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[latefordinner]

<alcohol alert! this poster has imbibed a sinful skinful and the post below should be read with 2 thoughts in mind: first, that the poster may be somewhat rash and prone to overstatement in posting, and second, that when sober as the morning allows, may not give a flying leap what anyone has to say>

Made this mistake just this weekend past while preparing for this morning's pair of lessons, and both fell short of my expectations. The first class Monday morning is my weakest, they are a week behind everyone else and I'm busting my tail to keep it to only a week behind. If they don't get the easiest comprehension gimme Qs, act like a Chinese teacher and give'em the answers and don't prolong the torture. Anticipate as many pronunciation errors as I can and practice teaching dogs to bark, because even if it doesn't work it still makes them feel secure. So this morning's lesson is one that I taught with satisfactory to good results last week, and like a clockwork clown I try to just repeat what worked for the other classes without reviewing and asking myself what will or won't fly in this specific class. Result, one slightly ragged but passable lesson with a group that doesn't need my second-best effort. I was lazy with a group that needs more than just a passable lesson, and the clock is running down on the semester.

On to the second class which is getting my first new lesson of the week. A strong class, this one doesn't need my best effort. I can try new things with them knowing that if it doesn't fly, it can still be made to work and I can adapt and fix the lesson for the weaker classes. Looking at what I had planned for this topic some weeks ago, this one should be easy to prep and fun to teach. Retail sales, what makes people buy and what makes them stay away. "Good, cheap, fast. Choose two" at the top of the blackboard. No Moss Goes Shopping (thanks, NoMoss!) for the section on "mei-you service". All the vocab on defects and quality problems that I've taught the last 3 years, complete with my 20 year old jacket to demonstrate worn, torn and has holes. Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch if I have time. I had this one checked off in my head weeks ago. Which should be a good thing, because I've got a few other long term concerns coming up, and this seems to be the week when I need the time and energy to focus on them. Once again, the lesson fell somewhat short of my expectations, although with this class I can make a brick fly because these guys have got the engines. These guys really had little sense of what I wanted from them at certain parts of the program, and in review I have to admit it's because I didn't either.
I take pride in my planning, but most of my effort seems to have been on what I'm teaching, not on the who or the how. Today was a terrible example. I didn't have to look at my plan to put up my blackboard, I already knew it by heart. When it came time however to put my students into pairs or into groups and do exercises, I was lost and so were they. At one point, I couldn't remember if I wanted them in pairs or groups. Like a newbie teacher fighting his first China hangover, I left the class thinking, "What's wrong with me? I'm better than this!"
The easy answer is that I'm getting lazy. I'm relying to much on what I've done before, and not doing enough original preparation. The harder part is that I'm losing my sense of who I'm teaching, and that not knowing who, I'm lost for how. Just falling back on routines that have worked before, without remembering why. I know what to do about the first, but the second is a new one for me.

[judgedredd]

Don't worry about it, just have another drink and forget all about it

[jeffinflorida]

Show 'em the Addams Family...

Worked for me...

[Brian Caulfield]

It's the end of the term all our brains are puddy. Time to review for the final test. They need some quiet time to listen to their mp3 and text messaging their loved ones. I find my students most attentive when watching DVD's and they actually want to talk about it after.

[sheeba]

Latefordinner. I'm sure you do a fine job. I shouldn't worry too much.

I find myself in the same muddle often too. I find just going back to basics helps. Think about the aims of the course and the simplest way to achieve those aims.

As for the 'who' question. The process of understanding such a thing is as slow as learning a language. If you want I can recommend some reading that my MA has recommended to me. I've purchased all the books here in China and they are dirt cheap. PM me. By understanding more about the process of learning a second language I find that this promotes 'noticing' in relation to the outbursts from my students. It organizes and prioritizes issues that need addressing. It sounds like you've hit a brick wall and some research could help you!

I will say one thing. The alcohol won't make you think clearly! But it's nearly xmas so EnJoY!

[arioch36]

Ah, you have the "Major" syndrome. In the Air Force, the most dangerous pilots are the new Majors, who have been doing it long enough that they can get away with not being careful enough, so they think. The ones that survive become Colonels. I have not yet entirely left this stage. Unfortunately my school's attitude still influences how well I decided to prepare

[latefordinner]

<sobriety alert. Just because this poster hasn't imbibed a sinful skinful yet doesn't mean he's going to make any more sense than usual>

That second lesson didn't require a lot of work, just a few things, and it went down well yesterday and again today. Well doing a bit of Monty Python usually get students interested and involved, but more to the point I think I taught something as well as entertained them. I'd also like to think I set up next week's lesson. Still a few things I'm not happy with, but that's what after-class assessment is for.

Arioch, I think you may well be right.

Sheeba, I'd love that reading list. I've been thinking for about 2 1/2 years now that I'm due to go back to uni and get a graduate degree. I don't know if I've still got what it takes to be academically successful, but there's no way of knowing until I try. Certainly doing some of the reading would be good for me.

I remember talking with Roman Pelts, who was a professional chess coach in the Soviet Union then in Canada. He told that to be a good chess player, I had to do 2 different things. I had to study and I had to play. Play without study and I'd just keep repeating the same mistakes, study without competitive play and I'd never truly learn the lessons I had been exposed to. I think it's the same with teaching. For the last 5 years I've been a strong coffee house player in the classroom, but I haven't met a lot of genuine masters. Time to supplement that classroom intuition with some book learning.

Thanks again.

[arioch36]

Sheeba, share. Sounds like a winter project

[sheeba]

Well the books I use are to help me teach and research. The skill of teaching is somewhat different to being able to research but the research of course changes your opinions on learning and hence changes your methods, approaches and procedures in class.

The books that I am using are the 'Applied Linguistics in Action Series' composed by Christopher N.Candlin and David R.Hall. These are FOreign Language Teaching and Research Press publications and all have the same type of cover so are easy to identify. I've bought six of them so far. I'm not sure if there are any more. I find that they are pretty much up to date, offer good examples of research and thoroughly consider the nature of the skills that each book looks at. At 30 yuan a piece they are worth less then 200 kuai for all 6!

So there are the 4 skills

Teaching and Researching Writing - Ken Hyland
Teaching and Researching Speaking - Rebecca Hughes
Teaching and Researching Listening - Michael Rost
Teaching and Researching Reading - William Grabe and Fredricka L.Stoller

There is also

Teaching and Researching Language and Culture - J.Hall
Teaching and Researching Lexicography - R.Hartmann

In my course we are encouraged to take certain research examples from the book and think of ways that we can use them to design activities or research projects in class. I think that this really helps with actually concentrating on a specific area in your class. The narrowing down of aims is something that I am learning is of prime importance when researching and I think to some extent teaching is the same. So I might suggest if you buy the books to find certain areas of research that are relevant to your class and then organise similar activities or activities that test the assumptions in your class. This will help you to be more specific and gain more insight whilst maintaining maneagable goals and data collection.

If you want to discuss your findings perhaps post on this board or PM me as I'm always thinking of the issues addressed! God I'm SAD!!