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ESL forum >
Techniques and methods in Language Teaching > DUELING BANJOS (i. e. our heads)
DUELING BANJOS (i. e. our heads)
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Victoria-Ladybug
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SPELLING BEE!
Hold a traditional Spelling Bee using all of the spelling words from the whole school year.
SPEECHES!
Think of 20 quick speech topics and have the kids choose them from a jar.
Games Learning CENTERS
Split the class into small groups and designate centers in the room for each game. Set the timer and give each group a certain amount of time with each game. Give the signal and then the groups rotate around the room so everyone gets a chance to play all of the games.
Create a Class Yearbook (
Lesson Plan( from www.educationworld.com)
In this activity, each student will create a page in a class yearbook. If available, use a digital camera to take pictures that can be printed and pasted on the pages. Ask students to record vivid memories from the school year on the pages. Younger students can dictate.
In the lower elementary grades, each yearbook page might follow a distinct template or format. For example, a photo might appear at the top of the page with lines for writing on at the bottom of the page. In other grades, the format can be more flexible. Students might brainstorm a list of categories or prompts to select from as they create their yearbook pages. Sample prompts about the school year almost completed might include the following:
- a favorite lesson
- a time I really laughed
- the best book I read
- the most challenging lesson
- advice for next year �s ___-grade students
- the career I want to pursue
- something I wish I could do over again
- a skill I learned that will serve me well in the future
-Encourage students to create covers for their yearbooks.
Include a few pages at the back of the yearbook for students to write messages to one another. fr
Post the yearbook online so all students have access to it.
Create a CLASS BULLETINBOARD
Put up plain colored background, a border of your choice, and the title; "High Fives for Summer"!
1. In a color of their choice--have children trace their hand onto a piece of construction paper.
2. Have them cut out their hand shapes.
3. Next give each child a piece of white lined paper (that will fit on the palm of the hand) and have them glue it onto their hand shape.
4. Instruct the kids to write their summer plans on the white paper on the palm.
Write an APPRECIATION LETTER
to someone that helped them this school year
End of The School Year Teacher Tips
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20 May 2010
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anitarobi
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new problem: you �ve been preparing a play with your sts for weeks, you �re in the rented theatre, the audience is in, the costumes made and brought, the scene props in position and one of your sts doesn �t show up(my recurring nightmare, and still I love to do plays)! Btw - cancelling the play is out of the question, the sts are teenagers so you don �t have 3 kids playing the part of the tree and 3 kids playing the part of the wind, so you can �t spare a substitute. What would you do??? |
20 May 2010
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Nebal
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Hello dear Anitaaaaaaaaa,
Soooooooo glad to have your exuberant posts back to the forum!!!
Well, I have a problem that I �ve been facing since the end of the first semester. I know there �s no use to solve it now , as schools are approaching the close of the year. However, I need your wise suggestions that I can benefit from for next year.
After the announcement of the grades of the mid-term, many students who failed , lost faith in themselves. They found it useless to study or exert any more efforts. Many teachers, including me, found their classes harder, and the students were demonstrating fewer academic and social skills. The challenges were really daunting , and more than ever we needed to feel the courage and hope of our professions. We needed the time and stamina to problem-solve, to search in our own midst for effective strategies that can help our students. However, we couldn �t change the destiny but of several ones. The other students weren �t convinced at all, and they failed this term too.
I do feel kind of disappointed for not saving the whole classes though the other teachers and I tried our best.
What do you advice me to do for next year when facing such a problem again? I do need your suggestions.
Thanks again dear Anita for opening the chance to speak out our hearts.
Nebal |
20 May 2010
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anitarobi
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HI, Neby! Good to be back. Your problem is a difficult one and indeed frustrating. It so depends on the whole situation, their age, the culture they come from, their studying environment (such as family situations - where and when they can study and if they get any encouragement at home), etc. I guess it will continue to be a problem for the whole community to get involved - it �s good that you �re not the only one on your teaching staff aware of this and working to solve it. I for one am never for lowering the bar and I always try to demand a bit more from the sts than the average material does, but in this instance - perhaps you should all think about it. If the majority of sts fail because it �s too difficult, perhaps it really is. Or perhaps the stages are not gradual enough. It might be a good idea to involve the sts themselves, to have an open discussion with them about how troubled you all are that they �re having a difficult time and then ask them to (anonymously) write their suggestions, problems, questions on pieces of paper which you, teachers, should then read all together with due respect. It would help them to see, before the year is over, that their teachers are aware of the problem and willing to do sth about it, and involving sts would make them feel respected but also co-responsible for their own success. Perhaps it would help to have a similar meeting with the parents as well, without the sts this time, and perhaps ask them to write why they think good English knowledge would help their child. It would also help you to hear how the kids comment their lessons at home and parents can help you there. As for lowering the bar, I know it may be demotivating for the excellent sts, but they can always be given extra projects, extra credit and even written recommendations for future reference from their teachers (for jobs, scolarships, university...).
But I �d love to hear what others think about this as well...
Btw, another problem - what do you do if you know for a fact one of your colleagues is really vulgar in class (a good teacher in other respects, not a bad colleague at all, but verbally really vulgar)? |
20 May 2010
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Nebal
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Hi again dear Anitaaaaa,
Your suggestions are really fruitful and sensible. I tried them all, but the students were really demotivated. To tell the truth, some teachers were behind it all. Some students secretly told me how those "SOME" teachers scolded and called them losers. One of the teachers even advised those failures to leave school and find a job instead of wasting their time doodling or clowning around. I really felt irritated , and I wanted to have a big debate with that special teacher, but my students made me promise them not to open my mouth:(((
Yeah, dear, it �s a big never-ending problem that can be hardly controlled. Not all parents are willing to help and support, and some of the students are not even interested in school. Many factors interefere and worsen the situation, but I can �t stand in silence. I feel really bitter and kind of sad . They are wonderful human beings that do need a push to go on. But, sometimes some teachers or parents destroy the few blocks you �ve started building , unfortunately.
As for the problem u suggested, well, I had it once in my school. This vulgar teacher believed that being verbally vulgar would shut up the students and keep them stunned and afraid the whole session. She threw bad and vulgar words that students were really annoyed and frustrated. What was worse that the students were teenagers, a very sensitive period, and couldnt accept her humiliation. Well, I tried to talk with her, and advise her that this is not the best way to manage a class. She didn �t care. Well, her presence didn �t last, as she she was dismissed by the director of the school after many teachers complained .
Maybe I could have done more to influence her, but she didn �t give me the chance. She was more than vulgar. I felt like I would really lose my self-respect talking to her. I am very sorry for her. |
20 May 2010
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anitarobi
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I �m back. Still no ideas on this one???-
new(repeated) problem: you �ve been preparing a play with your sts for weeks, you �re in the rented theatre, the audience is in, the costumes made and brought, the scene props in position and one of your sts doesn �t show up(my recurring nightmare, and still I love to do plays)! Btw - cancelling the play is out of the question, the sts are teenagers so you don �t have 3 kids playing the part of the tree and 3 kids playing the part of the wind, so you can �t spare a substitute. What would you do??? |
20 May 2010
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serene
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Hi, Anita! I can see that maternity hasn �t strained you off your energy. On the contrary you are overflowing with energy!
Now about your problem, I �m sure that after so much preparation and so many rehearsals you (the teacher) have learnt all the parts by heart. So why not substitute the missing student yourself? I �m sure your students (and hopefully their parents) will be thrilled to get on the stage together with their director.
I take my hat off to all of you, sensitive, intelligent, creative, hard working teachers!! It �s a great pleasure to read your wonderful posts!
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20 May 2010
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zailda
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A problem: some students feel tired and start procrastinating. They don �t do all their homework, hand them in incomplete, don �t do the extra activities. I contact parents and ask them to help, supervising their work at home, but some say they can �t because they already have their tasks at home and at work.
My question is: how to get parents involved in their children �s education? Some seem to think that just paying a private school is enough to assure them a good job in the future. What about "the parents mission"?
Have a nice day.
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20 May 2010
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anitarobi
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Thanks, Serene! That �s exactly what I did - I was doing Snowwhite with preschool kids and had to be the leading lady! Funny thing - I �m really short, so when the principal of the kindergarten where I was a guest teacher came to the audience (she didn �t know me), she asked the parents where the teacher was. We got by somehow, but it �s always my greatest worry. One time we did Harry Potter and I found out on Sunday that 2 of my sts were ill, but luckily, the sts who informed me of this had already figured out who could take their roles over (who only appeared at the beginning or end of the play), and so on Monday I had a girl actually playing 3 roles herself - she had spent the rest of the Sunday memorising where to go and what to say and nobody in the audience realised our problem. (Amazing student, ha?)
Hi, zailda! Thanks for joining - it �s always great to get your opinion, too. Your problem is what I face as well - getting the parents to do their job as well. (Btw, now that I am a school-kid �s parent as well I can see that if you �re an involved parent, you appear as a nerd to other parents and it �s unfathomable for me - it �s like staying in school all your life. If you help the teacher, you �re a nerd and teacher �s pet; if you stay away, you �re a parent who neglects the child; if you stay in between, you �re indecisive and unreliable!)You say we should influence the parents to do their part and I so agree, although then you �re actually doing a double teacher �s job, because youre bringing up kids and bringing up parents. And teaching an old/adult dog new tricks is far more difficult, which is why I always tell new teachers it is easier to work with kids than parents (they laugh it off till the 1st meeting with parents). Since I also work in a private school, I can say that you �ve hit the nail on the head with that topic - if people pay for a school, they automatically think they �re paying for sb to take over their duties. Not all people, thank God. I �ve grown accustomed to that, as I �m sure you have, and I can see in advance who is going to be what kind of a parent. I find that with most parents - if you �re persistent and stand behind what you say, they do accept it, esp when they see it brings results. It works especially well if you keep teaching the same kids for several years, because parents really learn to trust you. I guess all we can do is keep trying. Although some kind of black magic might help as well, eh?  |
20 May 2010
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anitarobi
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I just wanted to thank all of you who joined this thread and I hope you keep it alive and positive as it is now, and I hope other people join in with their problems and/or serious or funny solutions. (I have to go now, good night, but will definitely check the thread link tomorrow morning.)
Btw, a colleague shared this problem with me (food for thought which I �m leaving you): Imagine having a colleague who badmouths you(privately and professionally) to the parents of your sts. What would you do?
And another one - imagine having a colleague who badmouths other colleagues to you, loudly and in front of your teenage sts. What would you do?
(btw, in both cases it was the same person) |
20 May 2010
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