Job Discussion Forums

[gaijinalways]

I have another 2-90 minute periods with my remedial students again at the women's university I teach at. Usually the first 90 minutes I do work in the textbook and related material to the text. The second 90 is where I am looking for ideas. These students are generally repeating classes because they didn't often come, and often didn't turn in homework. Some of them have low motivation and poor language skills (as well as poor study skills), and still have poor attendance ( I still reflunked a few last semester), while others work harder to pass and make good contributions to class.

Anyone have 3 hr university classes for high beginner to low intermediate students? What do you usually do, and any longer activities you would like to share?

Thanx in advance.

[White_Elephant]

gaijinalways, I've had all the same problems you are facing except my classes are all 110 minutes or 80 minutes. You have 3 hour (180 minute) classes full of unmotivated students. I personally believe that is too long, especially for such students. Student burn-out will most likely occur. Here's some ideas for you that work for me:

1. Set up that Code of Conduct and be strict and stern as you need to be. TNC - Take No Crap! It's amazing how effective that stance can be.

2. NO lecturing. Teacher Talk (prefacing) should be limited to around 10 percent of class time. It really WORKS!

3. WORKSHEETS WORKSHEETS WORKSHEETS. Walk around. Check them.

4. DRILLS DRILLS DRILLS - "repeat after me"

5. Extra Credit - make them speak from the worksheets. GREAT motivator.

Hope this helps. Oh and I give a ten minute break for my 110 minute classes. You might consider a fifteen minute break. Three hours is too long for the students to go without a break. People need to use the toilet etc.

[Chris Westergaard]

I had a similar situation in Prague for 2 years teaching a 180 min class everyday.

Create large group roleplays and presentations depending on the students level.

you might create a court room drama or something and have specific characters laid out for each person. Think creative and get them working on task based material. Try to expand on discussions and keep things moving. Present them with interesting material but let them control and create the lessons when needed.

Have structure but keep it open and interesting. Present new vocab and grammar but always have an interesting context that leads to a role play.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Something else that's a great time killer (and effective!) is to give them dictionary assignments. Give each group a gap fill similar to this:

A.
1. hurry________________________________________________________

2. hire__________________________________________________________


3. lead (v.) _____________________________________________________________



B.
4. step (n.)____________________________________________________


5. backwards____________________________________________________


6. stain (n.)_____________________________________________________________


C.
7. bubble (n.)_____________________________________________________________


8. suggestion ____________________________________________________________


9. relative (n.) ____________________________________________________________

(These words came from a book we were reading)

And get them to look up the words then ask for the missing definitions. Then you can have them create sentences as a group.

I wouldn't do this every day, but once a week wouldn't hurt.

[gaijinalways]

Well, yes, but my name is not Mr. Hardass. But I like the idea , in theory, anyway. I am looking more for activies, not how to discipline the students (they are generally okay, when they come ).

[Jizzo T. Clown]

If they're remedial students, perhaps a bit of discipline is what they need??

[Deconstructor]

Reading, reading, reading.

Get a text; right up questions. Students work together in groups and answer the questions. They must work on each question at the same time and must have the same answers. This way they have to rely on each other all the time.

Before giving them the text, give them the questions first. Let them read, understand and predict... again in groups. Whatever they don't understand, let them ask each other and not you. Only if all else fails you get to help them.

Once finished, put them in pairs and ask them to retell the text using only their notes.

It's a great activity because they get to use the structures and the vocab in the text. Not to mention that it's a great time killer. 500 word essay will last a couple of hours.

[White_Elephant]

[gaijinalways]

White_Elephant, actually I flunked them once (someone else the first time), and I'm not into the 'discipline the hell out of them is best teaching method' (I have abhorred some of those teachers as a student myself). I was just trying to give you info about the class, and ways to keep them motivated and use up some of the second 90 minutes I have scheduled.



Deconstructor Reading is okay, but personally some of the students are weak readers, and spending 2 hours on reading would be expecting too much (from me and them). Certainly, a shorter reading with some questions and a spinoff speaking/writing activity would be okay though (thanx for the idea).