Last week’s observations prompted a collaborative decision between my teaching partner, Wulida, and me to adjust our teaching approach to co-teaching. The small size of our class, consisting of only 5-7 students, was why we thought of this. We opted for a dynamic structure where, during the lesson, one of us takes the lead while the other immerses themselves among the students, participating actively and offering guidance. Today, it was my partner's turn to lead the class, introducing the topic of "Question and Answer with Have," which maintains a connection with their previous week's material on Unit 4 Health Problems.
The lesson plan was designed and approved in collaboration with our MT. What stood out today was the learning experience's significantly more interactive nature than our initial observation visit. Wulida incorporated practical teaching techniques, including role-playing conversations, collaborative group work to tackle workbook exercises, listening to audio questions, and engaging vocabulary-guessing games.
Our first plan involved using a technology-based quiz from the Quiziz website. Unfortunately, the internet connectivity in the classroom was terrible. Only five students were present in today's class, but they all exhibited enthusiasm at the outset, particularly during my partner's facilitation of paired conversations. Post-lesson, my partner and I discussed sharing insights and notes to better prepare for the next class, where I will lead.
Some students seemed to lose interest during certain activities and openly said, "I miss you, Mr. F" (our MT). I also observed when students audibly sighed at tasks like copying material from the whiteboard to their journals. Alongside Wulida, I recounted how the students initially struggled with the concepts of do/does and have/has when prompted to practice reading sentences like "Does she have a fever? Yes, she does; no, she doesn’t." A proactive student, Mamadou, asked, "Does she have or does he has?" multiple times, and Denia, another student, seemed confused. It dawned on me that Wulida and I might unintentionally steer the class's focus to a boring grammar class. I do not know; maybe I am not right, but I have this feeling.
Reflecting on last week's lesson with MT, I realized that MT emphasized reinforcing vocabulary related to health issues, a departure from our current focus on grammar. This revelation prompted us to redirect our approach, guiding the students to comprehend the usage of these question sentences. The second session saw renewed enthusiasm, especially during a vocabulary guessing game, where my group B emerged victorious. The class ended with the homework distribution, which Dinara will review on Wednesday.
Interestingly, during the academic interactions, Denia, one of my students, unexpectedly chitchatted her personal story and showed her family photos. I responded warmly and thought of this conversation as a good chance for me to bond with my students while also practicing their speaking skills with me. Denia also asked for information regarding potential job vacancies in Boston, like in the market or restaurant. It was a fun conversation, after all.
I want to improve my preparation for the upcoming class, aiming for an engaging and efficient lesson plan with well-defined learning objectives.
Questions I am left with:
1. How can we balance covering essential grammar concepts and maintaining student interest and participation, especially during exercises where some students appeared disengaged?
2. Given the students' enthusiasm during interactive activities like role-playing and vocabulary games, how can we further incorporate engaging elements into lessons while ensuring we meet curriculum requirements?
3. How can we adapt to technical challenges, like poor internet connectivity affecting our plans for a technology-based quiz, and do you have alternative strategies to ensure smooth lesson execution?
4. How can we address individual student challenges effectively during class, especially when some students need clarification with certain grammar concepts?
Teacher G, SDC, Boston, 2024.
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