Although I haven't taught the lesson yet, I have already finished the lesson plan. The plan is going to be discussed and shared with my two 4th grade co-teachers on Friday. The text is copied from the lesson plan and format is mostly based on the predicted dialogue with students because this is how my co-teachers like to plan lessons.
Obejectives:
Students will use in, on and under to describe the location of objects in the classroom. Target language includes the following expressions: Where is the pencil? It's on the chair. Don't worry. I can help you. Activities will include a role play, a brief cultural lesson, and a paper test.
Review, warm-up and motivation: (3 minutes)
Procedure: The teacher will first ask what the main (fun) activity was from the previous class. Then the teacher will ask questions based on the location of classroom objects. A few abstract questions where the objects are outside of the classroom and not visible will be used. The teacher will point to objects and ask questions. The teacher will move some of the student's possessions to solicit individual responses. The teacher will ask some students to ask similar questions to the class. Finally the teacher will lead into the next activity by asking who has seen a popular movie.
Dialogue:
T:
Last class we learned in, on and under. Do you remember the activity?
S:
Yes. Put the book in, on, or under the desk.
T:
That’s right. Where is your book now?
S:
It’s on my desk.
T:
Yes, it is. What is in your pencil case?
S:
Pencils, pens and erasers are in my pencil case.
T:
What is under the sea? (abstract questions)
S:
Fish and crabs are under the sea.
T:
Where is it? (point to something in the class)
S:
It’s on the table.
T:
Don’t worry. Where is it? (Take something from a student put it somewhere.)
S1:
It’s under the whiteboard.
T:
What did S1 say?
S: It's under the whiteboard.
T: Who can ask an ‘under’ question looking at things in the
classroom? I can help you. (Ask students for 'on' and 'in' questions, too.)
S1:
What’s under this desk? (Improper target language)
T: What did S1 say?
S: What's under this desk?
T:What is the answer?
S: A bag is under this desk.
T: Can someone ask the same question using "Where is the ____?"
S1: Where is the bag?
S: It's under the desk.
T: Good now we need students to ask for in and on.
...
Lead-in
T: Okay, let’s move on to the role play. Who has watched the Disney
movie ‘Beauty and the Beast’? Raise your hand. Don’t worry if you haven’t seen
it.
CIs that are used
Plan Analysis: Asking and answering questions makes up almost the entirety of this warm-up exercise. Paraphrasing or repetition is used when students are asked to repeat what the individual student's question was. Assistance is used to model the questions students are supposed to ask when they don't use the target language.
Potential issues: Since the lesson hasn't been taught yet, there will be issues that have been overlooked. More CIs will be used if necessary in the forms of repetition if there is difficulty pronouncing a word or if a student's response is inaudible. Corrections will be used if a student makes a grammar mistake because they are asked to use specific grammar patterns.
Update 1: Results of pre-meeting coteacher meeting:
Among other things relevant to the warm-up. I shared the idea with them that as soon as class starts, I would receive a phone call. My phone will be ringing but it won't be somewhere obvious. I will look for my phone. and ask for help. It will be in the cupboard, under the towel. Hopefully the students can help me. By the time I find it, I will have a missed call.
Video:
Transcript:
Legend:
black: Speaking part.
red: Time stamps and explaining what is going on, non CI comments.
blue: CI features.
-Please excuse my lack of beautiful and proper format. I'm not quite sure how to make it look great here.
-The entire class is monologic conversation. Feedback is limited to error correction, modeling and brief positive comments when students give expected responses. Students response by shouting out answers to questions or raising their hands when they want a turn. L1 use is very frequent and not openly discouraged. During the role plays, one thing that isn't obvious or commented on is all of the students cuing, correcting and encouraging each other to perform and get the lines right.
T: Hello.
Ss: Hello.
T: Good day today? -Greeting, closed Q
Ss: Yes.
T: Okay. So, what did you study last time? -Closed review Q
Ss: Um...Don't worry I can help you.
T: Don't worry I can help you. And we learned 3 words. What were they? -Teacher echo and eliciting/cuing Q
Ss: On, in, under.
All: On, in, under. -eliciting choral repetition
T: Okay, where is my cup? -Minor feedback, Closed visual Q
Ss: On the table.
T: It's... -Eliciting full sentence
Ss: On the desk.
T: Where's my bell? -Closed visual Q eliciting full sentence worked
Ss: It's in the desk.
T: Good. Where's my bell? -Minor feedback, Closed visual Q
Ss: It's under the chair.
T: Okay, everybody put your book in your desk. -Minor feedback, Initiating action response.
T: Put your book in your desk. -Still attempting to initiate action
T: Put your book in your desk. -Still attempting to initiate action
T: Book. Desk. In. -Really attempting to initiate action, half the students haven't done it.
T: Put your book in your desk. -Still attempting to initiate action
T: Put your book in your desk. -As we can see, some students cannot comprehend very simple instructions and rely on higher level students or obvious visual cues. -Still attempting to initiate action, a few students are still trying to clue in.
T: Okay. Put your book on your head. -Minor feedback, initiating action.
T: Put your book on your head. -Repeated attempt to initiate action. Much higher success rate
T: Put your book on your desk. -Initiate action, all students have got it now.
T: Okay, so I have a question. What is under the sea? -Minor feedback. Somewhat open Q, slightly abstract but obvious answers in mind. Used to determine higher level understand of the target words.
T: What is under the sea? -Repetition of Q
S1: Fish.
T: Fish and? -Confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S2: Shark
T: Sharks and... -Corrective feedback, confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S3: Starfish.
T: Starfish. -Confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S4: Jellyfish.
T: Jellyfish. -Confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S?: It is under the sea. -Random student response. No feedback required.
S5: Dolphins.
T: Dolphins. Are boats under the sea? -Confirming response and eliciting closed Q which requires higher thought.
Ss: No.
T: Where are they? -Closed Q.
Ss: On the sea.
T: On the sea. -Confirming response with teacher echo.
Okay. So today we gonna be doing page 114. So, open your books to page 114 first. -The warm-up is finished. Role play preview time (2:25). -Eliciting student action for those who haven't bothered to open their books.
T: Do you know this story? -Closed Q, could be opened but expecting Yes and No responses.
Ss: Yes.
T: What's the story? -Closed Q, scaffolding, but not expecting English name, judging familiarity.
S?: I don't know. -Says Korean name.
T: Beauty and the Beast. Did you watch? Did you watch that movie? -Closed Q.
Ss: Yes, yes, no.
T: No? That's too bad. Okay, picture 1. In picture 1 we have 2 characters. Who's there? -Closed Q eliciting responses.
Ss: Monster, Belle.
T: Belle and? -Confirming response and attempting to elicit error correction.
Ss: Monster. -Students don't know the English name of the Character.
T: Beast. Belle and Beast. And what are they doing? -Eliciting closed Q response.
Ss: Kissing. Eating. -They are not kissing, that was last role play (Ondal Babo gets a kiss for spelling Monday).
T: Eating dinner. And what's wrong? -Closed Q
S1: Don't on the fork.
T: No fork right? They don't have a fork. So, picture 2. Where's the fork? -Error correction, modeling correct response.
Ss: It's on the. It's on the table.
T: Yeah, in the cup. And there's 2 other characters. Who do we see? Mr.? -Clarification. The answer is somewhat wrong, the fork is in the cup, on the table. Eliciting response.
Ss: Clock
T: Mr. -Correcting name to clarify the clock is an anthromorphic character and not a clock.
Ss: Mr. Clock
T: Mr. Clock and Mr.? -Closed Q, attempting eliciting proper response.
Ss: Candle.
T: Candle. Good. And then picture 3. Where's the fork? -Closed Q
Ss: It's on the table.
T: And picture 4. Where's the fork? -Closed Q
Ss: It's under the chair.
T: Good. Okay let's. Let's watch the TV. -Positive feedback. Instructions.
Ss: Yeah. -The role play preview is finished. Listen, repeat and practice time with CD (4:00).
Video: -When this video is replay or simply repeated and read by students it is omitted from the transcript again.
Beast: Oh. Where is my fork?
Belle: Don't worry. I can help you. I can find it.
Clock: It's in the cup.
Belle: No, it's not here.
Beast: Where is it?
Belle: It's on the table.
Candle: Where is it?
Belle: Oh no. Don't go.
Candle: I'm sorry.
Beast: That's okay...Look it's under the chair.
Belle: I have it.
Beast: Good.
Belle: Oh no. Where is my fork? (5:00)
T: Okay. Do they find Beasts' fork? -Closed comprehension Q
Ss: It's under the table. It's under the chair.
T: And does she get it? -Rephrasing Q
Ss: No. No.
T: She says "I have it."...So does she find his fork? -Rephrasing Q
Ss: Yeah, yes.
T: Yes. And then at the end there is a new problem. What's the new problem? -Closed comprehension Q
Ss: She uh. Bell's fork.
T: Bell's fork. -Eliciting correct response.
Ss: Is missing.
T: Is missing. Good. Okay now, let's listen and repeat. (5:37) -Students listen to video and repeat after each character's line (no mistakes, but funny voices) -Positive feedback.
T: Okay. Um, how many characters? (7:27) -Closed Q
Ss: 4, 5, 5 characters.
T: How many speaking characters? -Rephrasing Q
Ss: 4
T: 4, so who do we got? -Closed Q
S1: Fork, ah cup, ah monster.
T: Beast -Error correction
Ss: Belle, Candle, Belle.
T: Belle -Teacher echo and feedback.
Ss: Candle, Clock.
T: Mr. Clock. And who was the last guy? -Teacher echo and eliciting final response
Ss: Mr. Can, Candle.
T: Candle. Okay, so who do we want to be? Beast or Belle? -Attempting to ask students who they want to be as an entire class when video is played. -Open Q
S1: I can help you. Don't worry I can help you.
S2: Where is my fork?
T: Who do we want first? Beast or Belle? -Re-clarifying Q
S1: Mr. Belle.
T: Mr. Belle? -Eliciting correct answer
Ss: Belle.
S1: Mrs.
T: Mrs. Belle. (8:22) -Students listen to video this time Belle's lines are read by the students as the video plays. -Corrective feedback
T: Okay. So in your group decide who is beast? Who is Belle? Who is Mr. Clock? Who is Mr. Candle? And for you guys: Beast, Bell, Clock/Candle. -(9:33) points to students, last one has two roles because it's a group of 3. -Initiation action from students and facilitating to decide roles.
T: Okay. So do rock-scissor-paper....Um, um can you join them? -Sends one student from a group of 4 to a group of 2 to make two groups of 3. -More facilitating to decide roles.
Ss: Rock, scissors, paper.
T: So, 1 Beast, 1 Belle, 1 Clock and Candle. Okay 1 Beast, 1 Bell, 1 Clock and Candle. -Clarifying how to decide roles
T: Beast? Beast? -(10:29) [rings bell] Solicits students with Beast role to raise their hands. There's a lot of of Korean speaking with mixed English words and names to decide roles
T: Beast! -points to student in a group that failed to assign roles themselves.
S1: Beast stand up? -Soliciting action to confirm role
T: Belle? -Soliciting action to confirm role
S1: Belle!
T: Belle?
T: Candle? Candle? -Soliciting action to confirm role
T: Mr. Clock? Mr. Clock? -Soliciting action to confirm role
T: Okay are you ready? -(11:00) Plays video again, this time students will read their parts as the video plays.
T: Okay practice together quietly please. (12:02) -Plays video again so students cna read, but without any sound effects. -Giving instructions
T: Okay, so 1 more minute practice.
S1: Blah, Blah, Blah (13:10) -Video is played again with sound effects for last time to practice.
T: Okay so now, um now who wants to try? (14:19) -Inviting students to act out the role play in front of the class.
S1: Me.
T: Okay. Any group? -Tries to solicit an entire group, none willing. Time to choose individual parts.
S1: Me.
T: Okay who wants to be Beast? Beast, come here Beast. Who wants to be Belle? Uh, let's get a girl. Come here Belle. Who wants to be Mr. Clock? -Determining and selecting individual students to perform role play
S1: Me!
T: Okay, come here Mr. Clock.
S2: Uh.
T: And who wants to be Mr. Candle?
S3: Me.
T: Okay come here Mr. Candle.
S4: Me!
T: We'll get you next round, don't worry.
T: Here if you want to play with the fork and the cup, here they are. Alright. 3, 2, 1...
Ss: Action (14:56) -Students begin role play
S1: Where is my cup?
S2: Don't worry I can help you. I can find it.
S3: It's in the cup.
S1: Where is it?
S2: It's on the table.
S1: Where is it?
S4: I'm sorry.
S1: That's okay.
S4: It's under the chair.
S2: I have it...Oh no where is my fork? (15:53) -Done, clapping)
T: Good. Good. Okay um, 1 more round? -Positive feedback, closed Q
Ss: Yeah.
T: Alright. We need a Beast...No Beast? (5 sec wait) -Holding first Q and moving on to progress class
T: We need a Belle. Okay Belle. We need a Mr. Clock.
Ss: Me. Me. Me. Please.
T: If you already went put down your hand. Mr. Clock. And we need a Mr. Candle. Mr. Candle.
S1: Me?
T: Yes, you. And we need a Mr. Beast. No no no, Candle. Beast. Okay. Sorry no one else will volunteer. Alright you have your cup and your fork. Okay? -Assigning a Beast role due to lack of a volunteer
T: 3, 2, 1
Ss: Action! (16:51) -Students begin 2nd role play.
S1: Where is my fork?
S2: Don't worry I can help you.
S3: It's in the cup (15 sec) -Students forget lines and assist each other in mumbled English and Korean.
S2: No it's. (10 sec)
S2: No it's not here.
S1: Where is it! (15 sec) -Arguing roles and determining story line.
S4: It's under the chair.
S3: It's on the chair.
T: Shh!!
S1: Where is my....
S4: Oh no.
S1: Where is my fork? -(18:12) -Line confusing. T begins to clap because it's time to end this.
T: Okay I think that's all we have time for today. So, we gonna move on guys and you gonna do some tests. -Ends current section of lesson to move on to unfilmed part. -Lesson is finished, was unimpressed with 2nd role play.
Thoughts on lesson warm-up and over all classroom interactions:
The warm-up went quite well and almost according to plan. The thought about finding the cellphone we added in the meeting was skipped because we decided it would be cheesy and cause a disaster, also we didn't have so much time. Students did alright at remembering what the overall objective of the class was. Students had a chance to answer questions by listening and looking. Students were given basic tasks to complete. The first try was a failure, but the second and third went well. The abstract question was answered surprisingly well. Also the part about the boat was good and introduced without plan because the question went so well.
As for the role play, it is straight from the text book. There aren't too many difficult questions or complex interactions going on. They have done one about 10 this year alone. Some students love it, others are bored. After listening and repeating and reading the script 6 times, one group did a very satisfactory job. The next group of volunteers mostly went up to have fun and make jokes. This is what teaching elementary school is like, so no need to be disappointed. As mention in the initial blue comment of CIs, during role plays students are correcting, cuing, and modeling each other. Sometimes this assisting and error correcting is done to an extreme extent.
As for classroom interactions, the entire discussion was monologic in nature, and both textbook and teacher dominated. This is certainly the norm. I do try to encourage the students to speak as much as possible and not just repeat or memorize. Usually it is limited to simple answers. Getting the correct answer without too much framing in a nearly complete sentence is about what is expected. Choral repetition of the correct answer is then provided if necessary. In this class, the activity was straight forward. It was a listen and repeat and remember activity. Some basic close-ended comprehension questions were added to spice things up. Students were asked to follow simple instructions and perform basic tasks. These were met with some difficulty. Students were not asked for their opinions although creative responses were solicited at times. The 'under the sea' question and the chance the perform role play were examples of student creativity.
Possible Changes and closing thoughts:
At times the teacher (this blog's author) used a lot of language that involved incomplete sentences. This could be changed to be proper formal English. The teacher could attempt to initiate discuss about the subject of the role play. 'Tell me about Beauty and the Beast plot?' would have been a great question to ask. Some of the higher level students could have answered the question. More students could have been persuaded into acting in front of the class or even doing the role play from their seats. During the role play the teacher took a passive role and allowed the students to correct and assist each other. Normally this is pleasing to the teacher, however sometimes the role play breaks down or turns slightly chaotic as a result. In these cases the teacher could save the role play, or just let the students continue if they are having fun to allow the lesson to progress. Asking what when wrong after such a case would be an excellent opportunity.
The teacher did say um and so quite often. This will try to be avoided in the future. The teacher was drinking coffee and pacing, this is also not ideal behavior (but after 6 classes and just as many cups of coffee, it's unavoidable). More turn taking and waiting could be added at various points throughout the lesson. Instructions can be given in L1 to save time and embarrassment, although this is generally saved for more difficult instructions or abstract vocabulary.
Due to the nature of teaching large classes of mixed starter to high-beginner young students only so much interaction is expected and possible. Motivation, age, ability and classroom size are all problems. Given the requirement to complete the textbook only some time in class can be devoted to other activities. The general goal when teaching the students in this environment is to create a positive and fun environment where student are exposed to learning English. Classroom management, student motivation, and language exposure in that order are the required tasks of the teacher. In such an environment dialogic conversation and communicative learning are not really possible or encouraged. Working under such restraints, it is certainly possible to improve one's teaching and with that hopefully the language learning environment.
Video:
Transcript:
Legend:
black: Speaking part.
red: Time stamps and explaining what is going on, non CI comments.
blue: CI features.
-Please excuse my lack of beautiful and proper format. I'm not quite sure how to make it look great here.
-The entire class is monologic conversation. Feedback is limited to error correction, modeling and brief positive comments when students give expected responses. Students response by shouting out answers to questions or raising their hands when they want a turn. L1 use is very frequent and not openly discouraged. During the role plays, one thing that isn't obvious or commented on is all of the students cuing, correcting and encouraging each other to perform and get the lines right.
T: Hello.
Ss: Hello.
T: Good day today? -Greeting, closed Q
Ss: Yes.
T: Okay. So, what did you study last time? -Closed review Q
Ss: Um...Don't worry I can help you.
T: Don't worry I can help you. And we learned 3 words. What were they? -Teacher echo and eliciting/cuing Q
Ss: On, in, under.
All: On, in, under. -eliciting choral repetition
T: Okay, where is my cup? -Minor feedback, Closed visual Q
Ss: On the table.
T: It's... -Eliciting full sentence
Ss: On the desk.
T: Where's my bell? -Closed visual Q eliciting full sentence worked
Ss: It's in the desk.
T: Good. Where's my bell? -Minor feedback, Closed visual Q
Ss: It's under the chair.
T: Okay, everybody put your book in your desk. -Minor feedback, Initiating action response.
T: Put your book in your desk. -Still attempting to initiate action
T: Put your book in your desk. -Still attempting to initiate action
T: Book. Desk. In. -Really attempting to initiate action, half the students haven't done it.
T: Put your book in your desk. -Still attempting to initiate action
T: Put your book in your desk. -As we can see, some students cannot comprehend very simple instructions and rely on higher level students or obvious visual cues. -Still attempting to initiate action, a few students are still trying to clue in.
T: Okay. Put your book on your head. -Minor feedback, initiating action.
T: Put your book on your head. -Repeated attempt to initiate action. Much higher success rate
T: Put your book on your desk. -Initiate action, all students have got it now.
T: Okay, so I have a question. What is under the sea? -Minor feedback. Somewhat open Q, slightly abstract but obvious answers in mind. Used to determine higher level understand of the target words.
T: What is under the sea? -Repetition of Q
S1: Fish.
T: Fish and? -Confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S2: Shark
T: Sharks and... -Corrective feedback, confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S3: Starfish.
T: Starfish. -Confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S4: Jellyfish.
T: Jellyfish. -Confirming response and eliciting more responses.
S?: It is under the sea. -Random student response. No feedback required.
S5: Dolphins.
T: Dolphins. Are boats under the sea? -Confirming response and eliciting closed Q which requires higher thought.
Ss: No.
T: Where are they? -Closed Q.
Ss: On the sea.
T: On the sea. -Confirming response with teacher echo.
Okay. So today we gonna be doing page 114. So, open your books to page 114 first. -The warm-up is finished. Role play preview time (2:25). -Eliciting student action for those who haven't bothered to open their books.
T: Do you know this story? -Closed Q, could be opened but expecting Yes and No responses.
Ss: Yes.
T: What's the story? -Closed Q, scaffolding, but not expecting English name, judging familiarity.
S?: I don't know. -Says Korean name.
T: Beauty and the Beast. Did you watch? Did you watch that movie? -Closed Q.
Ss: Yes, yes, no.
T: No? That's too bad. Okay, picture 1. In picture 1 we have 2 characters. Who's there? -Closed Q eliciting responses.
Ss: Monster, Belle.
T: Belle and? -Confirming response and attempting to elicit error correction.
Ss: Monster. -Students don't know the English name of the Character.
T: Beast. Belle and Beast. And what are they doing? -Eliciting closed Q response.
Ss: Kissing. Eating. -They are not kissing, that was last role play (Ondal Babo gets a kiss for spelling Monday).
T: Eating dinner. And what's wrong? -Closed Q
S1: Don't on the fork.
T: No fork right? They don't have a fork. So, picture 2. Where's the fork? -Error correction, modeling correct response.
Ss: It's on the. It's on the table.
T: Yeah, in the cup. And there's 2 other characters. Who do we see? Mr.? -Clarification. The answer is somewhat wrong, the fork is in the cup, on the table. Eliciting response.
Ss: Clock
T: Mr. -Correcting name to clarify the clock is an anthromorphic character and not a clock.
Ss: Mr. Clock
T: Mr. Clock and Mr.? -Closed Q, attempting eliciting proper response.
Ss: Candle.
T: Candle. Good. And then picture 3. Where's the fork? -Closed Q
Ss: It's on the table.
T: And picture 4. Where's the fork? -Closed Q
Ss: It's under the chair.
T: Good. Okay let's. Let's watch the TV. -Positive feedback. Instructions.
Ss: Yeah. -The role play preview is finished. Listen, repeat and practice time with CD (4:00).
Video: -When this video is replay or simply repeated and read by students it is omitted from the transcript again.
Beast: Oh. Where is my fork?
Belle: Don't worry. I can help you. I can find it.
Clock: It's in the cup.
Belle: No, it's not here.
Beast: Where is it?
Belle: It's on the table.
Candle: Where is it?
Belle: Oh no. Don't go.
Candle: I'm sorry.
Beast: That's okay...Look it's under the chair.
Belle: I have it.
Beast: Good.
Belle: Oh no. Where is my fork? (5:00)
T: Okay. Do they find Beasts' fork? -Closed comprehension Q
Ss: It's under the table. It's under the chair.
T: And does she get it? -Rephrasing Q
Ss: No. No.
T: She says "I have it."...So does she find his fork? -Rephrasing Q
Ss: Yeah, yes.
T: Yes. And then at the end there is a new problem. What's the new problem? -Closed comprehension Q
Ss: She uh. Bell's fork.
T: Bell's fork. -Eliciting correct response.
Ss: Is missing.
T: Is missing. Good. Okay now, let's listen and repeat. (5:37) -Students listen to video and repeat after each character's line (no mistakes, but funny voices) -Positive feedback.
T: Okay. Um, how many characters? (7:27) -Closed Q
Ss: 4, 5, 5 characters.
T: How many speaking characters? -Rephrasing Q
Ss: 4
T: 4, so who do we got? -Closed Q
S1: Fork, ah cup, ah monster.
T: Beast -Error correction
Ss: Belle, Candle, Belle.
T: Belle -Teacher echo and feedback.
Ss: Candle, Clock.
T: Mr. Clock. And who was the last guy? -Teacher echo and eliciting final response
Ss: Mr. Can, Candle.
T: Candle. Okay, so who do we want to be? Beast or Belle? -Attempting to ask students who they want to be as an entire class when video is played. -Open Q
S1: I can help you. Don't worry I can help you.
S2: Where is my fork?
T: Who do we want first? Beast or Belle? -Re-clarifying Q
S1: Mr. Belle.
T: Mr. Belle? -Eliciting correct answer
Ss: Belle.
S1: Mrs.
T: Mrs. Belle. (8:22) -Students listen to video this time Belle's lines are read by the students as the video plays. -Corrective feedback
T: Okay. So in your group decide who is beast? Who is Belle? Who is Mr. Clock? Who is Mr. Candle? And for you guys: Beast, Bell, Clock/Candle. -(9:33) points to students, last one has two roles because it's a group of 3. -Initiation action from students and facilitating to decide roles.
T: Okay. So do rock-scissor-paper....Um, um can you join them? -Sends one student from a group of 4 to a group of 2 to make two groups of 3. -More facilitating to decide roles.
Ss: Rock, scissors, paper.
T: So, 1 Beast, 1 Belle, 1 Clock and Candle. Okay 1 Beast, 1 Bell, 1 Clock and Candle. -Clarifying how to decide roles
T: Beast? Beast? -(10:29) [rings bell] Solicits students with Beast role to raise their hands. There's a lot of of Korean speaking with mixed English words and names to decide roles
T: Beast! -points to student in a group that failed to assign roles themselves.
S1: Beast stand up? -Soliciting action to confirm role
T: Belle? -Soliciting action to confirm role
S1: Belle!
T: Belle?
T: Candle? Candle? -Soliciting action to confirm role
T: Mr. Clock? Mr. Clock? -Soliciting action to confirm role
T: Okay are you ready? -(11:00) Plays video again, this time students will read their parts as the video plays.
T: Okay practice together quietly please. (12:02) -Plays video again so students cna read, but without any sound effects. -Giving instructions
T: Okay, so 1 more minute practice.
S1: Blah, Blah, Blah (13:10) -Video is played again with sound effects for last time to practice.
T: Okay so now, um now who wants to try? (14:19) -Inviting students to act out the role play in front of the class.
S1: Me.
T: Okay. Any group? -Tries to solicit an entire group, none willing. Time to choose individual parts.
S1: Me.
T: Okay who wants to be Beast? Beast, come here Beast. Who wants to be Belle? Uh, let's get a girl. Come here Belle. Who wants to be Mr. Clock? -Determining and selecting individual students to perform role play
S1: Me!
T: Okay, come here Mr. Clock.
S2: Uh.
T: And who wants to be Mr. Candle?
S3: Me.
T: Okay come here Mr. Candle.
S4: Me!
T: We'll get you next round, don't worry.
T: Here if you want to play with the fork and the cup, here they are. Alright. 3, 2, 1...
Ss: Action (14:56) -Students begin role play
S1: Where is my cup?
S2: Don't worry I can help you. I can find it.
S3: It's in the cup.
S1: Where is it?
S2: It's on the table.
S1: Where is it?
S4: I'm sorry.
S1: That's okay.
S4: It's under the chair.
S2: I have it...Oh no where is my fork? (15:53) -Done, clapping)
T: Good. Good. Okay um, 1 more round? -Positive feedback, closed Q
Ss: Yeah.
T: Alright. We need a Beast...No Beast? (5 sec wait) -Holding first Q and moving on to progress class
T: We need a Belle. Okay Belle. We need a Mr. Clock.
Ss: Me. Me. Me. Please.
T: If you already went put down your hand. Mr. Clock. And we need a Mr. Candle. Mr. Candle.
S1: Me?
T: Yes, you. And we need a Mr. Beast. No no no, Candle. Beast. Okay. Sorry no one else will volunteer. Alright you have your cup and your fork. Okay? -Assigning a Beast role due to lack of a volunteer
T: 3, 2, 1
Ss: Action! (16:51) -Students begin 2nd role play.
S1: Where is my fork?
S2: Don't worry I can help you.
S3: It's in the cup (15 sec) -Students forget lines and assist each other in mumbled English and Korean.
S2: No it's. (10 sec)
S2: No it's not here.
S1: Where is it! (15 sec) -Arguing roles and determining story line.
S4: It's under the chair.
S3: It's on the chair.
T: Shh!!
S1: Where is my....
S4: Oh no.
S1: Where is my fork? -(18:12) -Line confusing. T begins to clap because it's time to end this.
T: Okay I think that's all we have time for today. So, we gonna move on guys and you gonna do some tests. -Ends current section of lesson to move on to unfilmed part. -Lesson is finished, was unimpressed with 2nd role play.
Thoughts on lesson warm-up and over all classroom interactions:
The warm-up went quite well and almost according to plan. The thought about finding the cellphone we added in the meeting was skipped because we decided it would be cheesy and cause a disaster, also we didn't have so much time. Students did alright at remembering what the overall objective of the class was. Students had a chance to answer questions by listening and looking. Students were given basic tasks to complete. The first try was a failure, but the second and third went well. The abstract question was answered surprisingly well. Also the part about the boat was good and introduced without plan because the question went so well.
As for the role play, it is straight from the text book. There aren't too many difficult questions or complex interactions going on. They have done one about 10 this year alone. Some students love it, others are bored. After listening and repeating and reading the script 6 times, one group did a very satisfactory job. The next group of volunteers mostly went up to have fun and make jokes. This is what teaching elementary school is like, so no need to be disappointed. As mention in the initial blue comment of CIs, during role plays students are correcting, cuing, and modeling each other. Sometimes this assisting and error correcting is done to an extreme extent.
As for classroom interactions, the entire discussion was monologic in nature, and both textbook and teacher dominated. This is certainly the norm. I do try to encourage the students to speak as much as possible and not just repeat or memorize. Usually it is limited to simple answers. Getting the correct answer without too much framing in a nearly complete sentence is about what is expected. Choral repetition of the correct answer is then provided if necessary. In this class, the activity was straight forward. It was a listen and repeat and remember activity. Some basic close-ended comprehension questions were added to spice things up. Students were asked to follow simple instructions and perform basic tasks. These were met with some difficulty. Students were not asked for their opinions although creative responses were solicited at times. The 'under the sea' question and the chance the perform role play were examples of student creativity.
Possible Changes and closing thoughts:
At times the teacher (this blog's author) used a lot of language that involved incomplete sentences. This could be changed to be proper formal English. The teacher could attempt to initiate discuss about the subject of the role play. 'Tell me about Beauty and the Beast plot?' would have been a great question to ask. Some of the higher level students could have answered the question. More students could have been persuaded into acting in front of the class or even doing the role play from their seats. During the role play the teacher took a passive role and allowed the students to correct and assist each other. Normally this is pleasing to the teacher, however sometimes the role play breaks down or turns slightly chaotic as a result. In these cases the teacher could save the role play, or just let the students continue if they are having fun to allow the lesson to progress. Asking what when wrong after such a case would be an excellent opportunity.
The teacher did say um and so quite often. This will try to be avoided in the future. The teacher was drinking coffee and pacing, this is also not ideal behavior (but after 6 classes and just as many cups of coffee, it's unavoidable). More turn taking and waiting could be added at various points throughout the lesson. Instructions can be given in L1 to save time and embarrassment, although this is generally saved for more difficult instructions or abstract vocabulary.
Due to the nature of teaching large classes of mixed starter to high-beginner young students only so much interaction is expected and possible. Motivation, age, ability and classroom size are all problems. Given the requirement to complete the textbook only some time in class can be devoted to other activities. The general goal when teaching the students in this environment is to create a positive and fun environment where student are exposed to learning English. Classroom management, student motivation, and language exposure in that order are the required tasks of the teacher. In such an environment dialogic conversation and communicative learning are not really possible or encouraged. Working under such restraints, it is certainly possible to improve one's teaching and with that hopefully the language learning environment.
No comments:
Post a Comment