Job Discussion Forums

[daniel_hayes]

On that last point, my grammar. Can anyone suggest a relatively quick way to revise and learn how to teach grammar. I envisage 1-2 single pages, that have the basic info and time-lines and examples, and anticipate problems with the tenses and grammar.

I have Murphy and Aitken, but I can't carry them around with me all the time.

Kind of a condensed 'Teaching Tenses'/'English Grammar in Use' that I can keep with me at all times.

[Sashadroogie]

Download an electronic version of any books you don't want to carry.

[Teacher in Rome]

When I had to learn grammar for the Dip course, I put each "area" onto an index card, that I then stuck up on the wall above my desk. But once I got into regular teaching, I found that most of the difficult areas for students would come up time and time again, meaning that I learnt "the rules" pretty quickly.

Unless a student is completely stuck, I find that it often helps to ask students to explain the grammar themselves - either as and when it occurs, or when getting them to correct their own homework. Very often explanations given by other people go in one ear, out the other, but if you're asked to come up with (and then test) a rule of your own, it can make better sense.

[johnslat]

Dear Sasha,

"A detailed plan should comprise ideas of how to deal with various problems that may come up, so there should not be too much diversion."

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree, I guess. After thirty-five years of teaching, I don't really feel the need to write down details of how to deal with various problems that might come up.
They've pretty much all come up before - many, many times .

Regards,
John

[Cool Teacher]

[Cool Teacher]

[Sashadroogie]

[johnslat]

Dear Sasha,

Hope I didn't come across as being jaded /blase - I'm still teaching at almost 70 because I love it.

In my case, I spend my most of my prep time writing materials. In my classes, I created the curriculum/syllabi and there's no textbook.

I teach the same classes every session - but I also change ALL the material every session, mainly for two reasons. Especially in my Transitions classes, I get a fair number of students who want to take it again. So, of course, I can't use the same stuff. Also, I learn a lot from every class, what works and what doesn't, what needs more attention, what less. It's a constant refining process, and while it takes a lot of my so-called "free time," I think it's well-spent.

I don't really need detailed lesson plans since heck, I'm the one who designed the whole course and made all the material. I know the objectives (I'd better; I wrote them) and I know how to get the students (well, most of them, anyway) there.

Admittedly, I imagine mine is a special case, but then, as I wrote in my first post, other teachers, especially beginners, would likely find lesson plans very helpful.

Regards,
John

[Sashadroogie]

Dear Johnslat

Actually, I wasn't sure whether or not you are being a little blas�, though your subsequent posting has cleared that up.

However, I'd still be inclined to say that having specific learning aims for any lesson is a good idea. General learning objectives at course level are a different matter. Whether one needs to write aims down on paper every time is again another matter also, but the teacher should have a clear concrete idea of the lesson aim from the beginning. Of course, we may face a situation where that aim turns out to be inappropriate for a number of reasons, and then we need to abandon the plan and improvise as best we can. So to say 'being very specific in one's plans is a mistake' is an idea that I find very surprising. It runs counter to everything I have learnt and been trained to do. Feel free to disagree, but realise that you are going against almost all creditable methodology here.

Just sayin'... hic!


Regards

S

[spiral78]

I actually agree with both johnslat and Sasha.

I think that having a general aim for a lesson is usually advisable. For me, the heart of the thing is in the verb choice for the aim, which will reflect the kinds of activities and/or tasks the lesson includes.

I think that to state a 'learning aim' might be a bit too far on the prescriptive side in many contexts.

If we say 'students will learn,' we seem to be implying something new that they will actually grasp and internalize and activate and become comfortable with in real time all in one lesson - this is obviously over-ambitious in most cases.

If we say 'students will practice' this can be a bit more realistic.

The verbs that can be applied to aims are obviously many.
Students can:
practice
review
demonstrate
consider
discuss
compare/contrast
order/rank
predict
advise
create
calculate
analyze
construct
deconstruct
research
present
negotiate
role play
etc, etc

and we can provide a secondary clause to the aim which links the lesson to a course or unit

Students will discuss ABC as part of their preparation for XYZ
Students will create ABC to demonstrate their grasp of XYZ

etc......

Actually, I'd say that to state 'students will learn' anything is probably the least realistic lesson aim ever.

[Sashadroogie]

Ha ha! Someone's feeling a touch jaded all right, but it doesn't seem to be Johnslat. Hang on in there Spiral! The ennui will pass. Especially after a bottle of the good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CooAI9ZlYMI

Good points about the vocab for aims. Must use this as a crib-sheet later.

[spiral78]

[Sashadroogie]

Hic! While it's true we cannot predict accurately, hic! how much or even, hic! if the learners have, hic, learnt anything, while can still, aspire to this end, and hic, state it on LPs.

Hope springs eternal, from the vodka bottle, and all that hic!

Hic!

[santi84]

Mine are quite detailed with lots of alternatives but I am still a very new teacher and I'm not ready to go without them yet. I think it also depends on a teacher's style - some long-term teachers still used elaborate plans, some bring nothing but a whiteboard marker. It is only natural that it depends on the teacher and different plans work for different people.

[spiral78]