A blog for the professional development of instructors in the Adult English Language and Learning Program of the New York Public Library.
A place to gather and share resources for teaching.
Adult Learning Centers, NYPL
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Talk to Me Tuesdays: 5/29/18
Talk to Me Tuesdays: Let's have a conversation by answering the question below. Leave a comment and read what your colleagues have to say! What was my best moment this term and how can I have more moments like it?
When we were learning about food, containers and money, I did an activity where I brought in actual food containers and fake money. Students had to ask for and buy different things (a bag of cereal, a roll of paper towels, etc) using their money. They also had to identify what kind of money they used (nickel, dime, dollar, etc). It worked really well. The student were engaged with each other and reviewing all the concepts we’d learned in the unit. Having the physical realia that they could handle and exchange really took it to the next level beyond what a worksheet could do. I really hope to use more realia when possible.
While wrapping up the Shopping theme, we spent some time describing people and things. In our advanced class, students worked in pairs, drawing random real life situation slips (like describe your lost cat to your neighbor, or describe yourself to your future blind date, etc.) and creating scenes and dialogues to perform. The rest of the class had to guess what exactly situation is described on the slip. The performances were hilarious!! Will definitely do more improvisational activities like this one.
The best moments for me are the small ones in the classroom when a student says "thank you, I am learning so much" or "this is my favorite class". They usually come when days feel long so the little positive comments remind me that I am on the right track. As long as I stay focused on why I chose this profession, more of them will occur whether the students verbalize it or think it to themselves.
One of the best moments of this term was when I showed a video, from our Cambridge resources, to the students. The class was intently listening to the the conversation and watching the accompanying movements, expressions, etc. Their response reminded me of the importance of presenting authentic interactions. Moreover, it is more helpful to the students to hear more than one voice - a voice other than the teacher's - when they are learning language.
When we were learning about food, containers and money, I did an activity where I brought in actual food containers and fake money. Students had to ask for and buy different things (a bag of cereal, a roll of paper towels, etc) using their money. They also had to identify what kind of money they used (nickel, dime, dollar, etc). It worked really well. The student were engaged with each other and reviewing all the concepts we’d learned in the unit. Having the physical realia that they could handle and exchange really took it to the next level beyond what a worksheet could do. I really hope to use more realia when possible.
ReplyDeleteWhile wrapping up the Shopping theme, we spent some time describing people and things. In our advanced class, students worked in pairs, drawing random real life situation slips (like describe your lost cat to your neighbor, or describe yourself to your future blind date, etc.) and creating scenes and dialogues to perform. The rest of the class had to guess what exactly situation is described on the slip. The performances were hilarious!! Will definitely do more improvisational activities like this one.
ReplyDeleteThe best moments for me are the small ones in the classroom when a student says "thank you, I am learning so much" or "this is my favorite class". They usually come when days feel long so the little positive comments remind me that I am on the right track. As long as I stay focused on why I chose this profession, more of them will occur whether the students verbalize it or think it to themselves.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best moments of this term was when I showed a video, from our Cambridge resources, to the students. The class was intently listening to the the conversation and watching the accompanying movements, expressions, etc. Their response reminded me of the importance of presenting authentic interactions. Moreover, it is more helpful to the students to hear more than one voice - a voice other than the teacher's - when they are learning language.
ReplyDelete