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Post by dickflem on Nov 4, 2008 12:13:45 GMT 8
OK, this one is weird.
I've been asked by one of my schools to teach a "special lesson" for new JTEs.
What's so weird about that you ask?
Well, I've been asked to teach the lesson without another JTE.
Strange eh?
Not only that, but I've been asked to teach the lesson with another ALT.
What's even weirder than that, is that there will be no students present during this "special lesson". Instead there will be the new JTEs and 4 JTEs i currently work with at one of my Junior High Schools.
The "purpose" of the lesson is to (quote) "see if it's possible to teach an English lesson using 80% English".
So I had/have a number of problems with this but I'd like to hear other reactions before giving my own.
Anyone care to call in on this?
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Post by Otaku on Nov 4, 2008 12:38:23 GMT 8
Any chance the teachers are from a teacher organization called TOSS? One of my JTEs belongs to this group of teachers and he is also pushing for English only classes.
I think it 80+% is quite doable. I taught a 1st grade JHS class today all by myself and I used upwards of 95+% English. However, the students need to be trained in how they will be taught English and the structure of each class needs to be the same in every class. But, I don't know if this kind of class is doable with two ALTs doing a mock lesson. The reason I could teach my class today by myself is because my JTE trained me how to teach his style, where English is the main subject in the classroom.
Your situation does sound a little strange...
From what I've seen of ALT classes, when in charge of prepping the class, they simply prepare 1-2 activities. While this is not a bad thing, I've been moving farther and farther away from using activities in the classroom, replacing it with straight up teaching.
This is my usual class: 1. short warmup 2. With the textbooks closed, read a dialogue from the textbook and have the students repeat each line two times. Then, go through again and repeat one time. 3. Then, I have them open their textbooks to the dialogue page and repeat the 2x and 1x reading. 4. Then, I have them stand up and read the dialogue 2x and sit down. 5. Then, I use flashcards to introduce the new words for the dialogue. We go through it 2x and then 1x, then the students say the new words by themselves. Then, I choose a row and have them stand up and we go through the new words, followed by me choosing 2 or three more rows. Then, I flip the flashcards over so they can see the Japanese and we go through the flashcards again saying the new English words: 2x, 1x, only students and finally choosing rows. 6. Then, we read through the passage again. 7. Then, I do role reading with them, where I am a character and the students are the other character. When finished, we switch roles. 8. Then, the students pair off and do the role reading again. Finally, I ask for volunteers for role reading and by this time the students are pretty comfortable with the dialogue so hands fly up all over the room. 9. If there is time left, I do a pretty fun and easy flashcard game with them.
The most important thing when doing this style of teaching is keeping the class moving at a pretty quick speed. Everything, needs to be in the format of a ping-pong match.
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Post by junkdna on Nov 4, 2008 12:54:31 GMT 8
while not impossible, sounds a bit odd. afterall, how are the jtes going to know if the class was successful if there is no barometer (ie the students)? more to the point, if the jtes want english lessons, they should just go to an eikaiwa and TOSS off on their own time.
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Post by dickflem on Nov 5, 2008 14:31:56 GMT 8
I'm happy to teach a lesson in 95% English (I already do in one school with 2nd year students).
What I don't understand is like Otaku said, how can we gauge the reaction of students (if there aren't any students)?
Also, what's the deal with having 2 ALTs teaching together?
We're doing a "culture day" lesson the week after. That's ok because it's a one off and we're both friends from the same country so it makes sense.
Having us "teach" junior high school English to JHS English teachers is a bit weird.
Why don't we have a demonstration lesson? A lesson with a 1 JTE, 1 ALT, 35-40 students and 70-95% English only instruction?
Surely this would be more useful?
PS. Otaku: Nice work on the class structures you described, though I fear I could never get to implement anything like that with my textbook worshiping, CD loving, instant translating JTEs from inakaville.
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Post by MES Mark on Nov 6, 2008 21:57:57 GMT 8
A class with just 4 students can go through the same content designed for a group of 30+ in about half the time. There's no way to model a lesson designed for 30+ to just 4 people, unless they are going to allow you to do a 50 min. lesson in just 30 min.
My question is why don't you have any input in this?
If you want students there, tell them. You hold standing in the school as a teacher. If you think their idea isn't going to show them how a class would work with 80% English without students, tell them and set the stage on your own terms.
Take one of their classes. Ask them what it is they are going to teach and then make your lesson plan that covers that material.
My point is you have to command respect at times to get it. Don't go in there all mighty, unless you have already demonstrated some competence to them, but you don't have to play by their terms.
If they refuse you students, then request the same from them (nicely obviously.) Ask them to present a class to you and your friend. You will critique them and let them know how they can improve, by demonstrating your version of the same lesson afterward. Surely that's better than feedback from you. That's what they want, is it not? Surely they aren't asking you how to teach? They have teaching degrees and years of experience. How could you offer anything of value. You should be studying them. You might be able to offer some simple advice and possible direction, but surely they are more qualified to set the example.
(Notice the Japanese way of dumping responsibility back on those that are supposed to bear it. Certainly with great respect for those in the higher postion ... nicely and with a big smile of course.)
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Post by MES Mark on Nov 7, 2008 8:02:38 GMT 8
Sorry, I read your post again and I see that you will have some 'students', the new JTEs. You ought to have some sort of classroom environment there with them. I'd say plan just as you would if they were actual students but just be aware that 50 minutes of content for a regualr JHS class will go rather quickly with a smaller, more cooperative small group of adults.
The previous post was possibly out of place. That would apply only if you didn't want to do it or you really wanted the stage changed.
I'd say do it and show them how to teach English using English.
Aside: while it can be done, I don't think it will take in the schools. The longer term results of Enlish via English instruction are great, but progress is slow. That won't be acceptable in the JHS entrance exam race.
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Post by matt on Dec 1, 2008 11:35:26 GMT 8
I think it's really strange. The basic problem is, is there ever a time when you teach with another ALT? The way that class will look will be different from a class where the JTE and an ALT team teach. And who will be leading the teaching, if anyone? If suddenly you find yourself leading the teaching, how will that look different from what you normally do? If this is a different situation from you normally, do, then it's like preparing for a NASCAR race by using a different driver and car from what you would use in the race itself in the practice runs.
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Post by jessen100 on Jan 15, 2009 15:14:42 GMT 8
*note i read nothing but the original post.
The problem with this idea imo is that the younger a person is, the easier thay can pick up on inferences in communication aside from just words. They can then, much more intuitively figure out the meanings of these unknown words through such. This on top of the fact that they will have better memory for remembering the words they hear. Therefore what I have to say is, aside from whatever teaching methods are used, unless these JTEs are really good at what they do, I think they will be too hard to convince, and assume that the kids will not be able to understand. This is based upon the fact that 90% of the homeroom teachers (none who teach or speak english) at my elementary school tell me that my lessons are too hard for the kids to understand. Even though they are flat out wrong, since the classrooms that listen understand perfectly well, despite me talking in almost all English.
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Post by junkdna on Jan 16, 2009 7:33:35 GMT 8
so how did this go dick?
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