Job Discussion Forums

[vikdk]

In the thread there has been a lot of talk about educational goals � questions regarding the purpose of teaching English � and lots of ideas regarding possible activities that have English content. But there has been little attempt to draw up a start line � the notion of where do you start when teaching kindergarten children � which is a really fundamental notion for Kindergarten education � because this really is the start! And how do we combine this start with the start of learning English.

As new kindy teachers we first start to run into this problem around the first or second month � �shiit I�ve done fruit, body pasts, they can the sing old mac song, what else is there?� Don�t worry we all go through this � in my first year I was really tugging away at the brain cells trying to wring out a new topics �until I realized I hadn�t even crossed the start line yet, and that only with the start line behind me would I get some kind of direction into my teaching.

First thing I looked for were satisfactory books � something on kindy curricula or a teaching syllabus that could be of use in my Chinese situation - at least there I could start at page one � found nothing, and I�m still looking (hey I�m sure those books are out there � and I don�t just mean teaching kindy kids English type stuff).

So I decided reflection over past teaching experience was the answer � something related to the cognitive teaching methods that I had been using with adult refugees and other high need groups, and I came up with this answer�

To introduce my start point we need a song � it�s sung to the Monty Python lumberjack melody � yes the one about transvestite forest workers � anyways the way we sing it is�

I�m a kid and I�m OK
I go to kindergarten every day
On Saturday and Sunday
I stay at home and play

We actually sing this song with our oldest classes � they love it � we illustrate it with flash cards and mime � tease �em about going to kindy on the weekend � practice days � compare what goes on in the house and kindy � even get down to the basics of what it is to feel OK and shiit (feeling good and bad). But actually far more importantly this song really demonstrates to me� the teacher - where my lessons are supposed to be coming from � the start point called � I (the kindergarten child).

What better starting point than I �
I am good/bad/girl/boy/big/small/happy/sad/hungry/thirsty/dirty/clean
I like/can/want
What am I doing?
Where am I/what am I - my body/family/house/kindergarten/familiar surroundings.

If you teach with �I myself, my life� firmly planted in the core of any method � it is possible to create an easily identifiable teaching environment for the user (the student) � an environment that can be managed by the teacher � who is able to clean out any unwanted aspects. For some special need groups the cognitive nature of this experience can make this an unfriendly environment � they have to come to terms with certain aspects of their lives that can be harrowing � but for kindy kids it can be super cozy, because - this environment has been managed so as to be concrete (the abstract is brushed away) � its an environment closely woven within their own lives � and hopefully its something that forms a teaching environment that helps the small child take giant steps in expressing its own life � and maybe small steps to be able to express that life in English. This is teaching that starts with � I the kindergarten child.

Ok I�m flying about in the clouds again � maybe I should descend back down to the practical realities of front line teaching. You don�t of course have to have all (at least what I think are) my wonderful idealistic ideas gliding about between your ears when you plan future lessons/activities/topics, or whatever, but you have to have an idea of the direction your lesson are taking � or you have to find one hell of a lot fruit types to fill your future classes. By starting at �I� you have started at a story � a life story � that can be repeated week after week, and gradually added to, making it more and more interesting. By the way making sure that �life� is both interesting and amusing � in the best edutaiment traditions � is the most fitting way to use this method in a kindergarten.

Not matter the age groups of your students the general principles of this method � after appropriate reflection - can be applied to suite their specific teaching needs � for example, if your English starters are very young like 2 years old then you have to acknowledge the fact � that when it comes to education, self understanding and self expression � then �I my life� should be expressed in an appropriate simplistic manner. As far as English learning is concerned a whole years lessons may only result in a kid speaking a few basics � if that (how much has been stored up in her head is a whole other matter). But a goal of actually introducing these basics in context to that child�s actual life (in the eyes of the kindergarten pitifully limited � in mine very ambitious) certainly shouldn�t stop you and the kids having a good and educationally rewarding time � shiit a year of lessons partly spent by handing, throwing, bouncing and rolling the things which are part of a small Child�s life at each other while screaming �I WANT!!!!!!!!!! � has it�s moments � and these lessons can be expanded upon by for example putting those things into a tiny school(kindy)bag � the symbol of the Chinese kindy kid. Surely these are lessons that are designed with �I the very young child� right at their core � surely these are lessons that actually mean something.

As a foot note � when I first started here I worked for a company farming teachers out to kindies � anyways they had a list of topics � and I kid you not � they had a topic called bank pin code � yes getting money out of a ATM with a bank card. The word ATM was on the vocab list! Maybe I�m getting old but I�m waiting until the piggy bank is replaced with a home cash dispenser before I start that using that topic.

[hesterprynne]

for he - she do duck duck goose as he she goose---- or boy girl goose--- or him her goose --- or his her goose--- they can do it quite well and you can feign dismay at the mistakes---- I enjoyed this board as I have been frustrated with the school management since the open class is coming up and the parents will watch and give advice--- they can't speak english after a university education in china but they are full of great ideas like don't let my child be a child or play

[vikdk]

thanx for the nice words Hest - i can hear where you're coming from - sometimes I'd like to collect all that bull in a nice big vat and then slowly pour it over the heads of a few of the "teaching torture is good for kids" diehards - not that it would do any good - but at least it'd give me a laugh - and think what a fun activity that would be for the kids - I'd call that topic - getting even with my kindy

[cheekygal]

re: original post

Mail me at [email protected]
I teach in one kindergarten in Beijing and since I quit my previous job (also working with kindergartens) I had to go back to writing my own lesson plans (previous program had its original books for students and teachers). I can share some samples of lesson plans with you. My students are 1,5 to 4 years old. Besides teaching regular English classes I was asked to teach Art classes and I spend time with children as any other regular kindergarten teacher.

[vikdk]

hey cheekygirl you've opened a point almost totaly ignored in other posts - especially mine - If we were viewed as kindergarten workers allowed to take part in all aspects of the kindergarten's day to day activities, but with special talents in the field of english - rather than just being looked upon as English teachers/monkeys - then we certainly would have the potential to become powerful kindergarten resources.

[vikdk]

Here�s a quicky � its bit of expansion on the bag idea I mentioned in another post � and something to do with attractive presentation (at least in the eyes of the small child) of an activity and how this process helps hold a small child�s concentration.
When planning an activity think packaging � in fact think chocolate box � you know wrapping something up in a manner to give promise and appeal. So how do you do this?
Well the good news is that we don�t have to cover ourselves up in gift wrapping � or come clad in sexy attire (might work good for a few of us in schools or uni�s) � no we just have to bring something that will grab a child�s attention.
We�ve found out that putting all our stuff in a school bag � yes a bright red and yellow kids bag with a big picture of some cartoon animal immediately becomes a natural starting point for an activity � and from it you can build up a �bag vocab�, which can contain lots of usefull phrases and words �

Open/close (the bag) � in (inside the bag) � look (in the bag) � listen (have some stuff in the bag that you can make a noise with � rattle some pencils together for example) - what is it (what�s in the bag) � do you like/want, yes I like/ want, no I don�t�. � (take it) out/(put it) in

This kind of vocab can be repeated and built on for many lessons � and can be linked to vocab used in other situation � open/close door � inside/outside the house etc.

The things in the bag can be stuff to make a story � we had an automan with one arm an leg in our bag the other day, the poor lad had to go to the doctor � kids liked that one a lot.
Anyways these bags only cost about 15 yuan and can make life a bit easier for a few lessons � and for small kids it�s an attractive and interesting way of being introduced to whole load of new stuff � stuff that because of that bag has a better chance of entertaining and therefore making more of an impression on the young mind.

By the way we�ve also expanded this bag idea to also have mummy and daddy bags � also useful when talking about families and family roles �mummy daddy work/I go to kindergarten.