Week 16: I'm not going to cry

Week 16
Date: Monday, November 4th to Thursday, November 7th, 2019
Topic: symbols delivery, food sharing, agape, final day ☹️

     Well... Everything, definitely, has an end. Although this was my last week in my practicum process, I felt like it is not. I still have to come the next week to some educative chores, that's a teacher life, and I like it. On Monday I didn't come because it was holiday but, on Thursday, I was with my teacher's group sharing some good moment with food, games, and activities, there was also time for reflection and "thanksgiving" space where students shared their learnings regarding the human and academic. I think these moments allow everyone to know how far we've gone along this semester, and academic year as well, knowing our advances, not only in the academic part but spiritual and human too.

     My teacher and I designed some diplomas too, in order to give them to each student who successfully completed the English course.

     This has been a semester, and also a year, full of emotions and situations in which I'd learned that being a teacher is not only a matter of share knowledge about English or Spanish, grammar or how to write essays, Future Simple or Conditionals, but also a matter of being an advisor, a friend, a human being. A teacher has to be commited with its goals, vocation is really important because you can face any kind of situation that requires social abilities, love, patience, active listening, and tolerance. This year of practicum has opened not only my eyes but my soul, making me really love what I've chosen for my life, helping others and sharing my knowledge, my spirit, my joy, my good attitude against life, my life. I really love being a teacher, being a human being.

Diploma given to each student for completing English course.

This is what my students think about classes.

Activities and games are the key for a great class.

Week 15: end is coming

Week 15
Date: Monday, October 28th to Thursday, October 31st, 2019
Topic: Pre service teachers meeting & vocabulary review activities

     This week was kind of weird, full of feelings. On Monday I went to the third pre service teachers meeting and we did an activity about Multiple Intelligences, nothing new, However, on Thursday, my teacher asked me to prepare some activities for students about the units we have seen through this semester, a lot of vocabulary was on them. I decide to play charades and students really liked the game. One half of the class was about doing an activity that gave a bonus for the final grade of the semester and the other half was about playing the game. Broadly, it was a good day but students knew that my practicum process was getting to its end, so they started sharing some feelings about our experience, me as teacher, they as my students. Moreover, my teacher started giving them the final grades in English, so there was a lot of emotions, tears, smiles, sadness, and joy. 

     A lot of students came to me to ask me about a rising in their grades. Of course, I couldn't do anything and, if I could, I have not had done anything because there was a lot of bonus activities for them and they did not take an advantage of that. Well, I realized that students work on their tasks if one as teacher bring dynamic and funny activities, classes, and topics, morevoer, if one as teacher listen to them and has a lot of energy and enjoyment in every class, they start engaging into their learning process.

Week 14: projects presentations

Week 14
Date: Monday, October 21st to Thursday, October 24th, 2019
Topic: projects presentations

     This week was a kind of different from others, it was full of emotions and feelings. For instance, on Monday, I was with 10°14 group watching the girls presentations about 80's & 90's songs performances. They performed songs by Queen, Michael Jackson, and Survivor, for example. My teacher gave me the chance to grade all the presentations taking into account five criteria items: artist biography, performance, pronunciation, clothing, and poster. All the girls did a really good job, I was plenty of joy and satisfaction. I felt like if I were the teacher with authority, the "real" teacher, if you know what I mean.

     The same activity was done on Thursday with 10°13. However, I must say that I discovered that every single group has its own personality. While 10°14 was more fun, dynamic, active, and full of joy with their songs and performances, 10°13 was less spontaneous, they chose songs more passive and kind of sad I must say. Every student has its own personality which is seen in the group environment. Nonetheless, all the girls from both groups did a great job.

     On Thursday, I also helped with the Spelling Bee Contest final. I didn't like the attitude from one teacher, who wasn't sure about my help with this event, she showed kind of dislike and distant behaviour against me, I think this is normal in some teachers. I am not complaining about this, but this is a situation that one as preservice teacher can find every day. At the end of the contest, I did my best and she noticed it, that's the best attitude, and solution, one as teacher can have.

     With 11°11 group, I was only in the second half of the class because the Spelling Bee contest, and I helped my teacher with some interviews for the final project, the CV simulation, talking and grading the students. One, as teacher, has different roles to play, our help is also needed in every single situation and one must be willing to assist.

Laura performing Sean Paul (Temperature).

Laura performing Toni Braxton (Unbreak my heart)

Week 13: tests and some activities to rest

Week 13
Date: Monday, October 14th to Thursday, October 17th, 2019
Topic: tests and some activities to rest.

     Monday was holiday so we didn't have class. Along the week, students had to face some tests regarding all the subjects they study. Due that, on Thursday, I had to made some accompanying work and I prepared some activities to play after tests, I also checked some workshops and tests. Well, when students from 11°11 ended their tests, they came to English classroom, there were only thirty minutes of class, so I decided to play some activities I had printed before they came. The activity was called Take them away, as the image, and they really enjoyed it. Then, I was checking some others tests while 10°13 students were doing their activities. Finally, I had a special moment with 10°14. One girl came in tears because she had lost her test. Well, I decided to call with her in front of her friends, to show her some comprehension and motivation, I felt worried about her, she started to relax and take her situation easy. Then we played a memory game (Concentrate game) about some topics we'd studied along the semester. They really like it and, at the end, the girl who was crying came to me and thanked me because she felt better and the words I said to her were a kind of salve. It is wonderful when you are more than a teacher that teaches topics and make the knowledge easier for students, when you share your human being with others there is the real meaning of being a teacher.

Activity used with 11°11. From English Puzzles 2 book, by Doug Case.

Week 12: rest for the best (Yes, teachers!)

Week 12
Date: Monday, October 7th to Thursday, October 10th, 2019
Topic: rest week

     Along this week, students had a rest week. No study for them nor teaching for teachers. However, during this week, the school gave some activities for teachers such as dancing, karaoke, videogames, and cooking stages, it was a recreation week. No stress means happy teachers.

Week 11: English Lab

Week 11
Date: Monday, September 30th to Thursday, October 3rd, 2019
Topic: English lab

     On Monday, I stayed with 10°14 at the English Lab. The girls worked on their Projects which consists in chosing a song from a given list of 80s and 90s. They had to listen to the song and write a short biography about the singer or lead singer of the band. Besides that, they have to give a performance by October 21st, wearing customes about their respective singer. That's not all, they also have to design an e-card inviting people to assist to the performance. Students liked this Project, they enjoyed listening to this old-wave but "sticky" songs. Music has an important role in learning a language, students make an unconscious process when listening to the songs and imitating the lyrics (some students look for them). I always learn new words and English structure when listening to music. I think the girls are going to show an excellente performance and the most important aspect is the fact they are going to have fun.

     Sadly, I couldn't go to class on Thursday because I was participating in La Guaca contest carried out at UPB. I had to go and participate in it because I've always wanted to be in this event, and this is my last semester at the university. One, as teacher, has to be involved in another activities, to be part of the community. This is also formation and education.

Week 10: some days you miss some classes.

Week 10
Date: Monday, September 23rd to Thursday, September 26th, 2019
Topic: Introduction to Unit 5 (11°) and Unit 7 (10°)

     Only six weeks left for Practicum to be finished. Incredible how fast this semester has gone. Anyway, along Monday class, I feel my students a little tired. The lesson plan for that class was about Reading skill, I had to work with the student's book and also to follow some criteria for teaching. However, I felt that this was going to be a mess for the girls, so I decided to show them a short video about the topic the Unit 7 was about: Extreme Situations. I asked them for some aspects and characteristics concerning these situations, they participated and the class was saved, at least. However, I've discovered my students do not have a high reading skill and it is difficult to them to understand some words, even the easiest ones. This is a challenge, I've tried to explain them the most I can but time is not the best ally a teacher has in the educative system. It is impossible to me to cover all poblation of students at once, in one class, to explain them carefully. I want my students comprehend what they are doing. Anyway, we did the reading part, but when we started working on it, I found they were bored, when you do not understand what you are doing you are not going to have fun at all.

     Although I could not explain some words to them neither carry out a good strategy for the reading part, I improved a new one in Thursday class with other group (10°13). The outcome was a positive and successful class. I brought the reading in parts, I mean, I printed the text (the same the book proposes) and then cut it in paragraphs, so the text was not in order, the objective was students had to structure the text according their understanding and previous knowledge. From this activity, I discovered that students sometimes just need different activities. Even though they were not able to organize the text, this worked as a previous activity to understand the reading in the text. They asked for unknown words and I showed them the same video I showed in Monday class as well.

     Well, I had my classes with tenth grade along the week. However, I could not work with 11° with Modal Verbs (Unit 5), and this situation pissed me off. I had prepared a great class, with images, flashcards, even I create my own video about songs with modals but students were in a photo session for their grades ceremony. One as teacher, must understand that some days you miss some classes even though you had prepared the best class ever. The worst part is that I think I won't be able to teach this topic because next week they had another activity and the next is rest week and I do not have to come to school. Anyway, I left my material to my cooperative teacher, I explained my objectives with the lesson and she really liked. I think one should not be selfish when teaching.