Mihotch Blog About English

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

My strengths and weaknesses as English teacher

In this class, I could learn various useful things about English lessons. I've learned a great deal from lesson experiences in N elementary school. Besides, I could learn many good means as teacher from Mr.M's lecture. So, now I'd like to analyze my strengths and weaknesses as English teacher.

☆strengths☆
I think my good point is enjoying English by myself. I like to learn English,of course, I like to speak English. Enjoying English is necessary strength as English teacher, and it will lead comfortable atmosphere to study English, I think. I learned that teaching with smile is good for relationship between teacher and students through N lementary school lessons. And I also learned that effective repeat is useful for little children. So I want to make good use of my experiences and device lesson using these good point.

★weaknesses★

I like English, but I have no confidence to teach English. First of all, I have no confidence in my English ability.I don't know whether my pronunciation is good or bad. Mr.M said that good pronunciation and to use English efficiently are essential to English teacher. So I have to brush up my English in this summer.

Next, I do not have much experience in teaching English. In addition, I have no experience in Junior High School. I'm anxious about teaching practice in JHS.

Third, my weakness is dull powers of observation. I often feel nervous, and when I got nervous, I can't lose sight of surrounding(I can't look around).So it's necessary for me to keep calm, and I have to look students' actual situation or feelings,and grasp the situation carefully.                                               



Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Thinking group work

When I was a Junior high school student, I experienced some group work. For example, message game.First, we form line in group,students in the head remember long sentence which is given by teacher.And the students tell a next persons.We compete the speed. I think it was a very fun, but it was not good as group work because the most important thing in it is help each other.Most students were more absorbed in competition than learning English.

Sometimes students who don't like English tend to depend on students who is good at English in group work,however,it disturb students' improvement of English actiity,I think. To help each other is different from to rely. So I think the group work that each students have role is effective.

Friday, July 07, 2006

My observatin at Mr. M's Junior High School

This week, I went to Mr. M's JHS to observe demonstration lesson. I watched the first grade class. The teacher was not Mr.M, but the lesson was very useful for me.

The theme of the lesson was to ask and answer using “ What”
I think the introduction was good. First of all,the teacher showed students some picture which they had nerver seen before(ex.lacrosse stick).Therefore the students ask the teacher in “なに?” in Japanese. That is, teacher brought out the word “what”from students.

Next, students took an active part in group work as practice. Three students ask one student using “What's this?” And then the student answer it using“It's ~.”
Furthermore, students practiced some useful phrases “That's right”“No, it's not”as production in group work.

Last time,Mr.M said that active work was effective for students.I understood the meaning through this demonstration lesson. The teacher put emphasis on group work to let students learn actively. That is related to students' motivation, I think. In addition, The teacher also put emphasis on pronunciation of English. For example, he gave attention to pronunciation “bird”“monkey”“fox”and so on. So it is important that English teacher use English efficiently and enjoy it themselves, I think.








Wednesday, June 28, 2006

My advices about teaching practice

In last ETM3's class, I could learn valuable thing from Mr.M.
He is a English teacher of Junior High School. I'd like to write some valuable advices from him.

First, I learned that most important thing as English teacher is enjoy English. If the teacher don't like the class, students will never enjoy. Boring class will lose students' interest. So teacher should use various enjoyable activity. For example, group work is effective. Mr.M said self-directed activity is necessary for students.

Second, greeting is necessary as teacher. It helps contant with students. The important thing is to have attitude trying to communicate with people. Students will follow the teacher like that.

Third is most impressive for me. Mr.M said it's important to have common sense. I take for granted common sense as teacher, however, many teachers don't have experience outside of school. I think it is actual problems, so I want to experience various thing during school days.

I learned that students follow teachers whose life has been rich in experience. The important thing is that to have open mind and possitive attitude for everything, I think.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

About my future

Recently, I often look to my future. When I was a child, I wanted to be a grown-up as soon as possible because adults can do what they want to do and choose anything what they should do.That is, they have the freedom of their action. However adults should take the responsibility of everything. I keenly realize about that lately. I'm a student now, but I have to work two years later. Before that, I have to decide my course.
I'd like to work using English, if possible, I want to be a English teacher. However I have no confidence whether I can be a good teacher for students. For example, I don't know effective teaching to easy to understand. I want students enjoy English. Enjoyable English cause motivation, I think.
This summer, I'm going to go teaching practice.So I want to put emphasis on enjoyable activity in the lessons. If you have some good idea, please advise me!

Monday, June 05, 2006

Teaching Observation

I went to Diamond Junior High School on June 2nd,and observed 1st grade class.

(1)What was the goal of teh class?

  ①Introducing about their family or friend by using “This is ~”“He/She is ~” .
  ②Asking and answering about them using “Is he/she ~?”


(2)What activities did the students do to accomplish the goal?

They practiced the phrase and did game by using it.And they did pair work to master it.

(3)What was the role of the teacher in this class?

The teacher was mediator for students to master the lesson. First of all, she taught key phrase of the lesson,and next, she made students pair work. I think it was a good activity because the students could learn key phrase independently.

(4)From watching the teacher and students, did you receive any hints or clues as to how to have a successful English class?

I could receive many good hints. First, passage of the lesson was very smoothly.The teacher carried introduction, review smoothly, so students learned key phrase without objection. Second, the teacher taught key phrase by pair work.So students could learn it with pleasure, I think.






Friday, May 26, 2006

Reflection about my lesson


First of all, our group member discussed what to do within the limit of 25 minutes.And we decided to put emphasis on introduction and practice because we wanted students to learn new phrase“What do you have for ~?” .

 In the lesson, we played game as warm up first. Next,we asked a question using “Do you ~?” as review. Then, we demonstrated these phase on blackboard,and read textbook.After that teacher and students practiced it by using repeat,and study new words “breakfast, lunch, dinner”. Next, we taught useful new phrase “How about you?”for conversation. Then,we played game using these phrase to acquire it.Two people ask question about meal,and answer it each other.We repeated these phrase at the last.

I think the most succesful part was game as consolidation because students could learn enjoyably.However, we should improve the methods of repeat.For example, we should have used repeat rhythmically.Maybe it can be effective activity.
Some students could not understand and pronounce phrase well, so I think that was the least successful part.
This lesson was a good experience for me because I could think about good lesson again and find improvement.
If I can teach it once again, I would put emphasis on practice and consolidation using effective repeat and enjoyable activity.