I need some suggestions as to how to improve my classes. I currently teach 4 half hour classes back to back each morning. Each class has approximently 30 students in it. My boss would like me to make my classes more "vivid" and teach everyday phrases as well as the textbook. I'm having a hard time, because I don't want to introduce too many new words at once. Usually my classes consist of 5 mins review, 10 mins new lesson, 5 mins for the students to practice speaking it, then a 10 min game or activity. Should I review every second day? Can anyone help me out with this, or give me any suggestions?
Thanks.
Help needed with preschool-kindergarten classes
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hd-overseas
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Sounds as if you were working in China!
First thing first: The exact ages of your pupils!
I teach in a kindergarten, and the kids range from 3 years to 6 years. At such an early stage in a human's life, the mind is virtually "empty", and it fills fast with new impressions. Thus a 4 year old is far removed from a 3-year old.
Note also physical differences! From 5 years on, they can hold a pen or a pencil and learn how to write!
Unfortunately, in Chinese kindergartens the use of paper and pen are frowned upon! Wich is idotic and counterproductive!
The kids have to form concepts and ideas first before they start talking. What's the point of preschoolers robotically chorussing "Yes, I like a cup of coffee!" Sorry, but such nonsense is happening, and I personally know teachers that teach such "everyday phrases"!
You must try to understand what your kids see, know and how their brains and memories process new impressions. If experience is not supportive, all vocabulary is useless. Thus, talking about abstract things is completely unhelpful at this stage!
I have now taught a kindergarten class continuously for two years, and my pupils now have a certain grasp of the world: They know their body, their home, a bit of the world at large, not much by comparison but enough to get by.
So much so that when they are faced with a new object they spontaneously ask in English, "what's this?" I also taught them to say "I don't know!"
From my experience over the last two years, here is a short list of objectives you should set down in a teaching-plan:
- Motor control: Kids learn to use their body in accordance with meaningful English sentences. How to achieve this? Do physical exercises, organise races and other activities in which they must obey while trying to outdistance their competitors!
In this category, I also place the ability of differentiating between up and down, left and right, in front and behind, boy and girl, and so on!
- Your children need to learn to differentiate between I, you, he and she. This will require you to make individuals act on their own. Pupils must at an early stage learn to pronounce "he" clearly to distinguish him from a 'she'. Very basic and important especially in CHINA!
- Show objects rather than having a local teacher translate! Kids must learn to think in the target language as soon as possible. Now is the time - later, at primary school, their local teachers often ruin this opportunity!
- You also need to plan when to introduce certain grammar points!
Initially, I thought I could do without, but that's an illusion! Make sure your kids can competently use:
- present tense, and respect the SVA!
- use the present continuous tense (I am/he is/we are GOING to the
playground/bathroom/bed...?
- Simple past tense (with appropriate adveribals of time - when they
can recite the seven weekdays; with some practice, you can then
eventually start to review the week backward 'yesterday was Wednesday..."
- numbers: That's relatively easy, and that is interesting for them! Use
the numbers to drill correct usage of singular and plural nouns!
("I have one head, two hands and ten toes...")
I know it is hard to teach 4 classes back to back. I hope they are of similar levels, so that you can recycle materials. Textbooks? Completely useless! Especially in China, I am amazed that people demand their kids can "learn this book" without giving him or her the benefit of the ability to write and read! First thing first - they need to learn how to write the ABC. This can be an extremely fun activity - but as said before, it is not seen with enthusiasm here! Yet, when I wanted to introduce a new word I often would draw the object, and the kids enthusiastically joined in, learning the names of the component parts of the object (cars, houses,). Drawing is similar to writing letters! Of course, they don't learn to write exactly the same letters - give them a chance of colouring hollow letters to give them "the feel" of the letter! This stimulates their imagination!
I suggest you familiarsie yourself with the by the Maria Montessory kindergarten philosophy. Another idea might be to study the programme offered by Helen Doron of Israel (www.helendoron.com).
You will get professionals' insight into the world of teaching at a kindergarten!
To begin with - you will be surprised to find out that preschoolers only learn a few HUNDRED words - not the thousands that Chinese schools "expect" their kids to master!
Good luck
First thing first: The exact ages of your pupils!
I teach in a kindergarten, and the kids range from 3 years to 6 years. At such an early stage in a human's life, the mind is virtually "empty", and it fills fast with new impressions. Thus a 4 year old is far removed from a 3-year old.
Note also physical differences! From 5 years on, they can hold a pen or a pencil and learn how to write!
Unfortunately, in Chinese kindergartens the use of paper and pen are frowned upon! Wich is idotic and counterproductive!
The kids have to form concepts and ideas first before they start talking. What's the point of preschoolers robotically chorussing "Yes, I like a cup of coffee!" Sorry, but such nonsense is happening, and I personally know teachers that teach such "everyday phrases"!
You must try to understand what your kids see, know and how their brains and memories process new impressions. If experience is not supportive, all vocabulary is useless. Thus, talking about abstract things is completely unhelpful at this stage!
I have now taught a kindergarten class continuously for two years, and my pupils now have a certain grasp of the world: They know their body, their home, a bit of the world at large, not much by comparison but enough to get by.
So much so that when they are faced with a new object they spontaneously ask in English, "what's this?" I also taught them to say "I don't know!"
From my experience over the last two years, here is a short list of objectives you should set down in a teaching-plan:
- Motor control: Kids learn to use their body in accordance with meaningful English sentences. How to achieve this? Do physical exercises, organise races and other activities in which they must obey while trying to outdistance their competitors!
In this category, I also place the ability of differentiating between up and down, left and right, in front and behind, boy and girl, and so on!
- Your children need to learn to differentiate between I, you, he and she. This will require you to make individuals act on their own. Pupils must at an early stage learn to pronounce "he" clearly to distinguish him from a 'she'. Very basic and important especially in CHINA!
- Show objects rather than having a local teacher translate! Kids must learn to think in the target language as soon as possible. Now is the time - later, at primary school, their local teachers often ruin this opportunity!
- You also need to plan when to introduce certain grammar points!
Initially, I thought I could do without, but that's an illusion! Make sure your kids can competently use:
- present tense, and respect the SVA!
- use the present continuous tense (I am/he is/we are GOING to the
playground/bathroom/bed...?
- Simple past tense (with appropriate adveribals of time - when they
can recite the seven weekdays; with some practice, you can then
eventually start to review the week backward 'yesterday was Wednesday..."
- numbers: That's relatively easy, and that is interesting for them! Use
the numbers to drill correct usage of singular and plural nouns!
("I have one head, two hands and ten toes...")
I know it is hard to teach 4 classes back to back. I hope they are of similar levels, so that you can recycle materials. Textbooks? Completely useless! Especially in China, I am amazed that people demand their kids can "learn this book" without giving him or her the benefit of the ability to write and read! First thing first - they need to learn how to write the ABC. This can be an extremely fun activity - but as said before, it is not seen with enthusiasm here! Yet, when I wanted to introduce a new word I often would draw the object, and the kids enthusiastically joined in, learning the names of the component parts of the object (cars, houses,). Drawing is similar to writing letters! Of course, they don't learn to write exactly the same letters - give them a chance of colouring hollow letters to give them "the feel" of the letter! This stimulates their imagination!
I suggest you familiarsie yourself with the by the Maria Montessory kindergarten philosophy. Another idea might be to study the programme offered by Helen Doron of Israel (www.helendoron.com).
You will get professionals' insight into the world of teaching at a kindergarten!
To begin with - you will be surprised to find out that preschoolers only learn a few HUNDRED words - not the thousands that Chinese schools "expect" their kids to master!
Good luck
How about singing with the children? "Good Morning to You, Good Morning to you...we're all in our places with bright shining faces...good morning to you, good morning to you" comes to mind first but I wish I could think of a better one for you. Also link movement and singing together and they'll really get it.
soos from Maine, USA
soos from Maine, USA