Broaddus, Texas TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

UNIT 10 – TWO VIDEO LESSONS Video 1: This seems to be a lesson about modal verbs. In the beginning the teacher is trying to get the students comfortable with talking about things (in the student’s lives or jobs) that are necessary or not necessary (and he also talks about things that are acceptable). But after arriving later than the students, he jumps directly into quite difficult questions without getting the students relaxed and warmed up with an Engage session. He then moves onto the Study session, even though the students didn’t quite understand the first few minutes, and he begins talking about sentence construction and starting to use more varied modals. He uses some realia (such as the printout of the parking sign) so elicit responses from the students, which is good. In video 1 the students seem to be at a decent level (although it’s hard to hear them clearly on the video). I’d place them at roughly B1 level in the CEFR scale, as they can understand the teacher reasonably well and engage with the lesson, while talking about a reasonably difficult topic that is explained badly. In my opinion the teacher isn’t speaking with them with the right level, because the students often seem a little confused with his instructions or phrasing. The use of “someone’s on the ball” and other phrases (sometimes slightly demeaning) isn’t the right way to handle student-teacher interaction. The frequent mumbling and use of colloquial phrases are not appropriate for classes at this level. The teacher has good energy, and is not boring, which is positive as it keeps the students interested. But he isn’t clear with his instructions, explanations, or general communication. For the handout that needs to be done, the teacher essentially says “read it and do it quickly”, which would be stressful for the students. He should have explained the worksheet clearly and should have circulated around the room while they were completing it, then checked the answers in a very clear manner with the class. TTT in this part was too low, and he showed disinterest by checking his phone (a modern issue that probably happens far too often!). When writing the answers on the board he also should have written the correct answer, not just given a tick, to make sure all students are sure of the right answer. Other errors include disorganisation (not knowing student numbers, inability to clearly describe the exercises, and mumbling to himself while thinking of what to do next). These errors are seen in the Activate exercise (when the students stand up and play a modal game). This game was a clear disaster, with a lot of disorganisation and confusion, and little active participation from the students. Furthermore, at the end the teacher just finished the game abruptly because he was sick of it, didn’t give feedback regarding the students’ performances, and vaguely waved his hand when indicating the winning team. Overall as a student in this lesson I would have been confused, angry, and unmotivated to continue with my classes. Video 2: With this video I realised that this is the first time the teacher is meeting the class (as seen by the introduction exercise using names). This makes the lesson in video 1 even more disastrous. In the Engage session the conversation is easy, repetitive, and key phrases are written on the board. In this part, the teacher uses the students’ names (as well as his own), which creates a good connection between members of the class, and he makes sure everyone is interacting and understanding the exercise. The students are attentive, interact well, and give good input into the lesson. They also laugh, which is a good sign for a fun language lesson. In the end, learning should be fun! The teacher engages in several small actions during the Study stage that make this lesson really effective. Writing key phrases on the board helps the students get the correct phrase in their books for further study (you see the students are making detailed notes). He also drills pronunciation of key words and phrases, like “restaurant” combined with certain modal verbs. He listens to the students and stays on each point until he’s sure they understand. After this, he moves onto using the same concept (modals of obligation) in questions, so the students can create new ideas/conversations using a set formula. He then moves onto a pair-work (slash small group) study session, where the students are working together with a worksheet. He allows them to work but checks every now and then to make sure they are doing the work and understanding the questions. He is kind and relaxed, telling them that it’s ok if they don’t finish, because the worksheet will be discussed together. He then asks students for the answers, and writes the full correct answer on the board for all to see. The Activate game played is similar to Bingo, and is described clearly (again on the board) before beginning the game. They practise all together before getting up to play the game, ensuring that everyone understands what they need to do before they begin. They then all play the game (modal questions mill drill) with the teacher checking and interacting actively. Winners are written on the board in order, so the game can keep continuing even after the first person wins. The session finishes with more Activate activities to use the new vocabulary in a real way. Overall, the teacher is building up concepts very gradually, making sure the students understand before adding the next piece of the puzzle. These concepts are all written on the board, so they are clear and free from misunderstanding. He interacts with all students and makes sure everyone is following along. Furthermore, he is prepared, with all necessary papers neatly prepared on the side table. This allows him to quickly shift into new activities, without confusion. The students are happy and engage well with all activities, and will clearly learn from this class. I would feel encouraged and happy if I were a part of this class.