Job Discussion Forums

[FreakingTea]

So, for those of you teaching university, if you have some good, motivated classes and some that want you to pull their teeth, do you

a) use the same lesson plans and just drag everyone through it;

b) use a variation of your "good" lesson plan that is likely to go over more easily (eg. spoon-fed activities that don't require much motivation); or

c) use another plan entirely (eg. mostly games/movies)?

I haven't started teaching yet, but the impression I'm getting from the forum is that some classes are good to work with, and some are very difficult. I don't know what kind of classes I'll get, and I want to try to be mentally prepared for the possibility of getting mostly rural non-majors. I'll be in Yongchuan, if that helps.

[Javelin of Radiance]

Some students or classes will find a lesson too easy, others will find it too difficult. Dragging everyone through a lesson they might not comprehend is a bad idea. Choose "b" if skill level between classes isn't too great. Simplify what you want to teach or diversify it by adding a game or smth. Consider "c" if you have classes at very different skill levels. Using a game or a movie clip as part of a lesson is fine, but don't let them become the lesson. Someone might have better ideas.

[roadwalker]

It might take some time to determine if you truly have an unmotivated class or not. I have had all English major classes before and the same lesson that had everyone talking and appearing enthusiastic in one or two classes seemed to fall flat on a third. I think weather and lunch have as much to do with it as levels sometimes.

On the other hand, you may very well get classes with a big separation in ability. If you have uneven levels, I'd go with B, but I disagree with the wording. I'd still expect lower level students to show motivation and hopefully my body language and actions communicate that. Make sure that the better students have a chance to try new things too, that may be beyond the rest of the class. Especially during the more free ("production") part of the class.

Also, I'm still often surprised by students, especially boys, who seem to not have a high ability to understand or use English all term, but who do well on an oral exam. (I don't mean the kind that can be memorized such as a speech.) Some students are very shy and others can't be bothered for their own reasons.

[Non Sequitur]

If the classes for the same major aren't 'streamed' then there isn't an excuse for different treatment. All prisoners will work!
As others mention, time of day can play a part. Warm Friday afternoons can be difficult.
Songs and other more active things are a normal part of my classes - especially in the 2nd 45.
Also I think of my end of semester marks as across all of my same year classes. An 85% is the same for the motivated 10am Monday class as the dozy 2pm Friday class.

[Chronos]

I'm curious how the system of classes works at the University level. Let's say you have 16 or 18 classes to teach per week. Will you get the same group of students several time in the week or is each class a completely different group of students? In other words how often do you see the same group in the class, once per day, or once per week? Wondering if you do the same lesson plan for the entire week or how many lesson plans you need to get you through each week.

CH

[Non Sequitur]

Typically, you'll get say 8 classes ie student groups and do 2x45 mins with them once a week.
In theory you can do one lesson plan per week but even a class size difference of 5 students will get the plan out of kilter. This is due to the longer time for the pairs or trios to get through the dialogues.
I don't let students divide into groups and all dialogues are done to the whole class.
If I need to realign the weekly plan I do an extra whole of class activity for the smaller classes. I find this useful just before mid semester assessment when I need everyone 'lined up'.
Beware of situations where you are expected to teach the same class 4 or 5 times a week.
These can be special entry students who have been bribed by a promise of daily FT classes.