Job Discussion Forums

[Augustus]

Hello,

I am about 6 weeks into a 14 week CELTA course and am having a hard time with it .... last week I struggled to prepare teaching grammar and my coversheet wasn't finished and so I failed (received a "Below standard") and this week I have had a hell of a time with one thing after another.

This week I was supposed to teach writing and the topic was Guide Books ... I struggled to instruct them clearly from the beginning of the lesson (10min lead-in). I wanted them to come up with ideas of things they might tell a friend about and that they should work as a pair (to allow the more weaker ones to be involved and to use communicative learning). This didn't really work as one particular person objected/is resistant although she is a high achiever in this forte (every lesson she finds some issue she isn't happy with - this week she doesn't want to settle for somewhere both she and her partner know).

Due to the above I altered the second activity for them to work individually (originally wanted them to work in a different group in writing a piece about somewhere different - again communicative). Some of the class managed something - much of it was biographical and then there was one who I managed to embarrass. The plan was that they would all swap work and mark each others (peer assessment) - even though I offered loads of support through the lesson he couldn't manage much but in my opinion anything is good when its obviously a challenge so I tried to encourage him to swap work with X and he refused. I walked away and carried on with the lesson but I feel awful as he is so obviously struggling.

I am really struggling to differentiate in lessons - I struggle to create the resources/games/activities and then to try and account for such a wide range of ability too is just a nightmare.

It doesn't help matters that our tutor has a very finger wagging - telling you off attitude as well as being quite dismissive. Last week (for use today) she was supposed to send us all a uploaded copy of the textbook sheet as there was a piece of text on it that would have been useful in conducting the lesson - she sent it to only one person but uploaded incorrectly so it printed minuscule. No-one in the class wants to point out to her that we were all depending on her to some extent to do this and this is why many of our lessons went less well than they could have as there was no context to offer to the students. She doesn't answer emails either ....... this is not even the first boo boo.

***SIGH****

Thank you for listening,

Augustus

[coledavis]

Point by point:

Coversheet not finished. Everything must be prepared and ready. Later, at work, you might skimp on some things, but not on teaching practice.

Getting students to come up with things. It wins you brownie points if you can do it, but students often don't. So although you should try, you should also do back-up preparation, with topics for the students to discuss, so, as is usual, when they fail to think something up, you have the materials. As with the previous topic, preparation is crucial.

Getting them to mark each others work. Ah, I begin to see. As well as your preparation problem, you are also reaching for the sky in what is supposed to be best practice. Get them to think things up (student autonomy), get them to ... (student participation). These are nice if you can do it, but focus on practical things before getting too experimental; or at least, be flexible enough to drop the fancy stuff it isn't working (as with the person refusing to swap work).

Don't rely on the tutor. Prepare.

[artemisia]

The most experienced and competent teacher can have a dud lesson for a variety of reasons. Hang in there, Augustus.

A major part of learning how to teach is learning how to prepare properly. It doesn�t always just happen, just as students very often don�t automatically know/learn how to study just because they�re enrolled in a course. Very often it�s a case of trial and error and getting a chance to repeat with the same material. When you�ve had a chance to review how something�s gone, it�s far easier to avoid pitfalls or to work out in advance what they might be.

I have some thoughts on the prep for the writing class you did. When I get a chance, I�ll pm you later on with some ideas about that.

[it'snotmyfault]

As far as dealing with your tutors, I'd just bite your tongue and try and do everything they ask of you.
One of the tutors on my CELTA course had a very primary school teacher approach to us all. Some of the guys hated it and tried to play her at her own game, being argumentative and questioning everything she did.

They got the most basic unflattering reference at the end of the course. And then complained about that!

You should get a feedback form to fill in when it's all over, you can vent your spleen then.

[kuzari]

Having recently completed a CELTA, I advise you take it all light-heartedly. I did the 4 week version. Dear Lord. I coped by trying to cheer other people up on the course as morale was generally very low. Also, get some comfort food.

[Cool Teacher]

HI there!

I suggest lots of modelling. For example, if you are doing writing then have something written, maybe you cna find some thing o the Internet to show or read and also some topics like this:

http://esldiscussions.com/

http://iteslj.org/questions/

Maybe put some on the board to get the balls rolling and then put them in pairs to think of some more. Then have them do their stuff.

Mayeb take all the work in and have them mark each others annonomysly (sp? ) by handing out randomly so no one gets embarassed. Then put them on the tables for the Ss to pick up their work afterwards. Just some ideas.

[Teacher in Rome]

I'm really not convinced by peer-to-peer correction. Some students are embarrassed by it, others correct the wrong stuff, others struggle to find mistakes... Personally I'd avoid it unless the tutor specifically asked to see it.

Agree with the preparation comments. Give the students ideas to write about if they can't come up with their own ideas, and be prepared to stick to your guns if a student is always resistant. That comes across as draconian, but you need to find a way of framing your lesson objectives to students that strike them as logical and useful. "You're going to write a tourist guide. I want you to choose a town that you know well so that you can easily find ideas to write about. That means you can concentrate on grammar and vocabulary and not on finding the ideas to write about." That sort of thing, maybe.

I wouldn't insist on pair-work, either - especially for writing. (Unless you've been asked to do this.) If students share a language, the risk is that they'll use their L1 to communicate (natural and understandable) but you might get one of the pair doing all the work and the other not really contributing or getting bored. I also think that part of the benefits of writing in a different language is the process: thinking / planning / actually writing and making mistakes... I like it as an individual task where you can then give individual feedback.

[Denim-Maniac]

Some good advice in this thread about prep work and modelling. It really is a big ask for many students to do things without lots of scaffolding or modelling to show them how to do things.

But ... a below average lesson. No problem! Move on ... this course is very much about how you finish it and learn from the feedback. That is what they really want to see TBH, that you take things on board and apply them in future TP sessions.

Dont feel too down about it! You can do it!

[vabeckele]

Keep on going.

Those little nazis will be a thing of the past in no time.

[Sashadroogie]

Oh, no they won't. Depending on where you wash up, you will be under the thumb, ahem! guidance of a DoS, and he'll be expecting much the same manner of lessons as your Celta trainers.

And there's nothing wrong with that....

[BenE]

[Sashadroogie]

No harm in that!

[coledavis]

At any school with any self-respect, you should expect at least a couple of observed lessons.

[Sashadroogie]

Oh ho! Cole! Stirring a hornets' nest with that one!

Let's flog the dead horse again... to ... death!

[coledavis]

Sorry. I'll keep quiet.