Reflect on your teaching practicum so far: What have you learned from your experience during TP? What kinds of challenges do you foresee as you develop as a Literature teacher in your specific school context?
I have a very experienced lit CT. She is very particular about the way I give my instructions to the class, and this is probably my main takeaway. Sometimes, we may plan great and fun and wonderful activities, but they don't go the way we originally imagine them to go. There are many factors for this, but to me, one of the greatest pitfall is the way we deliver instructions. Each activity - simple or complicated - requires a considerate amount of thinking and planning out instructions. How to prep our class for the activity is of utmost importance for the activity to work. This is one step I am (trying to be more aware) of when I am planning my lessons.
This is especially so since I am teaching in a school where students are not of the (hmmm....) highest caliber. They require more guidance and lack motivation.Out of a class of 30, I will be lucky if I can have 5 of them who read the book. Most do not have the book. If my instructions are not kept to the minimum and simplest, I lose my students' attention. Simple as that.
However, they are not un-teachable. Not trying to be politically correct, but students like them are the ones who will dare to respond - even if they give irrelevant answers and they know their answers are wrong. One challenge here, is then to always understand that no matter what answers they give, their answers are teachable moments and I have to turn them into relevant answers somehow. However, this requires a great deal of patience and rapport with the students, before i can successfully engage them in discussion.
Hi Tiying, a class of 30 is a small class in our context! Good to hear that you are focusing on giving clear instructions so that your activity can be well-executed. Good luck with being patient.
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