Interactive communication By a Scotish teacher

Presentation

TEFL

Chlef, Algeria
2008

Good Morning/ Afternoon and Welcome
My name is Fiona and I am from Scotland
It is a privilege to be invited to speak with you today.
I have over 23 years experience as a volunteer teacher with a youth organisation.

I'm teaching young people between the ages of 12 – 18 years.
(Pause)
I was invited to visit Chlef to meet friends and colleagues and never expected to have the opportunity to meet and speak with everyone here.

Teaching is the ground over which young minds learn and grow.

The following elements are ESSENTIAL to teaching …

Personalisation – to achieve this…

Students need to talk to one another

1 on 1

Ice breakers  

Are ideally suited to this

– interactive communication – milling; walkabout

Here you can …..

- select 4 questions for your class to ask each other get the students walking about (milling).

- Each question has to be completed and only one question can be asked of one student

This activity has a direct effect on the second element….

Climate


it is very important to establish rapport with your students
an industrious and productive environment

and a welcoming environment

engage all your students
don’t let a student vanish into the background

The third element….

Pro-active
(move around – a little)

Gestures – signing use your hands
facial expression
movement
eye contact
body language
Do not introduce barriers
– don’t hide behind your desk

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TEFL
This method of
Teaching aims to reduce teacher’s talk and encourage students’ to talk

CORE INGREDIENTS

There are 4 core ingredients especially when your are teaching a language
Include all these skills in every lesson


Listening………
speaking ………….
reading………..
 and writing…………..

TEFL Teaching

use lower case letters (pause)
use pictures (pause)
use music (pause)
use movement (pause)

A normal lesson of 1 hour should have 10 different activities of learning.

This brings us back to Pro-active teaching and results in …

TOTAL TEACHER PARTICIPATION = 200%

100% - APPLICATION +   100% - INTERACTION

Think of your own experiences …….

a teacher who lacks enthusiasm, motivation,
or the appearance of being happy to be here
The lack of interaction during the lesson.
How did you feel, how well did you learn?

Make sure you don’t become that teacher!

Lessons
The Building blocks of Knowledge
(pause)

The SIMPLER the LESSON – the BETTER the LESSON
(pause)

Be enthusiastic……Be involved……. Keep the lesson simple

Questions determine the level of knowledge. (pause)

Remember TTR.

This allows you to confirm and validate the assimilation of knowledge or level of learning by your students.
(pause)
Make sure the class knows you will check, assess and ask for feedback
(pause)

Although it is not always possible try to respond within 3 days on every task.

Remember…..

you are a teacher not an encyclopaedia or a dictionary (pause) don’t be frightened or embarrassed to say…
‘I don’t know the answer but I will find out’

If you are unsure(pause)
draw on the knowledge and experience of your colleagues, (pause)
a fresh set of eyes can often help.

Preparation and Planning

The 6 P’s

Proper Preparation
and
Planning
Prevents Poor Performance

Remember
personalisation – know your students

Always have a……

Plan B (C.D & E too!) – always have a backup plan not every lesson goes the way you have hoped

Assess and Feedback – TTR
Games to learn – Remember Learning is Doing

Check - Understanding and learning –

confirmation

– TTR
- Plan B
- Gestures - Visual aids, photographs
- flash cards
- Music – Songs (ABCDEFG….. or 12345 once  caught a fish…)
– Games

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE – STUDENT INTERACTION

Consider

lesson delivery – Speech must be Clear (pause)
Slow (pause)
Precise (pause)

This applies especially to pronunciation
Remember
(pause)

Lessons should be

SIMPLE and FUN

Always start lesson

With

Revision/ Feedback

And …….

Always be consistent this leads to successful teaching


Students know where they stand and know the standard which is expected of them

Remember

this may include any questions/answers
from previous lessons

Delivery Technique –

Interaction allows the student to practice in a ‘real’ environment –

learning by doing assimilates the information faster
and
allows the student to develop their skills.
You as the teacher can observe

good interaction, (pause)
moderate interaction (pause)
and
poor interaction (pause)

and adapt future lessons according to the abilities of the students.

Fun and Simple –

try not to make the lesson complicated, (pause)
learning can be fun
(pause)
knowledge and understanding can be achieved with relative ease
if (pause) you can make your lessons enjoyable.

You as the teacher also have to enjoy the lesson and be seen to enjoy the lesson,

Plan and Preparation –

cannot emphasis this enough. (pause)

Everything comes down to planning and preparation (pause)
practice your lessons,
seek advise from experienced teachers –

they were like you once and they have dealt with the same problems and concerns –
take their advise and adapt it to your teaching style.
And the BEST PART (pause)
this enthusiasm is passed to your students.

Climate –

You as the teacher,
Will determine the clmate or learning environment.

(pause)

Ensure the setting or classroom layout is appropriate for the lesson

Pace, Clarity –

This is important,
Remember students learn at different speeds.
You have to set the pace to accommodate the learning abilities of your students.

Clarity is essential,
Keep the information, instruction clear.

Language and Phraseology –

keep teacher talk to a minimum

where possible, (pause)

use language that will not confuse your students

Smiles and gestures

– always smile
and
– don’t hesitate to use gestures,
– mimes and
– remember to laugh with your students
Enjoy the lesson –

to see the teacher enjoying the lesson

only serves to encourage the student to be just as

enthusiastic about learning.
Achieve the aim –

this is your objective at the end of your lesson

Remember TTR –

teach, test, repeat

That’s the easy part, but let’s take a look at where we can fall short of the mark…..
Common Faults
Missing one of the 4 skills –
it can happen, be aware
If you find yourself with a lesson where you are unsure how to integrate one of the skills effectively,
ask a colleague.
Don’t try to re-invent the wheel, use the vast amount of skills and knowledge around you –
Teachers are always ready to help….
Speaking too fast –

YES (pause)
I do it all the time
and it takes concentration, discipline
and (pause)
most of all practice to correct it

It will become a natural part of your teaching as your confidence in delivery grows.

The Lesson was too quick / time management

rushing due to be anxious

or through lack of confidence

or poor preparation and planning

Give enough time for student interaction,
always have your plan A, B C and D ready

Students will always sit in silence when you say

‘any questions?’

to which you have allocated 15 mins –
which can feel like an eternity of silence.

(pause)

Always have a back-up plan ready for these occasions and
as the confidence in your students grows with the interaction

The questions will come.

Lack of praise, rewards

This can damage the confidence of a student
faster than failing an exam.

Even the small notice of a correct answer or
even a brave attempt can result in the difference in the learning curve a student attains.

Think back to your own experiences –

the teacher who took the time to say

‘ well done – outstanding’
or
‘that was excellent your are almost there keep trying’

And when the desired result is achieved

‘ WOW’, ‘Perfect – absolutely right’

Teaching some of the students I have requires a little adaptation…

Example,

Some of my students are deaf so I have to sign the lessons so when they achieve the desired result,

We have the HAPPY TEACHER DANCE
And lastly …..

As you inspire every young mind in your class,
you will leave your footprint for years to come,

so remember it takes but a moment to learn well
but
a life time to correct poor teaching.

I was told by a very good teacher that to teach is an Art

To be a good teacher is to inspire to achieve.