Job Discussion Forums

[Gaijinheadpothead]

I haven't had to make a post in a while here because I was pretty much enjoying my job as a JHS ALT, and I feel I have been making a real effort at being good at my job and doing what I can for my JTEs.

But yesterday I practically crashed and burned while trying to introduce a game to my 2nd grade students while my JTE stood there and basically encouraged confusion amongst the students and made it very difficult and uncomfortable for me to get my point across.

The game was about compartives, bigger than, smaller than, bla bla bla. I had made 5 large sheets with lots of pictures of animals, people , countries etc, and some small descriptions abouth size, age, and so forth.
1 large sheet was for the black board and the other four were for the students who I wanted to dived into four teams, 1 sheet each.
I simply wanted to ask each team a question about who's bigger or older, and basic questions. 1 point for a correct answer and they 5 seconds to do so. No pens , no worksheets, just listening to my questions (which they fully understood) and answering, ( which they did very well). It took about 20mins.

Does this sound like such a big disaster of a game to you?? I can't even decide whether it was or not because it such an uncomfortable situation. I had given a rough explanation to my JTE and told her I would ask the questions and I wanted to make 4 teams. She seemed fine with it, but at the same time utterly confused, but she gets like that even when I ask her a basic question , like 'How was your weekend?'.

Anyway, ( I'm typing very fast now) when I started the game I told the students to make 4 teams, the last time I did this they just did it no problem! They divided themselves into 4 circled groups straight away and all was great! But this time, they just gave me a blank stare and a silence. I said again! Nothing. SO I asked my JTE to tell them, she also gave me a blank stare and a nothingness look in her eyes! Then she said that they are in four teams , in the 4 rows. But as I only had 4 big sheets for them , I needed them to sit around so they can all see the paper! When I explained this in a clear way , and a bit assertive, to the JTE I was met with .

I'll try to just sum it all up here. The game went on, slow start, eventually got going, but totally affected by a real crap attitude from my JTE who had a real bad face and stance throughout. I think it affected me mostly, as I felt a bit stranded there with no chance of any support.

I've been spending a lot of my working hours helping this teacher as much as I can. The other 2 are well experienced and everything runs smoothly. This particular teacher told me herself one day, that she doesn't like her job and can't wait to quit. She's always stressed out about keeping her lessons interesting and this was one of my less succesfull attempts to help out. I've done plenty of other thing that worked fine.

I can see now that the teams were too big (35 students in 4 teams) and that it wasn't a great game, some students didn't participate at all, they just let the more talkitive ones go ahead. I obviously won't try it again.

What's really getting to me is the real lack of interest or support from the JTE who I've been very flexible with (she's very difficult). I've been open with her a few times and told her I want to help as much as I can. And right now I feel like being an *beep* with her for rest of the term and do shit for her, but I won't because it's the students who lose out then.

I just wanted to vent a little steam!!! AAAARRRGGGHHHH

[move]

I hear you. I don't really look forward to working with "weakest link" sensei either, but oh well. It's not so much her lack of English skills (though they are lacking) but a lack of discipline in the class.

Do you really need it said in Japanese to make groups though? Just wondering. Lately, I've been getting lazy about giving directions in English, and just kind of gesture to the JTE to explain after I explain something and am met with the blank stares. Plus, the teachers there explain ALL the activities in Japanese not English, so kids don't really understand/focus when I give instructions in English.

I learned the hard way too, that if the JTE doesn't understand your activity, then the kids REALLY aren't going to understand it. But that doesn't sound like your case.

[pnksweater]

I usually count students off or some other sorting method. Have number one team raise their hands and provide them with a location. Number two team raise hands, etc... The desks aren't bolted to the floor or anything, are they? Even though it's really basic it gets the kids paying attention to English, listening carefully and remembering their number. A little lame, but the brain does need time to warm up and start thinking in another language.

Smaller groups would have helped, but I don't think your exercise was at fault. Sometimes the energy of a class is slow. Everyone has an off day. And it sounds like your JTE's bad attitude may be contributing. Do your best and leave it at that.

[Glenski]

Sounds to me like both of you had a communication problem. Can't really say much about the JTE and her comprehension, but if it's as bad as you make out, you need to simplify things beyond belief. Thinking you have described something simply is not always correct; your words may have been good for a native speaker, but realize that if the JTE had trouble understanding something, your students will be lost.

Some of your instructions here, for example, had me rereading.

I agree with pnksweater's idea of taking charge to divide the class (counting off is one way). That way, students realize what is happening. Yes, even if you have done something previously, don't count on them remembering it next time! In your case, instead of saying "divide into 4 teams", with whatever wording you used, you might be more direct about the table arrangement: "lets make 4 islands/circles with the tables" (after you have chosen the 4 groups, of course). Or draw a picture on the board with team labels.

If they've done something before, use a memory aid to remind them.
"Ok, last week we had the round table groups. Let's make 4 round table groups today!"

Alternately, if they recognize something familiar, use that. I have told classes we're going to play an English version of Hexagon (a TV quiz program), and they immediately know what is going to happen.

[seklarwia]

I have JHS, too. I'm very lucky that my JTEs are all very supportive (even the weakest of them) and from very early on they stopped translating every instruction into Japanese. The 3rd years actually get a lot of their grammar taught to them in English with only new or technical terms in Japanese. The JTEs then taught me the tense names and other odd words in Japanese that way when I'm in the class alone (The JTEs are HRTs, year heads, head of discipline, etc so often get called away whenever there is a problem) the kids are used to having the instructions in English and only if they really struggle, I'm able to give them some key words in Japanese. The JTEs also made sure that the 1st and 2nd years knew some key words in English even if they are not introduced normally until the 3rd year. That way I can just ask for volunteers and they understand.

It's not an easy process getting the kids to a stage where they are comfortable only receiving instructions in English and it takes time, but it really pays off in the end.

Yesterday, I ended up with a class of first years alone because the JTE had been called away to deal with some bright spark 3rd years who tried to walk across the ice on the school pool and fell through. The initial games were simple so the kids understood and had a field day. The speaking and writing exercise were much more complicated and was actually introducing expressions that they hadn't learnt yet. But they made a good attempt at having a go and after looking over their writings, it seems that many of them have even understood the new expressions. The JTE was so throughly impressed with his class he made sure that the rest of JTEs and most of the school knew what stars his 1D are at English.

When I split the kids into teams (rarely more than 3/4/5 per team) I also get them to play janken to allocate a number to each person within the teams. So when I ask a question, I'll say that only the number 1s can answer from each team. The others can help their teammate but it means not only the strongest member is left speaking all the time. I also ask at least 3 questions in a row to each of the numbers getting the person who gives the right answer to sit down and sit out on the next question, because it is often the people with the strongest team or the returnee student who raise their hand to answer first. Getting them to sit out of the next questions, gives the teams who need more time to come up with answers an opportunity to have a go, too.

[gwynnie86]

Can't you use gestures to split them into teams? In my brief TEFL course our teacher gave us a lesson in Italian to show us how meaning could be transmitted without actually understanding the words. She sort of pointed at 5-6 of us and then gestured "together", grouping her hands and implying that we move closer together as a team. I don't know if it depends on the culture and how used to that kind of activity you are but we all got what she meant, would the children not also?

[seklarwia]

Yes and no. Gestures can often work wonders (but may not always if you use a gesture that is similar to a Japanese gesture with a different meaning) if the concept you are trying to convey isn't alien to them. Some kids have never needed to work together in this way before during an English class, others will understand but don't want to be the first to move incase they have misunderstood and some are very reluctant to work together, full stop! So some will be confused as to why you want them to move together in this way, some will be waiting for someone else to move first and the others will silently refuse to move. But regardless of the reason, you'll just be faced with a class of kids staring blankly at you.