Job Discussion Forums

[maszia]

Hi. I'm new to the forum. I've just started a job in a language school in Spain, and I have a class of kids aged 5 to 11. At the bottom end of the scale, I have kids who only know 7 letters of the alphabet and are literally only just starting out in English, even though they're not even completely au fait with their own languages yet (they still confuse Catalan and Spanish) and at the other end of the scale I have fairly bright 11-year-olds with quite good English, who are only in my class because they are too lazy and naughty for the other teachers to put up with them. I have a little bit of teaching experience but this is my first full time teaching job, and I've never had a class quite like this one before. Does anyone have any suggestions for coping strategies? At the moment, I seem to have the problem that someone is always playing up because the class is too easy or difficult. I've tried grouping them so that the kids who are stronger in English can help the weaker pupils, but that hasn't worked out. I've tried separating them into smaller groups and giving them different kinds of work targeted at their different abilities, but it's like trying to juggle a thousand balls, plus the parents complained because they thought some kids were getting more preferential treatment than others. Please help! This class is driving me mad!

[Glenski]

I really can't offer any teaching advice. However, your situation is one of the biggest nightmares of teaching EFL. I really feel sorry for you.

Since yours is a language school and not a public school, I can only make this suggestion. Document your problems very thoroughly, then politely approach your boss with them and propose that he divide the course. It is a waste of time for everyone (you, parents, the school and the students) to try teaching this no-win situation. Explain that very clearly and very professionally. Tell him that it is virtually impossible to get results from that mixed bag, and that his school will suffer, in terms of finances and reputation.

[Guy Courchesne]

Glenski's right...that is a very tough assignment that shouldn't be given to anyone, experienced or not.

My only suggestion beyond what G says is to try splitting the class along age line, perhaps two groups (5-7, 8 and up) and then plan activities for each group. Proficiency in language will be easier to handle by ages like this rather than as a whole. You'll probably have to focus more on handling the youngsters. Perhaps you could use a teacher's pet - one of the older students?

[maszia]

Thank you both of you! I'll follow your suggestions and have another word with the head. It's a relief to know others would find it difficult too - I thought I was just being useless. At least it's only until September. (I'm covering for someone on maternity leave.)
M.

[moonraven]

I find it hard to believe that a language school doesn't place students by levels.

When do they finish the course--when they enter the military?

[maszia]

Hi, Moonraven.
They do have levels, theoretically, but the kids all sit in a very cramped room to sit the entrance exam and of course they all cheat like crazy, some of them just don't want to be there so they refuse to complete the exam, some copy each others' papers so they can be in the same class as their friends. The school is understaffed (in my opinion anyway). I have the bottom class, so the ones who aren't making the grade in the class they're supposed to be in tend to filter down to me. They stay until they're fourteen, then they can go to a sister school in the next village if they're still interested. (Or if they're still being made to go by mummy & daddy!)
M.

[moonraven]

Sounds very rinky dink to me. Why not design an oral placement exam?

[XXX]

You have to keep in mind that the owner of that school is in it for the money- education comes in second. Pray tell, what support or text are you supposed to use? Even in Korea most schools grouped by ability and age. Good luck.

[moonraven]

I have taught in and directed language school here.

We were in it for the money.

We gave oral placement exams.

[XXX]

I have also done both. But I have heard of schools who, for the sake of numbers of students, DON"T do or care about placement exams. It happens. I wouldn't have anything to do with them, but they do exist.

[maszia]

We should have oral placement exams but we don't. It's stupid, because some of my six and seven year-olds are brilliant at oral English but can't write for toffee so they end up in a much lower class than they should. In theory they should be able to move up if they're good, but since the tests are all written, it doesn't happen that often. It's demoralising for the kids and for the teachers. I think there is a tendency to just go for bums on seats though, since there's a school policy not to accept kids below the age of six or anyone who doesn't have a certain level of literacy in either Spanish or Catalan - a policy which they have blatantly ignored.
However, there's some good news. Instead of just asking colleagues for advice, which is what I'd been doing, I took my problem to the top, as Glenski and Guy suggested, and the two most difficult eleven-year-olds have been re-assessed, given a behaviour warning and booted back up to Class 4 AND the parents have been informed that if an improvement in attitude isn't seen, they'll be asked to remove the children from the school. It's made a difference in my class already, so thank you Glenski and Guy!

[dajiang]

It's a familiar problem.
But I think it's possible to cope with it.

Think about primary education.
There all pupils are sitting together in one class, and thought they're mostly the same age, there are also lots of differences in level. Still, primary school teachers somehow deal with it.

To teach these groups effectively you need to apply some differentiation in your lesson, otherwise it will be hell (with 2/3rd of the class being bored because it's too simple or difficult). I've only started to look into this recently, but there are some things you could try.

First of all, you need materials and lots of them:
easy ones (e.g. yellow colour) and middle ones (red) and harder ones (blue). Have the students work in pairs or groups most of the time. Then ss work through each colour level, putting all their exercises in a binder (the exercises are numbered so you can keep track of who did what)
You need to check the binders to correct and keep track of their levels. They can go on to the next colour if you think theyre ready and by giving them a small test.

Obviously the 'smarter' ones go through it faster, and can go to higher levels. The lower levels will take more time for the same exercises but might never even reach 'blue level'. So, at the same time you'll have people working on different things.

I'm a Dutch teacher and here in Holland we use basic, repetition and extension material. Once people have trouble with basic, they will do repetition exercises: basically the same topics, grammar, level, but different exercises.
The ones that have no problems in 'basic' will do extension exercises to keep busy. These exercise are on a higher level and can be very varied, and so the students are able to choose according to interest as well.

Now, this takes lots and lots of materials, but fortunately you can find them. Try bogglesworld, and I've put lots of nice links on my website to use: http://eslmaniac.web-log.nl/

materials are not the only thing, also your class setup will have to adapt.
Because frontal teaching wont be effective this way, there IS no frontal teaching except perhaps at the beginning or end of the lesson when you have to explain some common things, rules, games, whatever.

For the most part ss sit in groups and work either in groups of 3/4 or in pairs (the levels will most often look each other up, but you can have two 'blue' students sitting with two 'yellow' students no problem)

If the students have any problems in their exercises, they will first ask their group mates, if they dont know either, they can signal you by putting a 'red' card on their table. You can circulate through the classroom offering help to pair's groups etc. No frontal teaching, stop by at the tables where groups are working. (islands in your classroom, no more 2 by 2 tables towards the front)

Now you could start with dividing the classroom in three groups: (1) speaking, (2) writing and (3) reading for instance.
Or (1) 'poems/stories', (2) creative exercises, (3) puzzles.

Students can work on their exercises that will be on the tables. After 15 minutes they stop, circulate to the next group, etc etc.
Do this 3 times and all students will have gone over all parts. This is good for their attention span too (15 minutes for a certain topic is okay, they could do multiple exercises too), and they can change partners in their groups too.

If this works, you can introduce 4/6 groups.
It depends on the class size and how much lessontime you've got.

I realise it's a big step to change your whole teaching style from frontal to differentiated, but you can start easier too. Just try it out with 3 groups, or just with those exercise cards.

You don't have to do 'circulation' all the time. You could also try to have your creative exercises done in a 'group setting'. Then, you'll already differentiate a bit. Put levels together but make sure the faster students know they should help their mates and not dominate, the slower ones can learn from them.

When some ss have done something faster than others, always have some puzzles ready for them to pick up and they can do.
In the end, stop five minutes in advance, do a game, and say goodbye.

If you use a book, it's more troublesome, cuz most books arent suited for differentiated lessons. However, additional materials/puzzles for people who are faster is a must.
Try to determine what the basic material in the book is, then you could make/get repetition and extension materials.

I hope I have given you a bit of insight in one option of dealing with this problem. I myself am teaching a class in Holland, first grade of high school where I also have to deal with teaching adolescents of different levels in one class.
This development of teaching is not very accepted yet by the older generations of teachers in high school, because it's hard to let go of the frontal/classical teaching style, but it's gaining territory. Primary schools have been using this system for ages.

Any questions/comments are welcome,
regards,

Dajiang

[dajiang]

Another thing:

when you've got materials on a topic in, say, three levels, you could have a question to start with to determine which student can take which level.

So:
for instance you have a topic on 'animals'.
You already have materials on 'animals' in beginner (blue), intermediate (red) and advanced levels (yellow).
You could start with a question like: name 5 animals that start with the letter 'M'.

Tell the students/write above the questions:
If you can think of more than five: take the yellow exercises.
If you can think of 4 or 5, take the red exercises.
If you know less than 4, take the blue exercises.

This way students sift themselves out, and in some topics some students might excell, while in others they are less proficient.
That's a pretty good way to differentiate.

Btw, those complaining parents must be a pain in the ass.
I hope they're not looking while you teach right?
Good luck with them.

Oh, yeah, another thing, you could give some higher level students a task to teach something to the class. A thing they like or are interested in or something else like a hobby, and then they should of course mind the lower levels. That might work once or twice.

[moonraven]

Why not give ALL students the chance to teach something to the class?

That's what I do, and it tends to be very motivating to "slower" students, as well.

[Glenski]

moonraven wrote: