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Toby
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Wedded Bliss
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 Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:29 pm Post subject: Middle School Girls. Good Topics? |
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Working in a middle school, girls, and I can teach them anything I want.
Can anyone suggest some good topics that maintain interest for 45 minutes?
I see them once a week for 45 minutes.
3 grades, 5 classes in each grade.
So, really, I only need to prepare 3 classes each week - one for each grade, andcan then duplicate the lesson.
Good topics or suggestions please? |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| did you check the advice on the thread that you already started? |
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Toby
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Wedded Bliss
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| Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| did you check the advice on the thread that you already started? |
Yes, but was looking for more ideas. |
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FUBAR
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: The Y.C.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:49 am Post subject: |
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| You only need one theme for all the grades. Then adapt it towards their level. That would keep it much easier for you. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:13 am Post subject: |
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I've got a similar set-up.
Best advice I can offer is keep whatever you teach relevant to their interests & experience -- stuff they might talk about among themselves.
Hard to go wrong with simple units on: daily routine, leisure activities, school life, shopping, food, household chores, seasonal activities, holidays & special events, family, etc. I also like to push my personal interests a bit, topics like nature & geography -- you likely have your own enthusiasms.
From day one in the semester I always set aside a few minutes at the beginning of class for small talk. What did you do last night? What did you do on the weekend? I choose a few students at random to stand & answer, then ask for volunteers. If you keep the banter consistently relaxed & funny you'll find some students coming to class ready to relate their stories.
Youre starting midterm, that may limit how far you can get with these girls. I usually start the year with simple vocabulary activities -- first nouns, then verbs, then adjectives, & gradually coaxing sentences, then more complex sentences, & finally full-fledged stories from them. The progress they can make in a year can be quite gratifying.
Their book-learning at this level has about zero bearing on their ability to speak. Start with baby steps but dont forget that theres some reasonably sophisticated adolescent thinking behind their rudimentary english. Respect works both ways.
You need to be supportive, patient, & quick on your feet in order to keep them on task. Humor does help. If they like you they'll try.
Vary your activities. Endeavor to keep your classes fresh. Borrow shamelessly from the net, assorted texts, colleagues -- simple stuff that may or may not work but its something you just keep on refining.
You'll know youre doing okay when you find yourself looking forward to heading into class. |
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PECisDplace2B
Joined: 19 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 5:03 am Post subject: |
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I had an assignment where they had to draw their family and describe each family member. The had to use the grammar structure. Mike is the ugly boy who is standing beside my mom. etc etc...
Well that sucked.
I saw a girl had a poster of some teen idol band so I asked her if I could borrow it. I taped in on the wall and then had them repeat the exercise, presto chango, I had a bunch of enthusiastic 13 year old girls writing their butts off.
Teen Idols are the best for this set. It's a topic they are very comfortable talking about and they use hilarious language to describe them too. |
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Apple Scruff
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
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| Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:01 am Post subject: |
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| Hmmm, topics they're interested in......let's see......cellphones...fruity boy bands...cellphones......yep. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:25 am Post subject: |
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You might want to consider becoming a specialist in fruity boy-bands; it might even give you an insight into the Korean music industry and you can still deride them as much as you want, but from a position of knowledge. That should get them worked up and willing to talk.
Talk about how much the record label or producer is making compared to the members of Se7en or some other silly band, that could be interesting. |
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Bunnymonster
Joined: 16 Mar 2004
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:53 am Post subject: |
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[quote]Hmmm, topics they're interested in......let's see......cellphones...fruity boy bands...cellphones......yep.[/quote]
You missed ditzy girl bands, gay looking solo artistes and the odd drama actor (who will no doubt soon have a pop career), but that is about the entirity of their interest as far as I can tell......... |
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The Man known as The Man
Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: 3 cheers for Ted Haggard oh yeah!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 8:23 am Post subject: |
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| Toby wrote: |
| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| did you check the advice on the thread that you already started? |
Yes, but was looking for more ideas. |
Good work-I encourage more of the same! |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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