Journal entries

Journal 1

San Miguel Arcangel School

Third grade

This class starts with an exercise of recalling prior knowledge through a board game called super actions race. It was as good as I was expected. Students worked in pairs asking and answering questions about what they like or love doing. The flow of communication was permanent for a while.

When students started misbehaving I introduced the second activity. They were enthusiastic about it. Students love hands-on-activities. In this part of the lesson, they had to create some cards. They chose a set of pictures to write about what they like or love to do. Some of them were very creative and at the end of the activity I could notice that most of them did a good job. I was constantly walking around the classroom and giving them feedback or answering their questions. The impact that feedback has over the learners’ performances is immeasurable.

For the last activity, students had to use the language in a conversation with their partners. It was about asking and answering questions, using the cards made by them.  The participation was dynamic. Learners were mostly active, engaged and interested in the activity. However, I could not manage the behavior of some students during the development of it. A few of them were reluctant to participate for fear of speaking in English. I tried to make them feel comfortable by working with them. 

Journal 2

San Miguel Arcangel School

Fifth grade

The objectives of the lesson were partially achieved.  My students behave well today. When some of them misbehave I just named them. If they were talking loudly I just reduced the tone of my voice. I could implement the activities I planned for this lesson. The game: “Action mimes” was very engaging for them. So, after watching the video, I could notice that some learners were able to recall most of the verbs introduced at the beginning of the class but some others not. In the second activity, they could reinforce the vocabulary and learners talk increased a lot as well as the negotiation of meaning. The flow of the communication was active. Most of them used the language to communicate.  They showed interest and enthusiasm.   

One of my problems was timing. I could have spent more time in the introductory activity to check learners understanding, making more examples and asking them more questions but I though time was not enough. I was permanently monitoring their learning process. I tried to check understanding most of the time. In the first activity, I provided them enough input and then I asked them to use the language by asking questions. On the other hand, the game was a good strategy because they could start practicing the verbs by recognizing them and the final activity was a good choice because the main purpose of the activity was communication. Cooperative learning was clearly seen in the lesson and it has many benefits.

If I had a chance to reteach this lesson, I would spend less time introducing the vocabulary and I would provide them more opportunities to use the language by answering questions about their own experience. I would give them time to share their answers, because learners would probably perform better if they the opportunity to first review their answers with a partner before checking answers in a whole-class situation. For the last activity, I would make Taylor’s journey shorter and more specific and I would use the same question form as in the previous activity to ask what Taylor did in her journey. I would be definitely more careful with the pronunciation of some words. Besides, I would manage time better. I would apply more cooperative learning to my teaching to make the class more interactive.

Journal 3

San Miguel Arcangel School

Fifth grade

The lesson went well. Leaners completed the first activity in which they had to construct a story by ordering a set of flashcards. However, I could notice that they just looked at the picture but did not read the sentences due to the font size. They were just ordering the pictures by common sense and that was not the purpose of the activity. The last activity was much better because they work in pairs and do cooperative learning. Once I checked understanding and they shared their answers I realized they understood the passage.

In this lesson, I tried to get students attention by using a basic riddle: if you hear me clap once… if you hear me clap twice. When my whole class was ready, and started talking to them. I was continuously walking around the classroom to monitor what learners are doing.

Timing was a problem again. I could have spent more time doing the first and the second activities. I could have stopped for a while to clarify some doubts. Also, I wasted time taking learners outside because the electricity has gone off for more than fifteen minutes so my solution was to take them to the cafeteria.

I chose interactive activities to promote cooperative learning. Games are always a good strategy to trigger learning. It is important to check understanding as many times as possible. Learners seemed to be delighted and enthusiastic with the activities. I did a good job at managing the classroom in spite of the obstacles.

If I had a change to reteach this lesson, I would do first the activity in which they have to work in groups to unscramble the sentences. Moreover, I would promote peer feedback in this activity by asking them to exchange their worksheets with the other groups. Then, I would try an activity in which they have to construct the ending of story by working in groups. I would be clearer when giving instructions. Finally, I would do the last activity as it was initially planned and I would assign homework for them to practice at home.

Journal 4

San Miguel Arcangel School

Fifth grade

This lesson flowed smoothly. The second activity was a successful choice. Learners enjoyed this activity so much because it was very interactive and appealing. It seemed that they understood how to organize the sentences correctly after sharing their answer with the rest of the group. The last activity was a challenge due to the limited time. However, learners’ performance was quite better. The result was not what I was expecting but most of them get the best out of their potential to construct a story. They did not have enough time to complete the activity but what they did was an evidence of understanding. I was continuously walking around the classroom to monitor what learners were doing. In some situations, learners get distracted when they have to work in groups. 

I couldn’t finish the final activity. I could have spent less time giving the instructions and making the groups. Besides, learners spent more time that I was expecting because the assignment was a little bit complex for them. Despite of the fact it was a group activity, some members of the groups did not help actively. I implemented a game which promotes interaction and increases motivation and learners talk. They were engaged in the activity and the participation was dynamic. The last activity let me know what learners have learnt during the three last classes.

If I had a chance to reteach this lesson, I would change the way I implement the last activity of this lesson. I would give learners a shorter sample of a story using only a limited number of verbs and I would be clear when giving them instructions to make their own. I would show them a set of flashcards with the actions as guidance and I would let them make the groups. I would monitor their work by providing them feedback.