Lesson from the Classroom Essay Sample
Lesson from the Classroom Essay Sample

Lesson from the Classroom Essay Sample

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  • Pages: 3 (805 words)
  • Published: August 14, 2018
  • Type: Essay
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Despite lacking previous teaching experience, I have acquired significant insight into techniques for enhancing student focus and engagement in order to make classes more compelling.

I was unaware that excessive teacher talk could be detrimental, as it was a common practice in my past education experiences. Both at school and university, the instructors would speak, and students would jot down notes or copy information from the board.

As a student, I used to avoid excessive TTT. However, my TTT has improved since starting the CELTA. I have come to understand that speaking less can be helpful.

Although I am pleased with my progress in teaching sessions, I recognize the need to revise my grammar rules and consistently utilize the 'CELTA way' by checking construction and maintaining a student-centered classroom. Rather than focusing solely on the lesson plan, I must

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be more aware of students' needs and adapt accordingly. These improvements will come with experience and being more conscious of time management.

Through my experience, I have benefited greatly from identifying both experienced and CELTA-trained teachers. However, it is my CELTA colleagues who have taught me the most. By observing their mistakes and learning from their effective techniques, I have improved my teaching skills. One specific example that I incorporated into my teaching involved using intonation to correct grammar errors in a basic level class. Although I was advised by my supervisor not to use intonation for this purpose, it remains a valuable technique in my teaching practice.

When teaching at a basic level, using modulation may not effectively communicate the point to students. To address this issue, the idea of mentioning the term 'grammar' was put forward as a

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means of encouraging students to consider their grammar errors. Initially skeptical about this approach, witnessing another CELTA trainee successfully employ it proved surprising.

The performance was excellent and I will definitely use it to highlight grammatical errors at a basic level. In terms of the experienced instructors I have encountered, I have come across some truly fascinating ones.

The students in a basic education class were actively engaged due to the instructor's successful implementation of a student-centered approach, resulting in a smooth flow from start to finish. However, in another observed class, there was conflict between the teacher and students following the administration of a test.

During the second part of her lesson, the teacher implemented a language proficiency game for her students. However, she encountered a lack of interest in the activity from one out of the three groups. Despite attempts to motivate them, they did not engage in the game.

After taking away their games, she showed her frustration. It should be emphasized that presenting oneself as an angry teacher is not a desirable image to project, no matter the validity of their behavior. The position of a teacher in the classroom carries great importance.

The reciprocal respect and value between a teacher and their pupils was evident to me when observing an experienced instructor at this college. When students did not comprehend, the teacher used Arabic to explain, however, as students are present to learn English, I do not consider this ideal. Nonetheless, the class was successful with high levels of student engagement and enjoyable tasks.

During his instruction, he utilized a set of instructor discourse to clarify directions, occasionally speaking Arabic. One effective strategy

implemented in his classes was providing a context as a foundation for students to build upon. For instance, he demonstrated pictures of flowers during a listening lesson centered on "Roger the gardener" to give context and asked students to name them, which also served as an opportunity to teach them vocabulary.

The teacher provided context for the business class, enabling students to comprehend the language and anticipate lesson content. Yet I had overloaded a previous session with too many tasks, resulting in time constraints that left assignments unfinished and exceeded my allotted period.

There is room for improvement in my teaching approach regarding class focus and task management. Currently, I plan four different undertakings for a forty-minute lesson, which causes a lack of concentration on singular tasks. To enhance my teaching techniques, I plan to revisit my CELTA notes and prescribed text to refresh my memory on the past three months’ teachings. Additionally, seeking feedback and guidance from other instructors and observing their methods can also aid in improving my teaching style in any professional setting.

One way to enhance my language skills is to subscribe to language learning websites and attend language development conferences. In addition, Scrivener suggests exploring alternative learning methods or specializing in other fields such as computers or business to further professional development. (REFERENCE)

Second Edition of "Learning learning - A guidebook for English language teachers" by Jim Scrivener, published in 2005, Riddell.

In 2003, David published "Teach yourself – learning English as a foreign/second language".

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