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schminken · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:42 pm Post subject: Need some creative ideas.

So next Saturday I am scheduled to teach a 6 hour lesson with the same group of students. These are night students who work all day and attend classes nights and Saturdays. They are advanced. I have 10 classes with them throughout the term in 3 hour blocks. Some how I got scheduled for 2 three hour blocks. I've never had this situation before.

It is the first lesson the semester. So there is no previous work to go from. What could I do with these people for 6 hours??!! My first thought is some kind of project work. I have racked my brain for hours trying to think up topics but nothing is coming to me. These busy people are doing a technical study and are demotivated anyway. I need something to keep their attention for 6 hours on a sunny afternoon. Any suggestions?

bayabule · Joined: 05 Feb 2004 Posts: 82 Location: East Java Indonesia

Are you teaching them in the company? I used to have 3 hour Saturday classes at an Infineon factory in Germany. The students weren't so keen on coming on a Sat but had no choice. They all worked in different department so I got them all to prepare a little bit about their department and take me and the rest of the class on a tour. Some of it was boring - wafer making and semi-conductors etc, but it was cool because we got to do a tour of the clean room, in those white space suits. It helped me to understand what they all did, and the students really loved it as a lot of them often had show foreign visitors around as part of their job. Also it didn't really feel like a class and they were able to explain to the rest of the class exactly what they did. Afterwards we would retire to the canteen for breakfast and do some follow ups.

schminken · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:57 pm Post subject:

No, I'm not teaching them at the company but almost all of them work for Infineon!!! I've already had them do something about their departments and jobs. I've already heard plenty about semiconductors, clean rooms, and wafer fab. Any other ideas? You sound like you were in almost exactly the same situation as I am in now! Perfect!

Motivation is a problem. English is part of the program but a lot of them are not very interested since it's "just a soft skill". Or so they say. On the other hand, it is a class and they get a mark. 6 hours. hmmm.

bayabule · Joined: 05 Feb 2004 Posts: 82 Location: East Java Indonesia

Ah OK, never mind. I agree there's only so much interest in semi conductors a person can take.
Let me think. My situation was similar. I was teaching them 2 evenings a week and Sat mornings once a fortnight. I had a sort of syllabus, so used to follow that on weeknights and then try to do something more "fun" on Sats. Are you allowed to take them out of school? Maybe you could do something in class the first few hours (a film maybe?) then go out for lunch or something. (I know it sounds like a major cop out)
The class started at 8am so none of us were at our best. We used to meet in the surprisingly good, Infineon canteen for breakfast and just chat a lot for the first while then head to the room and do a film or play some conversation games. I used to have a few of them up my sleeve but now I can't remember any!
Sorry, it was a few years ago and i don't really do anything like that now, so I'm really wracking my brains. If I think of anything more helpful I'll let you know.
I think the main thing with these long classes is to have several different things for them so they don't get bored. Maybe break it down into 2 hour blocks - a bit of project work, some course work, then something different and more "Saturday"
Hopefully someone else can be more useful.