problem is; it is necessary to talk to Jefferson’ parents and advise them about their kid’s bad conduct. Sometimes teacher do not have more to do than calling kids parents in order to improve the conduct of a rebellious child. Of course this should be done with kindness and tact so that parents do not get offended.

Here are some tips for parents experimenting the same problems with their kids’ conducts!!!

1. Try to Have Reasonable Goals

I think that many times instead of trying to make gradual changes, parents expect that all the inappropriate behavior will stop immediately. The truth is, you might see certain behaviors stop right away, but it doesn’t necessarily mean your child will never act out again. It’s not going to be instantaneous, and it will take just as much practice on your part as it does on your child’s part. Change takes time. It’s not just you who needs time practicing new techniques. Your child also needs to practice so he can learn by repetition. The reason you want to ask for reasonable change is because your child cannot make major changes all at once.

2. Coaching Your Child Forward: Know What His Strengths Are

It’s important to have a good idea of what your child is capable of doing. Here’s an example: Some kids have an issue like ADD or ADHD. It’s important to get a really good understanding of what ADHD looks like in your child. Is it hard for him to focus and stay organized? Maybe he daydreams when he’s supposed to be working. Every child is different, and it’s important for you to modify your expectations accordingly. It’s also important for your child to know what his strengths and weaknesses are so he can recognize when he’s getting off track and learn how to get back on. After determining what your child’s strengths and weaknesses are, understand that he will make improvements from that starting point.

3. Keep in Mind That Your Child is Working Toward a Goal

Accept that your child is working toward a goal. In other words, your child is probably not going to be able to stop his inappropriate behavior on a dime. If your teen is in the habit of getting his way by intimidating others in the family with his angry outbursts, understand that this behavior is not going to go away immediately. Work with him on making small steps toward good behavior. You might say, “You need to give me your cell phone for the next two hours until you can behave and talk appropriately.” The key is that during that time, your child is practicing this new skill. You’re not saying, “That’s it—you’ve lost your phone all day.” Many kids struggle with punishments that last too long and end up giving up halfway through. Instead, you want to have short-term goals throughout the day. Work toward short-term accomplishments and successes all day long.

references:

http://stress.about.com/od/positiveattitude/a/learn_from_your_mistakes.htm

http://www.empoweringparents.com/My-Childs-Behavior-Is-So-Bad.php

 http://www.empoweringparents.com/My-Childs-Behavior-Is-So-Bad.php#ixzz2kTQtDZ43

Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldma R. D. 2007. Human development. 10th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill.