Thursday, Feb 14th, 2013
On my second teaching experience, I was
afraid of teaching because I had to teach adjectives (Comparatives and
Superlatives form) and I did not have too much time to prepare my class,
besides, I did not know what activities to develop in my class, so I decided to
look for a song containing adjectives so that I could play it and have students
fill in the blanks with the missing words (adjectives).
That part went really nice students
liked the song and so did I. The hardest part came when I got to the grammar
part; I explained the rules we use for comparatives and superlatives to the
students, but I did not feel that confident when doing so. I even hesitated a
couple of times when talking about the exceptions or the irregular adjectives
we have, may be that happened because I was thinking of the possibility that
students could ask about certain adjectives and I would not have answered in a
correct way. On the other hand, I always like the fact that students do work
when I give the exercises to them, they work in the time I ask them to and when
I want someone to participate they do it.
I could say that my previous class
was better than this one I just taught.
So tell me teachers, which activities
would you use to teach comparatives and superlatives adjectives?
Suggestions will be very welcome!!
Grammar is always a headache! Well, I suggest you to use flashcards and any object you have. You can compare the drawings on the flashcards and ask them which drawing is taller/smaller, etc. And you can also teach it with your markers. You can draw on the board too (if you are good at drawing). I really like your activity, to play a song, but it is hard to find one that includes comparative and superlatives. Anyways, those are my suggestions. I hope you can take one at least. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteAlma, as Gustavo said Grammar is always a headache, and also it is the "boring part" for students, but as you know it is something neccesary to teach, I mean, we can not give a class without teaching Grammar. When I explained a topic, I always try to use examples involving the same students, for example: Carlos is taller than Juan, so Carlos is the tallest. Believe me it will function. I consider that it is normal to get nervous when we are teaching because those are our frist experiences, but at the end we will control that. Let me congratulate you I think to teach a topic with a song always function!!!!
ReplyDeleteHello Mary! I know it's kind of hard teaching the grammar part, even more when you haven't had too much time to get ready.However, I would suggest you to use realia. I taught that topic in Didactics 3 (in the shool), and, as Isabel says, try to involve the class. I would have asked two students (different in height) to stand up so that the class noticed who was taller. In superlatives, I would have done the same. I would have asked 3 students so that I could easily show who was the tallest, or the shortest.
ReplyDeleteFlashcards are cool too. You could show 2 flascards; one flascard showin a car, and another one showing a bicycle so that the class can infer which is the faster. In superlatives, you might keep doing the same by adding another flascard maybe showing an airplane; in that way, your students will be able to respond which is the fastest, or the slowest. Keep improving and try to look for simple but effective activities.
My dear Mary, don`t feel bad my dear...remember that we are on the way...that means that we will learn from our own mistakes, hesitates, and doubts...for sure I understand your point, and you know baby that your feeling is because you are full of ideas that at the end you don`t even know which one to use for the topic. What I can say is that you must include a lot of practice for them to be busy and for you to feel confident...also we should bring charts with the grammar explanation because in that way you will have the grammar part for you and for them at the same time...keep going my dear!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMary you are so right when telling that grammar is one of the most difficult things to do. I agree with our classmates, having students being part of the process makes it more significant; beside what I would use to reinforce the topic is to distribute diferent flashcards among the students all of them with their correspondent couple (for example a turtle and a leopard, or a big boy and a small girl) later, I would make students to look for the opposite image they have and when they find it let them say what the difference is.
ReplyDeleteThis might work.
Nice work mary.
Hello Mary!
ReplyDeleteI remember when we studied that, and the teacher took us to the soccer field where we ran to illustrate fast, faster, and fastest. I also remeber we did what George suggested you, we did it with thin, chubby, and slow as well; in that way we did not just get out of routine, but we learned with real facts.
Thank you guys, you all have pretty nice ideas; i will take them into consideration as a teacher so that students can learn in a more real way!! Blessings.....
ReplyDeleteHello Mary!!!
ReplyDeleteI can understand you because grammar is not so easy to teach, but I consider that the activity you did was great. Using songs to teach adjectives help the students to learn in a different and fun way. I guess that being nervous at the time to teach is normal because these are our first experiences and we are always thinking about the questions that students can ask. We are always thinking about the idea if we are going to be able to provide a good answer for those questions, but I´m sure that at the end of the teaching practice we are going to improve those things.