You've put a lot of effort into your lesson plan, met with the students, and they seemed to be engaged in the lesson and enjoying the class. Still, do you ever wonder if all of your hard work and careful planning is paying off? Are the students learning anything? How do you know?
The truth is, unless the students are actively producing the spoken and written language themselves, you can't know if they are progressing. Sure, they might be nodding wisely at everything you say. They might be taking notes so fast that they blister their fingers. But can they greet you in the target language? Can they ask and respond to basic questions? Can they give you directions around the school, tell you that they hate the cafeteria food, or write a love poem?
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself after each class period to help you evaluate whether the students are progressing, or just nodding and scribbling notes to hide complete confusion:
1. Who did most of the talking in class, the students or me? Students should be doing the speaking during at least 50% of the class - and that's the absolute minimum. Hopefully, as they progress, students will be able to give longer answers to your short questions in the language, and to hold more and more lengthy conversations with one another - meaning that you do much less than 50% of the talking. This saves your aching vocal cords and gives them the practice they need.
2. What were the students doing during the majority of class? How much time did students spend speaking, listening, reading, and writing? Did one type of activity dominate? If so, does the next class period need to focus on another skill?
3. After a listening or reading practice, how did I check for comprehension? Finding a good song to listen to or an interesting article to read in class is only half the battle. Follow-up with questions to see what the students understood.
4. Did every student participate? Its hard to hid in a class of seven or eight students, but I've seen it happen. If one student is dominating the activities, its fine to call on specific students for awhile.
5. Did students produce phrases themselves, or just repeat after me? Some tricky students are good at parroting back whatever is said to them, but can't seem to use the same structures and vocabulary to make an original sentence. It's a good trick, sure, but it won't fool the examiner.
6. Could the students recall the relevant vocabulary without looking at their books or notes? Sure, they can answer your question with the book open... but can they do it while making eye contact, and with all books closed?
7. What should students be able to do by the end of the lesson? Always have a practical goal for your lesson plan. A good way to stay on track is to write "At the end of this lesson, students will be able to ________________" at the top of your lesson planning sheets. For example, during a lesson practicing food vocabulary, you might write "at the end of this lesson, students will be able to order in a restaurant and to express their likes and dislikes regarding the foods of China."
8. How did the students show me that they can put what they've practiced into practical use? If your goal for the lesson is that students will be able to order in a restaurant, make each student pretend to place an order before leaving the room. If your goal is that they will be able to go to a club and ask for someone's phone number, have them all ask for someone's phone number. (No, they don't have to give their real phone numbers. This is also a good lesson in which to teach them how to say 'get lost.')
You can't know if the students are progressing without giving them opportunities to show what they know - and what they don't. Just like dancing, languages can't be taught by lecturing at the board - students will need to take the lead and put their moves to use. Reviewing the above questions can help you evaluate if the students have done their part, and to decide what needs to be practiced in the next lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment