Practicum Reflection

Type of school: Public

Number of students per classroom: 33 per classroom.

Numbers of hours a week: Two hours a week.

Textbook: FUN WAY: Student Book, FUN WAY: Cutouts and Picture Dictionary Booklet, FUN WAY: Home Practice.

Design: The classroom activities consisted in the use of the textbooks mention before, which the students used to work on them all the time. The instructions were the following: color in, trace, cut, match, draw and write.

Student´s and Teacher´s motivation / roles: The English class was purely based in behaviorism in order to create an atmosphere of control of the class. The students were given commands before doing the activities. The teacher only used the textbooks to give instructions and explain the subject. She didn’t encourage the students doing extra activities apart from the books. She didn’t write on the whiteboard any word to solve doubts. Sometimes children didn’t know what to do after the explanation of the activities.

Assessment (test, instruments): Similar to the activities from the textbooks. Students were assessed by doing texts based in mechanical skills (color in, trace, cut, match, draw and write).

Use of technology: Although the school had a computer room with a data-show, the teacher never did a class in there. She used too much the textbooks but none other source.

What design would you propose to improve the English subject in that school?

In the case of teaching English to little children of 1^st grade of Primary School, I think it is important to design not just one method but create several alternatives to do the English class a dynamic and interesting one.

During my practicum I experienced this need from the students, so I decided to ask the teacher to develop some extra activities in order to recall the units and their vocabulary. To do this I create many activities such as; songs played with guitar, Bingos of animals, cards to be memorized and so on.

The teacher should encourage her/his students; he/she must be a guide.