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[askiptochina]

I am only 1.5 weeks into this "60 student" bizarreness, so I am hardly in any position to give advice. However, I have been told by other teachers "If you get 5 students interacting, you are doing alright"

This is about right I think, considering half the class is just doing their math homework, and when the class starts (when I think I am starting it, lol), it feels like I have walked into a park and just started talking to myself.

No one is paying attention, even the ones who can make some conversation. I have to make an initial question and repeat it 20 times. Eventually, the good ones chime in and that's when the class really starts.

From there, I branch out and try to get the surrounding tables involved. After that, everyone else gets a visit at their desks from me. If they speak some English, then I know they are not paying attention, and I make them ask someone who participated before to help them.

The ones who can't speak English will get a short read and repeat drill. I don't see this as a task to teach 60 students collectively, but more to teach top to bottom. Spend time with the top students until they zone out and work your way down.

I think yesterday, my last class had 2 students who initiated communication. By the end of the class, 1 one of them and her friend would participate, and the other student was able to get 4 of his buddies around him to listen to me. They didn't want to answer me, but they would say the answer to him. On the other side of the classroom, there were 3 students who gradually built up the courage to say, "An inventor is someone who invents!!". At least it's a start, lol.

[killian]

OK. general set up is teacher at elevated platform, behind podium. blackboard behind.

the kids are conditioned to lethargy in the classroom and expect such. lethargy IS an option. i refused such. first thing i would do is push that podium out of the way. always perked the kids up. after a few reps, picking kids at random to push it out of the way is always fun. always in english

get a sticky ball. seriously. the blackboard is huge. draw a seating chart on the board. generally speaking each class has 64 kids so an 8 by 8 grid should suffice. make it clear that each GRID CORRESPONDS TO EACH STUDENT. e.g.- 1st kid, 1st row near door is top right on grid.

after the drills/reading/whatever and t is time for questions get out the ball. have a random kid throw. whichever grid the ball hits, that kid answers. they pick this up real quick. they love it. the kid answers, he gets to throw. hilarity ensues when they target their friends. 9yeah, kids aren't gonna know and their mates are gonna feed them answers...but such is better than them doing math homework during tsalking english class)

be open, never scold. if some kid freezes up go gentle. create an open environment but remain firm on in class tomfoolery.

afterawhile all the kids'll pay attention because they don't want to look stupid when the ball hits them. then all you gotta do is let the kids ask a question after they answer the previous and prsto they are speaking english and you are having lotsa joy.

[zootown]