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.