Job Discussion Forums

nathrodgers · Joined: 20 Aug 2012 Posts: 19

Hi all,

I'm a uni teacher in south China who is teaching kids for the first time this Saturday. They're aged 5-10, and there's about 20 of them.

I have no experience in this field, but was offered good money so thought I'd give it a whirl.

The employer wants me to teach the kids how to make sandwiches and also how to say "I love you mum".

Any tips or links anyone could share would be great....I'm panicking slightly on how to start planning this..

Thanks,

Nathan

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

Hey, I've got no experience teaching kids, either! Very Happy

So here's my advice: write out the steps to making a sandwich. It sounds so easy but write it out anyway.

Then go back and examine the vocabulary and figure what's important to learn, what should be easy and what might be difficult. Use other ways to explain the difficult ones or have something in your back pocket just in case you get blank stares.

Be active and repeat things a lot and have the students repeat a lot.

Short attention spans! Mix it up.

With the I love you, Mum, you could have fun with that. Act it out in different situations where the speaker is happy, sad, tired, etc.

enjoy!

NoBillyNO · Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 1762

Work out some lessons with memory tricks like:Father and mother I love you (family)

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

cool........you can teach sandwich vocabulary.

are you going to make sammies in class, too?

you can talk about the different sammies you find in different countries.

you can do some restaurant roleplays.

you can make some dialoges:

mommy, i'm hungry!
how about a sandwich?
what kind of sandwich?
vegemite!
mommy, i love you!

it'snotmyfault · Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527

Hot cold game to learn the sandwich ingredients !!

Two students go outside the room and someone hides one of the ingredients somewhere in the room.
When they come back in and look for it all the students are chanting the word, getting louder or quieter depending if the students are close to it or not.

You might need to drill the words first if they don't know them Smile

JamesD · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:58 am Post subject:

Things like this I like to inject some humor for kids. Make a vocabulary list of simple sandwich foods with translations or pictures........ham, pickle, lettuce, jelly, egg...
Throw in some odd foods that wouldn't go on a sandwich like rice, noodles, candy, milk,...

Teach them "I want a _____ sandwich." See what kind of odd sandwiches they can come up with. "Mom, I want an apple sandwich."
Maybe you could cut out food pics and have them actually 'build' a paper sandwich.
"I have a ham, cheese, and banana sandwich."

This way you can expand into any food vocab or if they pick it up quickly add
"Do you want a ____ sandwich?".
"No thanks. I don't like ____."

it'snotmyfault · Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527

JamesD · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 12:38 pm Post subject:

I'd like a corn sandwich.
We're out of corn.
Shucks!

nathrodgers · Joined: 20 Aug 2012 Posts: 19

Wow...some great responses. I'm loving the hot-cold game, and also the paper sandwiches.

I think fun will be the buzzword of the day, so will try to get the kids to think of some strange sandwich concoctions in paper form first, and then make and eat them!

Re the I love mummy, I was thinking of getting the kids to do some card making?

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

Draw the top and bottom slices of a bun on a white board.

Then ask each kid to come to the front and help you 'make your sandwich.'

'I want yao ming in my sandwich!.'

They'll laugh the crazier you get. Have them draw it fairly quickly. Do things they know, bus, apple, plane, mum, dad etc.'

Always choose another student to be added and then ask 'Is _____ delicious?' They will go ca-razy for it.,

GreatApe · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:15 am Post subject:

Nathan,

You must learn to sing (and perform) "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" ... it is invaluable to teaching anatomy and basic vocabulary to The (dreaded) Young Ones and getting them to participate!

Also, learn to embrace your inner "Dancing Bear!" ... embarrassment is NOT an option, if you're going to collect money for teaching youngsters and be successful at it. That question you are asking yourself: "Can I actually DO THIS?" ... is pride ... it serves no purpose for your immediate needs, quash it, and have fun! Very Happy

I haven't taught young kids for about two years now and I'm not too ashamed to admit that I sometimes miss it because of the energy, enthusiasm, and the fact that most young kids will HAVE A TRY!

GOOD LUCK! Exclamation

--GA

nathrodgers · Joined: 20 Aug 2012 Posts: 19

Just wanted to post a few words of thanks here....

...I'm still alive, and despite being a bit under the weather, even enjoyed myself a bit!

It was hard work, but fun, and I managed to get a lot of vocab to the children in a challenging environment (the tables were not laid out properly, and the ages ranged from 4-13).

Thanks for the advice on the paper sandwiches, the hot-cold game, and also the words about 'forgetting my pride'. Everything worked a treat, and I owe you all a beer.

Good ol' ESL cafe...my first stop every time.

谢谢！