AEON Interview -- Lesson Plan

[Bliss]

[Lorikeet]

I will tell you at the start I have never taught kids, but I spent forty years teaching English as a Second Language to adults, from beginners to advanced. I don't know what level the "beginning" is, nor what age the children are supposed to be.

It seems you have a mix of some nice activities, but I'd say you've packed too much into a thirty-minute period. If you use a timer and try the lesson out on yourself or someone else, just imagining the responses, I think you will see there is too much there. Also, is it a group of children from different countries? the "I am from......" is not too hard. I think mixing nationalities and countries could be difficult though. They could ask each other "Where are you from?" or "Are you from....?" I know the vocabulary you have there would have been too advanced for my beginning students, but it's possible the children will be more advanced. "Beginner" can encompass a variety.

You would think, however, if they are capable of responding to "have you ever been to.....?" that they would already know the colors, for example. Also, I wouldn't teach the other vocabulary (tint, hue, refraction, etc.) That is vocabulary even I don't use. I am not sure native speaker children would have those concepts.

So bottom line, I think you have too much for a half hour, and the range is from very easy to pretty hard. I don't know what they are expecting though. You could always give a lesson plan with what you think will fit in thirty minutes, with some additional activities if you run short. (That's how I always did my lesson plans, to prepare for emergencies.)

I certainly agree with taking notes and worrying about corrections later, although I don't think beginners should worry about present perfect. It's hard to prepare lessons for a class in a vacuum though, when you don't know who is going to be there.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind my thoughts. I wish you the best of luck

[Bliss]

I will tell you at the start I have never taught kids, but I spent forty years teaching English as a Second Language to adults, from beginners to advanced. I don't know what level the "beginning" is, nor what age the children are supposed to be.

I'm just as confused about this as you are. The prompt AEON emailed me was quite vague. They simply said the lesson "should be aimed at children."

If you use a timer and try the lesson out on yourself or someone else, just imagining the responses, I think you will see there is too much there. Also, is it a group of children from different countries?

I have to disagree. I guess if you don't have the context down, it doesn't make sense. See what I said in response to the previous quotation. Additionally, the group is rather small. I've heard there should only be 3-5 other "students" (all adult, no kids). Also, I am not supposed to present the entire lesson. They only requested five minutes of it.

I wouldn't teach the other vocabulary (tint, hue, refraction, etc.) That is vocabulary even I don't use. I am not sure native speaker children would have those concepts.

I'll take it out. I am surprised you don't use it, but those terms are taught in art classes. I was studying them as early as sixth grade.

I certainly agree with taking notes and worrying about corrections later, although I don't think beginners should worry about present perfect. It's hard to prepare lessons for a class in a vacuum though, when you don't know who is going to be there.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind my thoughts. I wish you the best of luck

It was hard to come up with any curriculum. I just threw those lines in there to show how motivated I really am.

Thanks for the feedback!

[silencedobetter]

This is a good lesson plan for young learners. I suggest you keep it simple with only one or two topics. Make sure that the students remember most of what you have taught.