Job Discussion Forums

[TRod]

Hey all. I'm wondering if anyone is working or have worked on the GEOS correspondence package? I'm super stressed out about it and wondering if anyone knows how specific should your lesson plans be? I feel that I have no idea what I'm doing and repeating the same old activities.

Thanks.

[Willy_In_Japan]

I was stressed out with the packages too.

I was told that cutting pictures out and pasting them to cardboard to have 'props' for each lesson was super important, and wasted a lot of time doing this rather than just working on my lesson plans.

Look at each lesson, and figure out what the point of the lesson should be. the SWBT nonsense.....ie the Student will be able to 'apologize' or whatever the point is. When making the activities, be sure that you are presenting this point, practicing the point and using that point in the lesson.

Once you have that, think of a fun short warm up activity.

Then, its basically the 3Ps.......Present the language, Practice the language, and Production (use the language).

Think of how you will Present the language form.......then have some drill exercises or pair work....and then think of some way in which the students can do a role play or similar activity where they can use what they just learned in a situation....thats the structure for most lessons.

Sprint 6.....is pretty easy.....I usually asked basic questions about the picture.......what are they doing? What is happening? etc.......have them answer......then set the scene........put some focus questions on the board........get them to listen to the conversation.......ask about unknown vocabulary.....ask the focus questions......make them practice the dialogue...and cotinue practicing using the activity on the back of the sheet.

They stress that they want you NOT to use the ideas in the teachers manual, but really, they are just trying to encourage creativity. The fact is, as a new teacher, you are going to have to rely heavily on the activites that are in the teachers manuals....copyingf the cards and practice activities and using them ....for example, 'cloze' activites, (fill in the blanks while listening)....and information gap activities where a student has to ask another student for information to complete their sheet.

Just do your best and remember, when you make a lesson plan for say Sprint 6 Lesson 12........you have that in your files to pull out the next time you teach it.......the first while is going to be stressful when in Japan, so you have to be able to build the lessons quick.....keep organized so when you build a sprint 6, 7 or 8 lesson, you will be able to pull it out and use it and follow your lesson plan. After a while, you will be able to look at a sprint book and just be able to teach it by looking at the book and come up with some communicative activity without having any pre done photo copying, but for the first few months, you will need the lesson plans or you will probably freeze in the classroom.

The important thing to remember though, is that when the students are looking at you to 'teach'......take the pressure off of yourself by having them speaking English to each other.........they LOVE talk time and will complain if they don't get enough of it.......take the focus off of you, and it will be easier for you....ie present the english and have them practicing it.

Good luck!

[TRod]

Pheew! Thanks for the wonderful info. I have completed the packages, but I don't feel too good about it. Now it's crunch time and I am working on my props as well as packing EVERYTHING I need for Japan. I have to admit, I am really nervous about teaching, but I will listen to your advice: stay organize, use the manual, and have the students talk.

[Willy_In_Japan]

Good Luck!!!

Ki wo tsukete! (take care)

I am glad you found some of the information useful.