CAP Practicum diary

Didactic Sequence (4)

The forth session has been a success, I think. Some students recited the autumn’s poem (very well) and then we worked about seasons (our topic) in Spain.

First of all they talked in teams about climate, food, clothes and festivities or other characteristics of each season in Spain. Then, they have been reagrupped into four teams (different people than the "table teams" in each team). They have shared knowledge and each new team did a mind map about a season.

Results are here in this picture and the next three ones. Not bad, isn’t it? They were involved and results are very good! However, I should have explained better what I want, so they did not understand me exactly what I wanted, but finally it has been a good task.

Theatre: Interail

Here I present you Cupid, God of love. He tries to make Brad (not Pitt, unfortunately) and Jennifer fall in love. This is the topic of Interail, the play we have seen this morning.

We were more than 200 students and ten teachers. It has been nice, a little bit "cursi", but perfect for ESO students (language, etc.)!

I like participating in all activities, and I thank Eve for all these oportunities she gives me to be a part of the high school, a ’teacher’!

Working with computers

A picture in the computers classroom. Students go there normally in half class sessions (B hour), so they can work more comfortably. They work in pairs doing different activities: there is the book’s CD, Eve web page, internet, Clic, Audacity... They love going there!

Didactic Sequence (3) - Another drawing about autumn

Didactic Sequence (3) - A drawing

This is a drawing a boy did in order to describe it. It is a very beautiful waterfall. Nice picture!

Didactic Sequence (3) - Poem

This is the poem I taught my students. One of them copied it and stuck some leaves in it, as I did for them. I was glad to see it! Thank you for your collaboration and work, 2nd C students!

Didactic Sequence (3) - A description

This is a description a team did about their picture. It was a small picture, one of the pictures I brought, and they could describe it very well. Other examples were not so good, they need more accuracy; but it was also my fault, I would have shown them the written examples again with the transparency or write the beginning of some sentences on the whiteboard.

Students learn with my teaching practise, but I think I learn more than them!

Didactic Sequence (3)

Yesterday I did the third session of my didactic unit. The session was divided into four parts: the first one was a warm up about the two previous sessions, we talk about the poem, I asked them some questions about it...; afterwards some students recited the poem, by memory; then in order to change from an individual activity to a team's one, I made them present their teams (name, people, why they chose that name...); and the final exercise was finishing the picture's description they started last week. They finished the description with one or two more sentences, they cut and stick their picture on a piece of paper and copied the description there.

It was a good session, students were very involved and cooperate more than last session. Nevertheless, when my tutor gave me feedback of my teaching practise, I was aware that I should have encouraged more the students when reciting the poem and I would have to put again the transparency I did about descriptions because the results were fine about the content, but accuracy...

I have to improve a lot of things, I suppose I will do it in the next sessions and in all other teaching practises. However, I have also good things as class management, students are always involved and motivated, they participate... They are used to it because they work like this normally, but I do something too, don't I?

Theatre: Interail

Next Tuesday, 1st and 2nd ESO are going to the theatre to see a musical called Interail. It is about two young people (a boy and a girl) who travel around France and Italy. In this journey there is also Cupid, who tries that they fall in love. It has a lot of music and it may be amusing, so students would enjoy it!

Listenings

Today 2nd ESO C students, half class, have worked on their listenings and video exercises of their learning pathway. They were very attentive and they have worked a lot!

Afterwards I have gone to 1st ESO. They also work on their pathways.

Present continuous affirmative

The explanation of the present continuous has been with a power point presentation. Students were listening attentive and then they do some exercises about it, from the Student's book, the Work's book and other worksheets.

Grammar is not the most important in this class, but it is taught following the school rules. However, the evaluation is not a grammar exam, but using this grammar in the dialogue they have learnt so they are communicating and learning all types of language (speaking, writing, communication, interaction).

Laboratory room

Didactic Sequence (2) - Team name

Didactic Sequence (2) - Team name

Didactic Sequence (2) - Team name

Didactic Sequence (2) - Team name

Didactic Sequence (2)

The second day of my didactic sequence. Yesterday I was very happy about the results, but today I felt worse... It seems a disaster!

The whole session has been working in teams, so this management is a difficult one to control, it is more difficult than doing a teacher-oriented class, obviously.

I have started reviewing what we did yesterday (I did it orally and I would have done it written on the whiteboard, too) and I ask them for the homework I gave them yesterday. Only one girl had studied the autumn poem (a perfect recital!) and only three students brought a picture about autumn (we need them to work today!). I thought that some students would not bring it, but only three people... I am a bit disappointed.

The first activity for the whole class has been choosing a name for their team, a name related to the topic: seasons. They have collaborated very well and names are fine (some are very original!). They have written their names into a piece of paper, they have decorated it and stick it on the nearer wall. (You can see all names in this picture and the next ones)

The other activity about autumn pictures (fortunately I brought some just in case!) has been a little bit weak. They were at different levels and pace, but I will continue working on it next week. I have prepared a transparency to show them how to describe and this has been a success (it is not everything bad!).

An exam

Students work by learning pathways, as I said some days before, and this kind of learning is evaluated by themselves and by the teacher. One of the evaluations of the teacher is a written exam. Today they have done an exam: they wrote a dialogue they have studied before orally.

With a simple dialogue students study vocabulary, grammar, communication, accuracy... Some of them have done a good work. They are hard-workers!

Didactic Sequence (1) - Autumn memory

An autumn memory I have done for students to practise the word leaf-leaves and the demostratifs this, these, that, those.

Didactic Sequence (1) - Make groups according to your word

A game where students had to read their piece of paper and make groups according to the season the word is related to. They had to do four groups (autumn, winter, spring and summer). They did not understand two words (chestnuts and grapes) but they collaborated in the activity and they were motivated and concentrated on it.