Job Discussion Forums

chryanvii · Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 125

As the term is starting to draw to a close, I have noticed more and more students playing games on their phones in my classes, and just lacking in serious interest in being present in class.

At this moment in time, I feel like I have to find ESL games for them to play to keep them motivated...but I don't like this approach, as it's really not my style.

Today the monitor said they just want to watch movies for the rest of the term.

What do you think of this? Is it pretty normal for students to become tired and uninterested around this time? Maybe they really are ready to go home for the Summer...I guess I can understand this.
____

Something else that I found surprising was that after all my teaching and explaining in my writing class, I still had multiple students ask me today, "what's the difference between a topic and a thesis"?

I really don't get it. I know I'm not the best teacher and I just talk for a long time...but have they really not been listening and learning anything I have said to them?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Here in Japan, the academic year is just getting started and summer break is only 3-4 weeks long. As it approaches, or even before, students are unmotivated. It's one of the worst years here that I've seen.

It seems normal, though, that as break approaches (or a festival or open campus, etc.) that students would be less motivated to study.

tttompatz

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 10:55 am Post subject:

It doesn't sound like they have learnt much, from your description. But can they actually write half-decently? Can they organise their compositions? Even if they do not know the terminology.

Denim-Maniac · Joined: 31 Jan 2012 Posts: 1238

My Chinese students are getting less interested these days...but thats because its hotter. The heat saps strength and will from all of us. I dont work to terms BTW, Im in a training centre.

Chalk and talk wouldnt go to far here either....it would go about as far as my education department supervisor who would soon haul me to one side with a bunch of student complaints.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

LongShiKong · Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China

Denim-Maniac · Joined: 31 Jan 2012 Posts: 1238

I dont know LSK - I feel I can (and do) assess my students and their needs fairly accurately, but I dont always respond to both their needs or wishes. Their wants are often quite diverse, and as they come from different backgrounds and have different goals, their needs are as diverse too. Not all classrooms are the same of course.

I dont know if this is a problem more typical with adult students. Only some of my students are studying for exams, others are studying to improve their career prospects, and some are studying just for fun. Teaching according to what my students need will (I feel) often result in conflict with what they want, which will result in greater conflict with what each individual student wants/needs. They are all that different. I feel I can only paint in rather broad strokes. Maybe this is a problem with training centres too.

In my Upper Int class of 7, I have students from 22 years old to mid forties. Two clearly have a problem with /v/ and /w/ sounds, but it is only two of seven. One other is very keen on grammar drills and refreshers, 6 are resistant to them. Its about a 50/50 split of students who prefer top down to bottom up text/listening tasks. All would benefit more from task based learning and peer teaching. NONE are receptive to that. One is pretty much at a 'beginner/false beginner' level in sub/verb agreement and gender usage, but has the largest vocabulary in the class.

Im going to have to blame the increase in heat and humidity Very Happy

I dont have anything else to fall back on.

Im not disagreeing 100% on testing, but using results of such testing may not carry equal weight in all teaching contexts I think.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Do bear in mind that extremely few of my students are Asian. Ours are very forthright Europeans. I don't find entertainment necessary at all, nor do I need to tailor classes to meet individual goals. Our stuff is integrated into their core class materials and goals, so it's immediately relevant to them (also in that they must pass our classes to pass at all).

Nor do I think it's about assessment..........

My point was that, as everyone has agreed here, it's not effective for a teacher to lecture a class and then to expect that the students will have somehow acquired skills. Active, hands-on practice and consistent student involvement in the learning process is really vital.

We cannot open their skulls and insert the knowledge, or stuff it in through their ears. Learning requires student energy to accomplish.

A teacher training certificate course gives new teachers a start in how to actively involve students in a course/class. Teaching in places where this basic criteria isn't met is to some degree doomed to be frustrating - if the students don't openly crash and burn, it will still be frustrating when the teacher wants to move on to more demanding pastures and finds he/she hasn't got the skills, regardless of how much time he/she has put in as a lecturer.

LongShiKong · Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Yes. I've also heard of teachers making (doomed) attempts to provide learning opportunities tailored to fit each students' different identified learning style......usually resulting more in chaos than learning.

In the end, I still think it's really about having lots of tools in the box and applying a range of them appropriately. Teacher education is one key to the development of different teaching/learning tools and it's a pity to see teachers floundering about with few ideas about what works.

The OP has underlined my point on a very long earlier thread that, given the absence of training and experience in even the basics of the approaches and methods research shows to be effective in ELT, teachers will inevitably fall back on what their own early education offered - very often lecture-based. What else could they possibly know to do??!! It's entirely understandable.

Denim-Maniac · Joined: 31 Jan 2012 Posts: 1238

Sorry...I veered away with the assessment post! Although my students are mixed in needs, they all fall into a similar band of ability. I generally teach from 3 different resources, and mostly enjoy the class. (Yesterday was an exception, I judged the mood and interest wildly wrong and had my worst 90 minutes ever with them ... but it is just 90 minutes so its not the end of the world). Its not so much entertainment as engagement I think. Asia and China can have a bad rap for the need to entertain, but quite often the need to engage is as/more important.

On topic. Agree with Spiral. The long CELTA method thread is relevant and its type of training does give people a chance to move away from the lecturing style, and more to the point, it does give the students a chance to learn too.

LongShiKong · Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I know of at least five or six generic cert courses that are quite well-put-together and are as solid as a CELTA - or better in some respects (and a few that are less than great as well!).

The difficulty is more likely that would-be teachers don't have any criteria to judge accurately what a given cert course on the market is really offering.