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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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 Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:11 am Post subject: Any other PS teachers miss 4-session lessons? |
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I know 3rd and 4th grade still have four sessions per lesson, but 5th and 6th grade are up to seven sessions for effectively one grammar point.
I don't think I'll oversimplify this thread by making it a poll. If you aren't required to stick to the text book then maybe it's not all that bad. But I am and it drives me batty.
Anyway, just wondering what you thought. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:43 am Post subject: |
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| What do you mean by session? Not all public school jobs teach the same way. If you are referencing a specific book, please let us know. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| YTMND wrote: |
| What do you mean by session? Not all public school jobs teach the same way. If you are referencing a specific book, please let us know. |
I see. Hadn't thought about that. Maybe it's just elementary schools in Bucheon...if that, even.
But what I mean is, that a given lesson in the text book that teaches a grammar point, like "I'm taller than him" (comparatives) will take a designated number of class sessions to complete.
When I started teaching here a few years ago, it was four class sessions to complete a lesson (ie; on comparatives). And classes met twice a week.
Then, the text book was changed and classes started meeting three times a week. With more meetings per week, students would have completed all lessons of the old text book before the school year was finished. So it would have made since to add a few more lessons to the new text book.
But that's not what happened. Instead, the new text book has the same number of lessons (grammar points), but instead of designating four class sessions to complete a lesson, they designate seven. So for seven consecutive classes, I teach one grammar point.
If this is not as widespread as as I thought, then I guess there's no point starting a thread on it. But anyway, I did it. I don't know the name of the text book. I can check tomorrow if it matters that much. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:02 am Post subject: |
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I am sure the problem still exists, even though the particular chapters or grammar points might be different. You could try teaching 2 classes like normal, and then do a third day for review.
If you are allowed, I prefer doing review in batches. I will teach 1.5 months and then review. This way students don't get bored or complain when we do the same lesson. I combine comparatives with abilities and adjectives. You could do 1 lesson with a mix of those one week, wait 1 week, and then do a second lesson. |
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WI-Do
Joined: 01 Feb 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Each school chooses its textbooks from a large number of textbooks that have been approved by the ministry of education, so it's really unlikely that many public schools follow the same curriculum, much less the same book as you. |
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JustinC
Joined: 10 Mar 2012
Location: We Are The World!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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In grade 6 we use the book with the globe and various monuments and famous tourism spots (Frances Sohn).
We do '7 lessons per chapter' or '7 periods per lesson', or what have you. Periods 1 to 5 are lessons 'proper', period 6 is review and tests (one from the book, one made up), period 7 is to review the exam, catch up and/or games. The teachers' book is divided for this specific number of lessons.
It's a bit of a stretch with so many periods for each lesson so I do a new warmer PPT and a new game PPT for each, except period 6. I spend more time on PPTs than in class teaching to help keep classes fun and varied, plus my co-teacher does a heck of a lot of stuff. We actually go over time on every lesson we give. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| We do the 7 in 5 classes. With the students missing a lot of classes for other events, we're on track. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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| JustinC wrote: |
| In grade 6 we use the book with the globe and various monuments and famous tourism spots (Frances Sohn). |
Yeah, looks like the same one we�re using.
| JustinC wrote: |
We do '7 lessons per chapter' or '7 periods per lesson', or what have you. �
�It's a bit of a stretch with so many periods for each lesson� |
Well, right. And that�s my point. Under the old system, it was four class periods per lesson, which, even if you were required to stick to the book, worked out pretty well because you could use each session to focus on a different language skill (1. Listening, 2. Reading 3. Writing, 4. Speaking). I mean, it didn�t have to be as stifling as that, but it was a decent basic structure.
With seven sessions, it just gets redundant, even if you use supplementary materials like PPTs. (Not criticizing using PPTs and such. I make PPTs other supplementary materials, too. It�s the set-up of seven sessions that get�s to me, especially when I have the old system to compare to.)
| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
| We do the 7 in 5 classes. With the students missing a lot of classes for other events, we're on track. |
 Not a bad way of going about it. And yeah, if you aren�t required to adhere to the �7 in 7 classes� format, then maybe it�s not quite as bad. This thread was more addressed to those who had experienced the four session set up. But still, interesting to hear how some are managing the seven session set up. So, thanks for the comments. |
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JustinC
Joined: 10 Mar 2012
Location: We Are The World!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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| isitts wrote: |
Well, right. And that�s my point. Under the old system, it was four class periods per lesson, which, even if you were required to stick to the book, worked out pretty well because you could use each session to focus on a different language skill (1. Listening, 2. Reading 3. Writing, 4. Speaking). I mean, it didn�t have to be as stifling as that, but it was a decent basic structure.
With seven sessions, it just gets redundant, even if you use supplementary materials like PPTs. (Not criticizing using PPTs and such. I make PPTs other supplementary materials, too. It�s the set-up of seven sessions that get�s to me, especially when I have the old system to compare to.)
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Yeah I (obviously) wasn't here when it was 4 classes and went on a bit of a tangent to your OP 
To continue the thread jack we usually put some listening, reading and speaking in each class and have them writing at home and in tests. All told around 20 minutes in the class is me and 20 is the co-teacher (with 10 mins both of us/various - like I said we always go over). The two different PPTs for each session - a new game and a new warmer - takes up all of my spare time at work and some of it at home, but I'm getting better as I'm using Waygook and also cannibalising my old PPTs more efficiently. My co-teacher puts in similar hours or more. Since March we've accrued a whole lot of materials, but hopefully it'll be much easier next year!
Oh, and we would have less lessons too - because of day trips and other events - but we usually make up the time by adding on extra lessons where possible. Some of our students' grades are up 30 points on last year so we're seeing results, which is nice |
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goreality
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:22 am Post subject: |
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Flashcards!
http://www.eslkidstuff.com/flashcardgamesframe.htm
There are about 55 different activities on this page alone that can be played with flash cards. I make my own or even have the students make 'customized' ones. I can recycle them for multiple classes not to waste time. They are in the back of the book for nearly every unit if you aren't as ambitious or creative. We can do speaking, reading and writing activities with the cards. I don't play with cards every class. But usually if I do, it's at least 10 minutes worth of learning fun and the endless possibilities never get boring. I often make a PowerPoint outing the activity and the cards as vocabulary practice first to supplement the in class demonstration.
I actually enjoy doing most things in the textbook, but I do find I need to add supplemental activities. My goal is to drive that single grammar point home for the kids who aren't so good at English and to keep the other students interested in the lessons, they can go to a hagwon if they want to cram. |
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therockery
Joined: 25 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree. Why was this changed! |
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