P.E. Class Observation

P. E. Class Observation

This is my first P.E. class observation. All students are involved in the class and they do not use any sport uniform and sport shoes. It seems to me that they have a lot of fun in a relax environment and nice music. Students do their warm up activitivity to get ready to jump rope. The class takes place in a big gym with all the required equipment. Each student wait for his or her turn and gets a rope. They are patient and wait in their rows in a fancy way until the teacher gives direction. Ms. Collier models the different ways to jump rope and they follow her. There is another teacher who is happy to help students. I am so glad to be here. I can say that this class is so interesting. I was about to join them. I am so glad to see children really engaged in this class.

In my contry the PE class has two fases. First, children learn about the theory behind any sport. Then, they have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the playground. It is a requirement to use a uniform. Girls can not wear a dress for this class. Everybody have to use confortable tennis shoes. Panamanian children also love PE classes because, they have the opportunity to play different games and they also have fun. PE classes in Panama also includes Folcklore lessons and let children  to learn how to dance our traditional dances. At university level, PE class involves swimming classes. I took them when I was a student at college. As a conclussion I can say that both American and Panamanian Children love games, dances, and music. Hopefully, we have especial classes for them like Art, Music and Physical Education. 

ESL Support Class Observation

ESL Support Class Observation

Ms. Cantu has an ESL support class of 8 students sitting on a carpet in front of the smart board. It is a big room full of resourses and she uses the smart board  for the class. I can easily read the maing goal of today's class. (Students will use topic-specific vocabulary to describe the weather in the jungle). She begins her class with a previous lesson review (brainstorming). Students pay attention and the teacher expalins the importance of rain. She mention that rain gives plants and animals water to live. Plants can not grow without water. After this, students get in pairs (A and B partners) tell one sentence each one and rotate. Next, students get the writting spots and they  have to write 1-3 sentence (s) on a strip of paper following a pattern like: It's wet in the jungle. It's rainy in the jungle. Students write their names and today date independently. Finally, each student comes to the front to read his or her sentence aloud. The teacher motivate them through nice comments. Students look relax and they are not afraid to make mistakes. Students turn paper and line up in front of the door.

There are some facts that really call my attention. For example, it was a 30 minute class. They are just 8 students. They write sentences using a key vocabulary. I clearly see the use of four language skills: listening, speaking, writing and reading so it was an integrated class. 

Emphasis on Literacy

Emphansis on Literacy

On my first day of school at Mrs. Hampton's class, I notice the emphasis on literacy and I am fascinated to see how these young learners are so involved and engaged in the class. Here is a brief description of her class: First, Mrs. Hampton model a great lesson for her students and provides an outstanding letter example. She reads the big poster letter aloud and asks guided questions to help students build up their knowledge. I must confess that I love to use authentic material in class so I think this letter is wonderfull and engage students because is contextualized. It has  great hook, main idea, supporting details and concluding sentence. It seems to me the use of this letter engages students. It is perzonalized "Dear Second Graders". Next, students get their reading material and get their reading spots. After students read independently per fifteen minutes, Mrs. Hampton asks them to tell a partner about the choose story that they are going to write about it. Finally, students are ready to write independently. I am surprised about the great job of these students. They are free to write three pages if they want. the can write about their favorite story message, moral lesson, or character.

After the recess time and lunch, Mrs. Hampton's  students attend to the library to keep reading stories from Dr. Seuss, because this week they have planned different activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday this coming Friday, March 2nd, so students can scan books code and read them in their ipads. Besides this, students are allowed to choose two books according to their reading level and skill to take them out  of the library. What an amazing reading and writing culture... Awesome!

Use it or Lose it!

Use it or Lose it!

A language for me is more that a merly way of communicating ideas, feelings and thoughts. It is an essential part of our identity and culture. However, There are many languages that already desapeared so a valuable traditional part has gone  forever. Today, I have the opportunity to visit the Cherokee's Heritage Center and Cherokee Immertion Charter School, and I see the great and valuable effort of many people to preserve this  wonderful language and keep alive their culture full of ancient stories with remarkable moral lessons. Many people think that now is time to protect Cherokees' mother tongue. Their hope is on hands of those who decided use it  intead of lose it! 

Positive Feedback

Positive Feedback

I am a student like anyone else. It is great for me when I receive an evaluation with positive comments that show my  strenghts and weakness in a respectful and peaceful way. Sometimes, using the same words that I probably misspelled so I have the opportunity to learn from them. My confidence goes up and I feel  that I can do and improve my performance. It is really interesting because I am an adult so I can imagine how much, this simple and easy way to assess, can help young English learners. In my opinion, the main purpose of this kind of written  comments, let you Know that every thing is possible. It is the opposite of receiving a paper full of red markers where the focus is  to highlight your errors and make you feel bad because you are not able to do the tasks in the expected way so you are a great deception. I try as much as I can to tell my students that they can do whatever they want if they really want it. Each moment is the best opportunity to learn and grow better so I am going to apply this useful technique in class especially when I return evaluation. They will notice what they did awesome and the little things that they need to improve. If they have a good self esteem and self confidence they will acquire the language successfully.

A Great Legacy

A Great Legacy

In the last two days, I had the opportunity to read and hear many stories about different amazing people with extraordinary qualities and outstanding lessons.  They are important  part of our legacy: I refer to the Nine Little Rock students, Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Heifer International advocators. A lot of blood and sacrifices were needed to have the privileges  for equal rights  and opportunities that we have today. I would like to be like these mentioned people: brave, brilliant, thoughtful, perseverant,, committed and much more. I can not  change the world but, I can make a signifcant difference. Sharing and caring others in poverty is a true love lesson of humility. What great examples of building not only for the present but also for the future!

Impacting a Teaching Process Throught the Language Stations

Every day is a new learning opportunity because you can find possitive ways to improve teaching activities. I participated in a reading session that I really liked it. It was an interactive funny workshop. One of the activities that called my attention was about seven stations in the class. Each station involves the English language skills. 

I wonder about it, and I am pretty sure that it will be a wonderful learning experience for my kids. It seems to me that I can make some adaptations for my students due to they are beginners. Two to four stations will be fine. The first one can be vocabulary, and students have to draw. The second one can be a game where students have to act out or perform an action that best describe the vocabulary words and the rest of the students guess. The third one can be uscramble sentences and match them to the correct part. The last station can be singing and dancing for fun. I am so excited that I can not wait to put it into practice. I know that I am going to face some difficulties because I do not have enough space in my classroom. The chairs are very heavy ,and there is just one old desk. Besides these drawbacks, I must set the routine and train them to follow the steps.  It is not an easy task that takes time. This is not imposible. It just requires, love, passion and discipline to accoplish it.

Teaching with Love

Teaching with Love

In my first class session with Dr. Lanier, she asked me "Why do you teach?" My answer was spontaneuosly, I teach because I love children and I think teachers have the great opportunity to do remarkable things. I reflected on my own answer and asked myself which is one  of the characteristics  that make me a memorable teacher. Well, I do not have a long list of qualifications, but I can mention one characteristic.

I am a passionated  English teacher who really cares far beyond academic lessons. My students sometimes just need someone who listens or cares about them. Teaching and learning are adventures that represent  more than a simple job for me. I  love what I do that it is why I am fairly certain that my students will notice it. I just want to let my students the  opportunity to learn English because it actually opens many doors. I am pretty sure that I have touched at least a child's mind and heart who will remind me for my unique way of teaching with passion and love besides  knowledge. ( As a matter of  fact, there are two children who want to become English teachers )

Loss is Gain

Loss is Gain

Yesterday was a good day! I went to see a hockey game Arkansas VS Illinois. There was something that really called my attention: we lost the game, all kind of comments and complains were mentioned. How many times do we feel bad or ashamed because we could not get the best score to win a game? Life is more than win in all senses. It is necessary to learn how to loose in order to be able to win. A lost game does not define who you really are or how much hard you were trying to do something. Looses and failures are great lessons that prepare you for the entire life because they challenge your strength, faith and confidence. Keep going, believe in yourself, winning and loosing will teach very well.

A New and Fresh Idea

A New and Fresh Idea

I was walking to the Spring International Language Center's corridor when something really interesting called my attention. It was an announcement about  a Conversation Club. I was eager to attend,  so I could not wait for the beginning day. Finally, the day came and I had the great opportunity to meet new people from different countries, in a relax environment, where I could express my ideas and thoughts freely. All students who were at the library with professor Cindy Quayle had the opportunity to talk about different topics.  We learned from other classmates, and nobody judged our  pronunciation, vocabulary or grammar. If you did not remember a word, you could be pretty sure that someone was able to help or support you.

I wonder if I can do something like this with my kids in the school where I work, once a week just for 15 minutes in order to talk about basic things such as pets, plants , likes or dislikes, favorite places, and many other topics. Not everybody will agree with me, but it would be nice and very useful if I provide the opportunity to communicate and interact among students even though they are kids from second grade. 

I had the opportunity to share with others in a Conversation Club. I think it is an awesome and wonderful idea for second language learners. Now every Wednesday is special for me. Since the first day, I am not the same because now I have a new vision about Conversation Club. I spend time imagining the next session, and I can not wait to go there to learn and play  games. You do not have anything to loose in contrast you have many things to gain: knowledge, experience, greet new people, a lot of fun among other.  I really like it and I truly recommend it. 

Learning Vocabulary

Learning Vocabulary

I am a second language learner, and I know that vocabulary is really important. When I was a teenager, and I was in high school; my parents could not afford the payment for the required books. Suddenly I had the huge bless that my mother brought me some books (Math, Biology and Chemistry) that people did not use anymore, but there was a problem, all of them were written in English. In my family, no one spoke English as a result, I had to look up the words in a dictionary. I didn't know about grammar rules, but I was able to read the words in context because I knew at least keywords that helped me to understand the context and communicate without grammar.

In my opinion, it is necessary to teach vocabulary through a wide variety of activities specially when it is a new topic for ESL students.  I have noticed in my own  English classes the fact that I do not have enough time to do many things as I wish because time is limited. That is why, I did not apply a lot of vocabulary activities even though when I know that students need  about 8 instances of exposure to the new vocabulary keywords before they learned. The best way, to increase students lexicon is beyond memorization, repetition or circling the words, for example activities that  include family words, synonyms, antonyms, among other. Using the new vocabulary in real situations and repeated contact with the the vocabulary are extremely important for remembering words. In this way I may help my students because I am fairly certain; they really need more than one specific learning vocabulary activity.