I am very honoured to have the students and the teaching partner that I have. My partner, Kaitlin and I, work great together. We have exceptional teamwork skills that allow us to teach a smooth coherent lesson. At the beginning of class, students are always talking politely and are eager to engage with us. It is a great feeling when you can connect with your students.
Today was my second teaching lab. After reviewing my first grammar lesson, I was able to reflect and make notes to improve future lessons. Having been more accurate with providing detailed instructions and making sure all students understood the task at hand allowed for an easy transition from one activity to the next. Engaging with the students when they went off into breakout rooms and routinely checking up on them helped to facilitate discussion. Being more cautious of time for each activity allowed us to complete the group work followed by classroom discussion.
Kaitlin and I decided to try the past tense activity from week one again as the students were confused, the instructions weren’t clear, and there was not enough time provided to complete the activity. We decided to make this the first activity. Providing five minutes of group discussion followed by ten minutes of classroom discussion allowed us to give clear, detailed instructions. Assisting the students in each breakout room allowed for the activity to run smoothly. The students got most of the answers correct and they seemed to enjoy the activity.
I think it was a great idea to try this activity again because it is a great review activity and it tests the student’s ability to work in teams, participation in class discussions, and ability to accurately write sentences using the correct verb tense.
From this lesson, I learned that planning enough time for each activity is key as well as providing simple, yet detailed instructions to the class are needed to comprehend the activities. Being an active participant as a teacher in the breakout rooms is another great way to engage with students and make sure that the activities are being done correctly.
Going forward, I plan on being an active, supportive teacher during group work. I will routinely enter in and out of the breakout rooms to make sure the activity is running smoothly and to answer any questions the students may have. I will be there to help facilitate the discussion. I will also be more cautious of time, making sure there is enough time for each activity.