Learning to Teach Better

Another interesting session this week! This week was another lesson that made me question why we do the things we do: 1. Guessing words from context- This wasn't the first time I heard that guessing the meaning of words from context is ineffective. However, in textbooks and in our curriculum at our IEP, guessing words from context plays an integral role on what students should be able to do. The exercise that was presented during the class was an excellent example of how we can really incorrectly guess the meaning of the right word. It makes me realize what my students really do when we complete these exercises. In the end, I have to explain and describe what the word really means because the guesses have a tendency to be extremely off. 2. Don't grade the first draft- Before working at my current job, I never graded the first draft for the reasons outlined in the session. However, I started grading the first drafts in order to make myself appear to be "in line" and ...

Week three provided more interesting insights about error correction and what is the most effective way to do it. Since working at my current IEP, I have really thought more critically about what I am doing in terms of error correction, especially in terms of writing, and whether what I am doing is more effective or not. In the past, I have tried various methods, including providing codes, highlighting, and letting students "figure out" how to correct it. In the end, I have found (and students have also told me) providing explicit feedback to be the most helpful and effective, and it's good to see that research shows this. I was also heartened to hear from Penny that Microsoft Word "track changes" can be considered good and helpful for students. I agree that it is beneficial for students to see the changes. What I wonder is how helpful track changes is for students to remember and take note of the changes; sometimes I wonder if students just click through the ch...

Last week made me think about the importance of WHY we are doing certain activities in the classroom. This week made me think more about HOW to set up certain activities in the classroom. Several speaking tips such as speaking tips #2 (providing a pep talk) and #3 (make the language easy) were good reminders of having our students feel that they can succeed in the task. If the students feel confident and know they can do it, they can be on their way to do it. In many ways, it's like being a coach and encouraging the students to reach their potential. Sometimes I feel the focus (and frustration) of teaching is for students to "produce, produce, produce". Instead, we need to set up activities that allow them to do so so they can improve and grow as learners.

Hello everyone, There were two things that stuck with me from watching Week 1's video: 1. How important it is not to waste time and to make teaching more intentional 2. Alternative ways to make exercises more meaningful for students We are with our students for a short period of time, and so it's important to be more critical with what we decide to do with our students in the classroom. So, from watching the video, I need to think about why I am doing certain activities and what the learning value or purpose is that I want my students to take away from the activity. This will help in saving time and making learning more meaningful for the students. I tried one of the ideas and suggestions by Penny about letting the students rewrite some of the exercise questions. We are currently studying passive voice in my intermediate grammar class. The students have been struggling with describing why we should use passive voice instead of active voice in some suggestions. So, as part of a ...

Hi everyone, It's nice to meet all of you here (and some of you again)! My name is Suzanne and I currently teach at an Intensive English Program in California. I have been teaching there for 4 years, and before that, I taught in South Korea for nearly 5 years. Like others, I am interested in having more ideas for error correction, especially for low-intermediate/high beginner students. I have taught mostly advanced students in the past, but I am currently teaching more intermediate level classes, which has been a shift and a learning experience for me. Looking forward to learning with all of you!