Hello,
I would like to say that I can teach children well. I'm great in colleges and Universities. But, I have no clue how to teach in a High School. On average, there are 40 students in the class and only 40 - 45 minutes per lesson. That's only one minute of time per student. I know about organizing activities. Using games and paper and puzzles. But when you have 150 + students a week, that's a lot of paper and activites that you must create in your own time and at your own expense. So, the question is...How do you teach an effective REAL lesson in high School. I don't want to play random games. I want to have a full lesson plan. Something concrete. Any suggestions?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Teaching High School Students. I have no clue.....
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Cyber-Ghost
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Don't you have a curriculum to follow? A textbook?
For 1st year HS students, I recommend Talk A Lot. With some modifications, you can easily make pair work or small group activities to teach grammar (in parallel with a Japanese teacher with a different book).
Pair work and small group work are the keys for HS teaching. I have classes exactly that large and exactly that long.
For 1st year HS students, I recommend Talk A Lot. With some modifications, you can easily make pair work or small group activities to teach grammar (in parallel with a Japanese teacher with a different book).
Pair work and small group work are the keys for HS teaching. I have classes exactly that large and exactly that long.
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marshmallow
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 11:37 pm
- Location: Japan
Can you give an example?
Can you give an example of an activity you use for pair work or small group work that helps them learn the grammar, fun and motivating?
I have 6 days experience in an Elementary school so can't give to much advice but I did find that whole class activities were fun and didn't isolate the weaker students but were still fun for the stronger ones. Games like throwing a ball to eachother and having to say the days of the week or months of the year in order before they throw to the next person. Also games like fruitbasket.
They also got involved if split up into say 3 teams and are awarded points. Now I'm not sure if these elementary school activities are transferable to highschool kids...what say you? I remember when I was in highschool I still really enjoyed these kind of games but may be that was just me.
I have 6 days experience in an Elementary school so can't give to much advice but I did find that whole class activities were fun and didn't isolate the weaker students but were still fun for the stronger ones. Games like throwing a ball to eachother and having to say the days of the week or months of the year in order before they throw to the next person. Also games like fruitbasket.
They also got involved if split up into say 3 teams and are awarded points. Now I'm not sure if these elementary school activities are transferable to highschool kids...what say you? I remember when I was in highschool I still really enjoyed these kind of games but may be that was just me.
Surveys.Can you give an example of an activity you use for pair work or small group work that helps them learn the grammar, fun and motivating?
Teach (or more likely review) a grammar point, like "have you ever...", and then give students a print, either A or B. The prints have different questions with the verbs in present tense, and they must change the verb to past participle in order to ask the "have you ever..." question. A's interview B's, B's interview A's. Yes answers require a follow-up question like when did you... (to test for past tense), or how often have you... (to repeat the past participle and to get the answering student to use a frequency phrase).
Have students mill around the room and change partners every 2 minutes. Or you can have them fill in the blanks with a different student (or even the teacher) name for each question!
I've done something very similar with my adult students, but I have them make the "Have you ever..." questions themselves. They can be silly or they can be serious. ("Have you ever gone to the moon?" is acceptable, as is "Have you ever seen an elephant?") After the questions are made, they ask them of a partner. The follow up can be "Would you like to.....? or "When did you...?".
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undeterred
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2004 5:31 am
- Location: japan
I have a question.
Is it enough to present the material, instruct the students to work in pairs and go around helping students?
What I mean is, what to do about the students who consider these speaking tasks free time?
It seems the entire system views oral communication as a non-subject. Every year there are a handful of students who by no means showed any effort in my course yet no one seems to care.
Should I just do my job and ignore the students who show no interest at all?
Is it enough to present the material, instruct the students to work in pairs and go around helping students?
What I mean is, what to do about the students who consider these speaking tasks free time?
It seems the entire system views oral communication as a non-subject. Every year there are a handful of students who by no means showed any effort in my course yet no one seems to care.
Should I just do my job and ignore the students who show no interest at all?
Objectives
Good morning.
Pair work is useful, yet difficult at this level, I think. In order for it to be effective, perhaps first one has to have clear objectives for the activity. One of those objectives is efficient use of time and may be the most slippery one to reach. Another objective is to put the work in the students' hands: they are not passively listening with an occasional response to a question from the teacher for a long period of time; instead, they are doing something themselves. It's the lab work in science class. Then, perhaps, a clearly marked linguistic objective has to be included: "Would you like to...." (invitation); "I'm sorry, I've got to...." (polite refusal with an excuse); "Well, I should...." (acceptance despite a previous activity that ought to be done).
Students like well-organized classes. They like to know that the teacher will always greet them in English, then do a roll-call, then a warm-up exercises, then a brief presentation of the day's objective, then the role-play or pair work. They need to know what is expected of them within the pair work activity. They will appreciate a scheme like: Who are you? Where are you? What do you want? What happens? What are the results? After five minutes of preparation, stop the activity and ask the pairs or individuals at random for answers to these questions. Give them a couple of minutes to continue preparation. Then give them five minutes of pure rehearsal, that is, repeat the dialogue over and over again. Then everyone presents their dialogue. Then teacher notes, two or three comments for each pair but everyone takes note.
Don't forget to thank them for the class, and don't forget the applause after seeing a scene or at the end of class.
peace,
revel.
Pair work is useful, yet difficult at this level, I think. In order for it to be effective, perhaps first one has to have clear objectives for the activity. One of those objectives is efficient use of time and may be the most slippery one to reach. Another objective is to put the work in the students' hands: they are not passively listening with an occasional response to a question from the teacher for a long period of time; instead, they are doing something themselves. It's the lab work in science class. Then, perhaps, a clearly marked linguistic objective has to be included: "Would you like to...." (invitation); "I'm sorry, I've got to...." (polite refusal with an excuse); "Well, I should...." (acceptance despite a previous activity that ought to be done).
Students like well-organized classes. They like to know that the teacher will always greet them in English, then do a roll-call, then a warm-up exercises, then a brief presentation of the day's objective, then the role-play or pair work. They need to know what is expected of them within the pair work activity. They will appreciate a scheme like: Who are you? Where are you? What do you want? What happens? What are the results? After five minutes of preparation, stop the activity and ask the pairs or individuals at random for answers to these questions. Give them a couple of minutes to continue preparation. Then give them five minutes of pure rehearsal, that is, repeat the dialogue over and over again. Then everyone presents their dialogue. Then teacher notes, two or three comments for each pair but everyone takes note.
Don't forget to thank them for the class, and don't forget the applause after seeing a scene or at the end of class.
peace,
revel.
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undeterred
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2004 5:31 am
- Location: japan
Hi Revel,
Thanks for answering so quickly. I appreciate your insight and I have a couple of questions if you don't mind?
1) What age are your students?
2) How many in a class?
3) The scheme you mentioned, ask in English? Because this would be a lesson in itself for my students. I mean, if they could answer those questions I wouldn't be asking these questions.
4) Repeat the dialogue over and over- Hey, I'm with you. But again, if they would do that I would be shooting baskets right now and not fretting over how to better teach my students.
My students idea of pair work is reading the dialog once, if that. Even when I am able to get them to practice it a couple times, like where they can do it without looking, then I tell them once more and praise them if they do well. Then, I tell them to reverse rolls and they are like, are you nuts, we just want to sit here and goof off until the chime when we can goof off some more for ten minutes.
I think this is where the root of my problem lies. I don't believe that any of my students have the slightest idea of what it takes to learn a language. We know that it requires active participation, which is something completely missing from what passes for education in this country. Sure, some students want to speak English to: talk to foreigner. But how many first year high school students begin the lesson by asking themselves what is it that they will be able to communicate in English at the end of the lesson?
I really appreciate you taking your time to reply to my post and I have to get right now but I would really like to continue this thread later, Revel.
Muchas gracias,
undeterred
Thanks for answering so quickly. I appreciate your insight and I have a couple of questions if you don't mind?
1) What age are your students?
2) How many in a class?
3) The scheme you mentioned, ask in English? Because this would be a lesson in itself for my students. I mean, if they could answer those questions I wouldn't be asking these questions.
4) Repeat the dialogue over and over- Hey, I'm with you. But again, if they would do that I would be shooting baskets right now and not fretting over how to better teach my students.
My students idea of pair work is reading the dialog once, if that. Even when I am able to get them to practice it a couple times, like where they can do it without looking, then I tell them once more and praise them if they do well. Then, I tell them to reverse rolls and they are like, are you nuts, we just want to sit here and goof off until the chime when we can goof off some more for ten minutes.
I think this is where the root of my problem lies. I don't believe that any of my students have the slightest idea of what it takes to learn a language. We know that it requires active participation, which is something completely missing from what passes for education in this country. Sure, some students want to speak English to: talk to foreigner. But how many first year high school students begin the lesson by asking themselves what is it that they will be able to communicate in English at the end of the lesson?
I really appreciate you taking your time to reply to my post and I have to get right now but I would really like to continue this thread later, Revel.
Muchas gracias,
undeterred
Naturally, it depends....
Hey there!
Naturally, it depends totally on the objective of the class. All of my levels get to try out the "fun" and the "hard work" aspects of the English class. Sometimes spending a few classes on a particular structural exercise will make them more interested in the more freely structured role play exercises.
Note, though, that I insist on structure. If the students simply repeat the dialogue once and you want them to repeat it five or six times, then you will have to give a time-limit and monitor, saying "do it again, again and again until the time is up!" that's the rule and anyone not following that rule is not playing fairly, perhaps making his/her classmates sit through a dull, uncreative exercise in trying to get those sentences out instead of an entertaining, funny little slice of life, prepared, rehearsed, understandable. Since in my class one of the objectives is to learn how to prepare such slices-of-life before actually finding oneself in situations, I don't mind telling them just how to prepare a certain kind of sentence, not just the wording they will need to get close to native use but also the motivations for saying what they are saying. Without motivation (the "what do you want" question earlier noted) these dialogues come out dry and monotonous.
"That's fantastic." Came up just the other day among the adults at the Chamber. I wanted "That's fan-tas-tic!!!¡¡¡!!!" and the student in question told me that she would not say such a thing in that way, I instructed her that it's common in English and has as much communicative value as the sounds it's made up of. I asked her to imagine that she's secretly in love with her partner and very envious that he is going to the Bahamas for his vacation with his girlfriend, who the student hates. In this case, she could accept and even say the fragment as I wanted her to try. My reason for doing so was not to insist that she change her way of communicating but rather that she try one of these rather common things we spit out with such subtlety of meaning at times.
Being practical, for as I have admitted elsewhere my method is mine and not always easy to explain without having people believe that I am preaching mine as the right one, I'll mention a bit of structure that you might be able to adapt.
Divide the class into two parts. One is structural practice to iron out particular speech problems related with the exercises in the second part. The other is game and role-play activity. Games are abundant here in Dave's Idea Cookbook. Role play sources are the old Streamline books, someone told me that they are no longer printed, but enough copies were printed that it might not be difficult to get one's hands on the series.
The first few days may only be part one, that is, drill exercise, everyone participating either in round-robbin or in chorus. It's a lot of work for the teacher who becomes chorus leader but it often gets things under control.
A controlled role play exercise, for example, "Got a date". Students prepare cards with the days of the week running down the left margin and activities they don't care for noted on six of the seven days. On the seventh day (not always Sunday) they need to note something they would love to do and invite someone else to do with them. These cards are collected, redistributed, and students must mill about looking for someone to go with them: "Would you like to go to a concert on Monday" "Sorry I can't, I've got to help my mum." Let that go on for ten minutes and you are ready to teach them how to make scenes.
Long and unconnected perhaps to your questions. More at another sitting perhaps.
peace,
revel.
Naturally, it depends totally on the objective of the class. All of my levels get to try out the "fun" and the "hard work" aspects of the English class. Sometimes spending a few classes on a particular structural exercise will make them more interested in the more freely structured role play exercises.
Note, though, that I insist on structure. If the students simply repeat the dialogue once and you want them to repeat it five or six times, then you will have to give a time-limit and monitor, saying "do it again, again and again until the time is up!" that's the rule and anyone not following that rule is not playing fairly, perhaps making his/her classmates sit through a dull, uncreative exercise in trying to get those sentences out instead of an entertaining, funny little slice of life, prepared, rehearsed, understandable. Since in my class one of the objectives is to learn how to prepare such slices-of-life before actually finding oneself in situations, I don't mind telling them just how to prepare a certain kind of sentence, not just the wording they will need to get close to native use but also the motivations for saying what they are saying. Without motivation (the "what do you want" question earlier noted) these dialogues come out dry and monotonous.
"That's fantastic." Came up just the other day among the adults at the Chamber. I wanted "That's fan-tas-tic!!!¡¡¡!!!" and the student in question told me that she would not say such a thing in that way, I instructed her that it's common in English and has as much communicative value as the sounds it's made up of. I asked her to imagine that she's secretly in love with her partner and very envious that he is going to the Bahamas for his vacation with his girlfriend, who the student hates. In this case, she could accept and even say the fragment as I wanted her to try. My reason for doing so was not to insist that she change her way of communicating but rather that she try one of these rather common things we spit out with such subtlety of meaning at times.
Being practical, for as I have admitted elsewhere my method is mine and not always easy to explain without having people believe that I am preaching mine as the right one, I'll mention a bit of structure that you might be able to adapt.
Divide the class into two parts. One is structural practice to iron out particular speech problems related with the exercises in the second part. The other is game and role-play activity. Games are abundant here in Dave's Idea Cookbook. Role play sources are the old Streamline books, someone told me that they are no longer printed, but enough copies were printed that it might not be difficult to get one's hands on the series.
The first few days may only be part one, that is, drill exercise, everyone participating either in round-robbin or in chorus. It's a lot of work for the teacher who becomes chorus leader but it often gets things under control.
A controlled role play exercise, for example, "Got a date". Students prepare cards with the days of the week running down the left margin and activities they don't care for noted on six of the seven days. On the seventh day (not always Sunday) they need to note something they would love to do and invite someone else to do with them. These cards are collected, redistributed, and students must mill about looking for someone to go with them: "Would you like to go to a concert on Monday" "Sorry I can't, I've got to help my mum." Let that go on for ten minutes and you are ready to teach them how to make scenes.
Long and unconnected perhaps to your questions. More at another sitting perhaps.
peace,
revel.
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undeterred
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2004 5:31 am
- Location: japan
Hi Revel,
Thanks again for your time and generosity.
I believe you are working with better students than me. But points you made are applicable to all, one being that we control the class, we need to be constantly adapting our methods and honing our skills.
I appreciate your help and I will definetely be going back over your post and putting into use the things you said.
I remember you replying to a post I made on another forum and I was genuinely impressed with. I believe you stated you liked my willingness to admit I need help or that I was unafraid to ask seemingly simple questions. Pretty sure it was you because most posters are the same; not you though.
I hope we can hook up again soon.
Kapun kap,
undeterred
Thanks again for your time and generosity.
I believe you are working with better students than me. But points you made are applicable to all, one being that we control the class, we need to be constantly adapting our methods and honing our skills.
I appreciate your help and I will definetely be going back over your post and putting into use the things you said.
I remember you replying to a post I made on another forum and I was genuinely impressed with. I believe you stated you liked my willingness to admit I need help or that I was unafraid to ask seemingly simple questions. Pretty sure it was you because most posters are the same; not you though.
I hope we can hook up again soon.
Kapun kap,
undeterred
You're a teacher. Teach. That sometimes means convincing these slackers to study/practice. You do it any way that works. Coax. Re-explain. Ask. Get tough. Whatever. In the end, those that don't want to learn won't. You shouldn't get too attached to your lessons or your students. You can't please (or teach) everyone.What I mean is, what to do about the students who consider these speaking tasks free time?
If your goal is to have the students speaking together, you can also do different activities that require them to communicate. The hard part, I imagine, would be making them stick to English 
. I would include things like scrambled sentences (I do this by making a sentence on a strip of a card, cutting it into words, adding two extras, and putting it in an envelope. I number the envelopes, make three of each one, and have them in different colors [easier to keep track]. The students work in pairs to figure out the sentences. Sometimes there is more than one answer. It gives kinesthetic learners a little boost too .)
Another is to have a conversation of about 19 parts, each part clearly connected to the part before. Cut the conversation into parts, and have two students put the conversation back together again, in the correct order. They can practice the conversation too.
I've also done stories with blanks in them. A gets story 1 in its entirety, and story 2 with blanks. B gets story 1 with blanks and story 2 in its entirety. If the blank is _______ goes to school at _______ in the morning, for example, the student has to ask the other student "Who goes to school in the morning?" and "What time does he/she go to school?"
. I would include things like scrambled sentences (I do this by making a sentence on a strip of a card, cutting it into words, adding two extras, and putting it in an envelope. I number the envelopes, make three of each one, and have them in different colors [easier to keep track]. The students work in pairs to figure out the sentences. Sometimes there is more than one answer. It gives kinesthetic learners a little boost too .)Another is to have a conversation of about 19 parts, each part clearly connected to the part before. Cut the conversation into parts, and have two students put the conversation back together again, in the correct order. They can practice the conversation too.
I've also done stories with blanks in them. A gets story 1 in its entirety, and story 2 with blanks. B gets story 1 with blanks and story 2 in its entirety. If the blank is _______ goes to school at _______ in the morning, for example, the student has to ask the other student "Who goes to school in the morning?" and "What time does he/she go to school?"
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undeterred
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- Location: japan
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eldteacher
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2005 4:17 am
I teach about 180 students a day, which I think is typical for a California high school in the US. You have to completely change the way you think about teaching, in my opinion, or at least I did. One tip I have is to have students read in English, free reading time. While some students read, call others up to discuss their books, or anything else. Try to reach every kid at least once a week, even if it is just to say hello during an activity or before or after class. Sometimes you don't have to have direct contact with every student, but to have relationships where they know they can turn to you for help.
Also, I hold office hours. We have peer tutoring at our school where students who have completed the course help new students. We have local University students come by to help, too.
I don't know if this is what you are looking for, as I know large class sizes are not ideal. I just wanted to provide hope, because we do it at my school, and I think we do it well.
Also, I hold office hours. We have peer tutoring at our school where students who have completed the course help new students. We have local University students come by to help, too.
I don't know if this is what you are looking for, as I know large class sizes are not ideal. I just wanted to provide hope, because we do it at my school, and I think we do it well.