The big ones from ESO!!

After observing some 1ESO lessons, we asked our tutor to observe other classes and other levels to get a big overview of ESO differences. So, we get observe a group from 4th ESO ans another from 2nd of Batxillerat.

These two groups were hardly different from 1st ESO groups. Their level of English understanding is higher, so that, teacher could speak the whole class in English.
However, in 4th ESO groups teacher translate some important issues on grammar and she uses Catalan to clarify some vocabulary. In constrast, Batxillerat students tried to participate in class trough English, they even speak English with the teacher before starting any specific activity!

What impressed me the most was students behaviour, there were no similiraties at all with 1st ESO students.
Older students paid attention during all the lesson, they rarely spoke, they were well involved in activities.

It was a really nice experience and it let us to discover how other teachers work.

Cogito, ergo sum

Look what I found!!
It's on the top of one of the main walls at the entrance of the high school.
I do not really know if the school follows this statement, but anyway I think that it is interesting to have it!!
This Descartes sentence I think, therefore I am became the main element of rationalism, what describes the role of the reason to acquire knowledge.
So, either it is the slogan in the school or not, I believe that it must be an amazing way to awake students' curiosity through great philosophers.

Feelings&body through the book

After some weeks observing different classes, we had to give the lesson through the book, teacher gave to us fotocopies of those pages. We had prepared the explanations at home and in class some activities were presented by my mate and others by me.

At that time, 1ESO groups had to learn about Have got and adjectives. So, my mate and I implemented the activities in the 3 groups by turns.

The activities were interesting, there was a kind of description, then a classification exercise, some more exercises on adjectives and a listening at the end.

We worked with the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, they had to compare themm and use adjectives to describe them and students enjoy it a lot.

First, it was quite hard to keep all the students in silence and well sit, but since the teacher was in class, they tried to behave well, otherwise the teacher advise them.
So, our first real classes went perfectly and we wish to go forward with this Practicum.

Claustre

Today I've been in a Claustre!!
It has been an interesting point of our Practicum, however I had imagined it different.
Teachers start to arrive separately and then they sit together, but no all of them know each other, there are kind of groups; and at the beginning of the room, the principal with the head of the studies and the secretary.
It's surprising how teachers have to manage to fit themselves in the room, they are 80 and there's no seats for all of them! So, they talk and comment it looks like am oprdinary classroom but with adults.
Later the principal speaks and explains the projects what high school works on and some other important aspects. Teacher just listen and comment some points with their colleagues.
Claustre seems quite boring for the rest of the teachers.

But I found very interesting all the knowledge and values that IES Montserrat Roig works on through projects.

Improvising

Hello,
days are passing by and this is our second week in IES Montserrat Roig doing our observation step of the practicum!
But..uuah!!! Teacher decide right in the moment we were entering the class that we could give the lesson!! She had prepared some exercises and a game about Halloween and she gave them to us and let us improvise!!!

Uff... At the beginning seemed quite hard, but at the end we manage it very well and it wasn't as difficult we thought!! I realize that I took more confidence with students because I almost know each one of all them.

It was exciting to see how students follow our explanations, participate in class, and afterall, enjoy the session while learning English!!

Tuesday Meetings

Here we are!!! Our tutor Isabel Muriana, my mate Lidia and I in the English Department of the high school!!

Before starting our practicum, we met Isabel once to know the schedule. But that day was the first day we meet in the Department and we talk about plenty of issues.

She explained us the complete schedule, we ask her to observe some other groups, she also tell us how works the department, the materials they have, the books they use, etc.

We also could know the dates of some important meeting we would have to attend later on.

We use to meet every Tuesday, after our 1B session, to plan the next sessions, to ask her our doubts and questions and to get in touch each time with the English teacher's tasks.

I found these meetings very interesting. They let us know much more about the center and how it functions and it also allow us to comment and be adviced often about our Practicum.

Already a test!!

Hello, hello!!
I can't believe this!! My second week doing my observation and teacher has planned a test for students!!

My first thought was: ok, 55minutes, everybody in silence and I won't learn anything! But fortunately it wasn't that way!!

The test was quickly and I did too, because a teacher gave me a copy to see how it was. To correct it, some student and teacher wrote the answers on the blackboard and finally, students exchange their exems. So, they correct a classmate exam!!
That is a great way to make students improve and discover their lacks!! Students reflect about what mistakes they had or what their mates had.

And at the end of the class, teacher gave a present for students: they played Bingo and they enjoy it!! It seemed that students didn'tremember the exam they had already done!!

Same level, different groups

The next day we were meant to observe, we went at 1B and 1A of ESO.
These are the same level of the group we observe the first day, but they have no similiraties at all.

Students were well sit, listening to the teacher, trying to participate in class. As they thought we were English, they even tried to speak to us in English!
Teacher developed the same activities from the 1C group, but she got better results and could go further because students seemed to be more motivated in learning English!

Here you can see a picture of the card that students did about themselves!

As teacher said to us, students from 1C have a worse behaviour, but they get better grades; however 1A and 1B behave better and it is easier to develop a lesson with them.
I liked to observe all these different groups and I wish to work with them soon!

First observation

So, the great day has come! Today we have known our class!! The group that we will have to observe and what we will have to work with during the next 3 months!!
It's 1st C ESO, almost 30 children together!!

We went into the class and we wait that teacher introduce us to the students, but none of them was sat and most of them were shouting and talking. My mate and I didn't know what to do, when teacher had obviously to shout and tell them off.
After a while, most of the children were well sit and followed the instructions of the teacher. Then they were nervous because we spoke in English and the teacher had said that we were from England.

Along with the class, we could realize that the teacher had real difficulties to communicate in English, since many students did not understand everything and teacher hadto ask for silence constantly.

A part of that, my mate and I help the teacher to hang on the walls some cards students did for homework and it was exciting to see how students look at us and tried to take confidence with us!

Despite their behaviour, teacher could develop several activities and students participate in class.
I feel happy, it was my first contact with a real secondary group and I'm already waiting for the next observation class!!

My High School

This is my High School!! IES Montserrat Roig in Terrassa!!
I live rather close from it and I've never thought that one day I'll be teaching there, or at least, doing my practicum!!

It's quite big, however the tutor said that they are already constructing and attached building.












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It's me!!

Hello everybody,

I don't really know much about blogs, so I'll tried to update my posts once a week if I can manage it!!

See you and have fun while teaching English!!