Category Archives: Day by Day in the Classroom

Day by Day in the Classroom

An Emotional Comment on “Evaluate Me, Please”

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The post “Evaluate Me, Please” on Teach from the Heart Blog REALLY struck a chord with me.

By Gil Epshtein

So much so that here I am, writing about it. In particular, I need to expand on this quote:

“Don’t assume you know my kids as well as I do. That little boy with his back to me? Yeah, I know he’s off-task, but six months ago he would’ve thrown a desk when he was angry. Now he just turns his back. If I leave him alone, he’ll calm down and eventually apologize. If I say something to him now he’ll explode.”

In my class it wouldn’t be a little boy. It would be a teenage girl who is engrossed in cutting off threads coming out of her cloth pencil case. She can’t focus on anything else until the offending threads have been dealt with. Once she’s done she’ll work quickly and nicely. However,  if I try to stop her now we may end up in the principal’s office. Or it would be the huge teenage boy who says swear words to himself as he works. That’s significant progress – he used to swear at other students and get into fights which lead to trouble. As long as he does it quietly with his head down I’m thankful my students don’t hear well and ignore the behavior.

The problem lies with “the other” people. As opposed to “Teach from the Heart”, I don’t get officialy evaluated. At all! However, that doesn’t mean I’m not being judged.

First of all, there are the young teacher’s aids which I have for part of the lessons. I’ve had cases where I had to talk to them several times so that they wouldn’t loudly draw attention to a child off-task during the lesson. It is sometimes difficult for them to understand how a teacher could not expect everyone to behave like little angels and ignore some things!

Then there are the students themselves. Particularly 10th graders, which are new to the high-school. As I teach mixed classes (all 3 grades together) there’s always at least one student who takes it upon himself / herself to monitor what everyone else is doing and report it to me, loudly. And since that means that student isn’t working, he or she is so indignant that I’ve ignored a behavior the teacher from last year would never have ignored… now, of course, I can’t pretend not to notice and have to diffuse a situation that could easily escalate when it could have simply  been avoided!

Anyway, when you visit my class, which I hope you do, remember that there is a reason for everything, which I”ll be happy to exlain after the class!

I really recommend reading the full “Evaluate Me, Please” post.

 

 

Day by Day in the Classroom

A Brief Tale of a Principle that Lost Its Rationale

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Photo by Gil Epshtein

Since I began giving homework online almost two years ago I have established an email connection with the students.

Homework must be handed in by email. In addition, some of the students write to me when they are absent, agonizing over a test or desperate to know whether I’ve checked their tests already.

I always answer in them in English.

In class we communicate in Hebrew and in Israeli Sign-Language. The students write to me in Hebrew. I know for a fact that they paste my replies into Google Translate and read them in Hebrew.

I still write to them in English.

A student recently asked me point blank if I was aware that everyone reads my letters using Google Translate. When I replied that I was, he wanted to know why I continued writing in English.

I replied that I am an English teacher.

I’m not sure that suffices as an educational rationale for doing something. I certainly can’t supply the students with an explanation for why this is beneficial for them.

I still think it is the right thing to do.

Day by Day in the Classroom, Visualising Vocabulary

Using Internationally-Known Words – Beware the Cultural Interference Factor

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There is a delightful article by Stephen Reilly in the March-April 2012 issue of “Voices” entitled “I remember you”.

Reilly says, regarding adult learners:

“Beginner-lever learners posses a wider and deeper word-base of English than they realize and unearthing this offers them foundations they can build on”.

I heartily agree that “unearthing” these words gives the students a sense of pride that they actually DO know some English and can serve as a “springboard” for learning.

DSCF3357

Photo by Omri Epstein

However, when using internationally –known words, the teacher must be constantly alert for cultural interference. When the student’s face lights up and he “crows” “Oh, I know this word”, is that student ascribing the same meaning to that word in English that you are?

In the United Sates, a cottage is a very simple form of dwelling. Something you might have by the lake as a fishing retreat, very modest. In Israel you would hear someone say: “Did you see that awesome cottage he just moved into?! What a place!” Most certainly not a plain, modest, rudimentary abode!

The word  test in Israel refers to the written part of the driving exam. Students are often confused when they encounter the word in texts and try to find a connection to driving. As this meaning seems to be so entrenched I have resorted to placing little signs with the word “test” on the desks during exams. Having the word at the top of the students exam papers had no effect at all.

In fact, the word student itself is a problem. In Israel students are only those who study at university. A sentence describing a first-grade student can be very puzzling!

There are many more examples.

I would like to add a word of caution regarding use of such words as a tool for learning the sounds of the letters. Many words entered the language from English in a somewhat mangled form. How many people properly pronounce the letter “H” in hamburger? Many would swear that is an “ambuger”!

I’m assuming that this phenomenon is true in other countries as well, as it seems logical that it would be.

Can you tell me if my assumption is correct?

Day by Day in the Classroom, The Visual Corner

Using (word) Clouds in Class or for Homework – Which Increases Rainfall?

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As I’ve been checking students’ first homework task using a word cloud for the past week, I find myself pondering this question.

Inspired by the activity described on the macappella blog, I created a word cloud from a text which my student teacher had just read with the students. The original activity involved creating sentences using words from the cloud in class. I assigned it as a homework task.

Since I give a short homework task once a week (which I always check!) it made a lot of sense to have students review the vocabulary taught by creating sentences using the vocabulary items from the text. If I relate to Christina Markoulaki’s list of benefits that can be derived from suitable homework tasks (post on the iTDi blog) this certainly was a task that looked attractive, was something they could do on their own (all my students use Google Translator for homework) and left room for creativity. The students were free to write about anything they wanted as long as they used at least one word from the cloud on each sentence.

So, you may ask, what is the problem?

If I get back to Christina’s list, she talks about homework being an opportunity to consolidate grammar and vocabulary.

The students certainly reviewed the vocabulary. That goal was achieved. Even if there was a grammatical error in the sentence (and believe me, there were grammatical errors) I accepted sentences in which the words were placed in the correct context, i.e. used correctly. Some of the students wrote sentences that were related to their own lives and were pleased when I was able to make comments related to their interests in class. That was really great!

However, the grammar aspect remains an unresolved issue. I had the opportunity to sit with some of the students individually in class and work on their sentences. Since we were working on their own original writing they were more attentive than usual to explanations about grammar when correcting the sentences. That was incredibly useful – those students had had reading comprehension (the original text), vocabulary practice AND grammar practice!

The rest of the students did not get this grammar practice. It is not possible to go into the same detail when replying to a student’s homework task by email. I do not want to return a task full of error markings (much more efficient to focus on one or two points). In addition, a student will not really read a long reply from me. In any case, long replies are not sustainable as giving homework on a weekly basis demands creating and checking it every week.

In short, giving word clouds for homework made it rain. But it seemed to rain harder when done either in class, or with a follow up in class. Learning curve hasn’t been completed yet…

Day by Day in the Classroom

Does being a CREATIVE teacher Mean being a MASOCHISTIC one?

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Epstein Family Photos

Scene One:

Wednesday; my hardest day of the week. I teach from 8 till 3:30, 8 lessons in a row.

It’s the end of 7th period   I have just used the last page of an impressively covered large memo pad we got from someone in the field of high-tech (he got it at some conference, I believe). 8th period had mercifully been cancelled and I should have been out of that classroom like a bolt of lightning (it was a stormy day, by the way!). If you had passed my classroom you would have seen me standing at the teacher’s desk, turning the cover this way and that, puzzling over what new use it could be put to as it seems such a shame to throw such a thing away.

It took me about 10 minutes before I resolutely decided that I could think about it tomorrow and leave!

Scene Two:

I read a post entitled “Google form as Choose your own Adventure Tool” and off I went, my fingers itching to create one of my own. Luckily (for me) I had no time to try this out before thinking about it virtually.

Hmmm, seems like quite a bit of work, creating all these different options for a storyline.

Hmmm, if I give it for homework, then there won’t be much to check as they can just send me the ending to their story. GREAT! However, how do I know that a pupil didn’t randomly choose options and then sent me whatever ending came out? Surely I would have to add something extra to address this issue. Sigh…

Hmmm, it would be better if kids created the options on their own because in the process of creation they are learning more that when taking it. However, with my students it is so much easier for them to do things after they have experienced them rather than to explain things theoretically. Therefore I would still have to create one on my own if I wanted the students to understand what to do. Did I say that seems like a lot of work?

Did I say that I would still like to try it?

Scene Three

I used word clouds for a homework task. Some of the students don’t have Java on their computers and cannot see the cloud. So I’m emailing them the cloud as a Jpeg attachment…

Those are examples from just one week!

Perhaps I should ask Brad Patterson if there is any etymological connection between creativity and masochism!

Day by Day in the Classroom, The Visual Corner

Peering Through the (word) Clouds at Error Correction

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The ITDI Blog’s focus on error correction couldn’t have come at a better time (though it seems to me that any time is a good time to talk about this ongoing issue) as it is very much on my mind at the moment.

This round of debating how to correct errors began with an “AHA” moment when reading the post “What’s it all about…” on the excellent Macappella Blog. There’s a really practical suggestion for using word clouds to review language.

Word clouds are very cool.

However, we use technology to teach, not the other way round and the ways in which I tried to use those clouds weren’t really contributing to the learning process. But Fiona’s suggestion offers the best of both worlds!

So, off I went!

I clouded the text my student-teacher has just taught about Gallaudet University, the university for the Deaf in Washington DC. I asked the students to create sentences using words from the cloud as homework. I did not set any limits beyond the fact that there must be at least one word from the cloud in every sentence.

Certainly reviewing language!

So, now that the sentences are beginning to appear in my inbox, we get to error correction.

Here are the sentences that one student sent (11th grade!)

  1. I am not know to speak English.
  2. My room mess.
  3. Have many students in the school.
  4. I am deaf, and my parents also deaf.
  5. USA biggest country.
  6. I hard communicate with my friends`s class.
  7. I am 16 old year.
  8. No everyone can study in Gallaudet  university.

The vocabulary in these sentences was placed in correct contexts but the grammar is incorrect.

On the one hand I achieved my goal, the students had to think about those vocabulary items and generate sentences. The fact that the context is right means the items were understood. However, none of these sentences are correct.

Now I’m debating to what extent to correct or ignore these errors, as well as in what manner to correct the errors. There will be no frontal lesson to review grammar rules (long story) so the feedback will have to be made individually, either by email or in class.

In a past discussion regarding the topic over at Cecilia Lemos’s blog “Box of Chocolates” (Yes! She is the same one from the itdi blog) Cecilia and Tyson Seburnt suggested a technique that would be just the thing if I were teaching in a “normal” class situation. They suggested taking sentences from different students’ tasks and placing them on one page and having students help each other correct the sentences (with assistance as needed). However, I have not been able to adapt this for dealing with errors on homework tasks. The pupil whose sentences appear above, for example, doesn’t have classes with students at the same level!

Any suggestions?

Day by Day in the Classroom

Brad’s Blog Challenge – How and Why You Learned a Foreign Language

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Brad presented us with another challenge (he seems to have a knack for that!): blog a story related to learning a foreign language.

Photo by Gil Epshtein

Last January, when my blog was only a month old, I posted about how I ended feeling a lot like a deaf person when I was sudying Spanish.

Since that was such a long time ago and the blog was still “taking its baby steps”, I’m posting this tale again.

Here it is:

TAKING A WALK IN THE LEARNERS’ SHOES

On the blog Box Of Chocolates, which I really enjoy following, there’s an interesting guest post discussing whether or not the experience of learning a foreign language can help you understand your students better, called

Taking a Walk in the Learners’ Shoes

I had an interesting experience related to this. About 7 years ago when I was on a partial sabbatical, I took a beginner’s course in Spanish. My motivation was part historical (classic Eastern Jewish story, my maternal grandmother’s family scattered from Poland to Israel, USA and Argentina) and part practical (Spanish is supposed to  be an easy language to learn).

I wasn’t thinking of sharing my students’  experiences when I registered – after all, I’m not deaf and had not been expecting the course to enrich my experience as a teacher. Just hoped to learn some Spanish!

Well, I was wrong from the word “go”. I barely knew 3 or 4 words in Spanish when I started. My clasmates were shocked that I hadn’t known the Spanish word for heart! Hearing children in second grade know all sorts of words in English beore they start formal education. The deaf pupils literally start with nothing (some kids know the word LOVE but only in capital letters).

I had no exposure to Spanish outside the classroom. The only Spanish speaking friend I had at the time had recently moved away and I don’t watch the Spanish speaking Soap Operas.  Many (not all, never all) of my students are not exposed to English outside of the classroom, even though we live in a country where English is influential. They watch TV and movies with subtitles, use Facebook in Hebrew and don’t hear songs in English.

Just like my students I found it increasingly harder to remember the vocabulary. Each week required more effort on my part to review the words on my own. As I was also teaching, it was difficult sometimes to keep up when I had report cards and national exams to deal with.  Just like a sizeable number of my high-school students, who are often distracted by things going on at home.

I put in extra special effort and finished the course pretty well. But not easily at all. Seven years ago, after  not using Spanish at all, I remember very little… But I do remember how I felt when I studied.

I think learning a foreign language is a very important experience for any language teacher!

Day by Day in the Classroom, The Visual Corner, Visualising Vocabulary

Using the Holstee Manifesto Video to Practice Expressions of Opinion

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When I saw the Holstee Manifesto video on Sandy Millin’s excellent blog: (Almost) Infinite ELT Ideas I knew the timing was perfect.

My favorite kind of homework task is one involving a video. Such videos have to be short, suitable for teens and, of course, don’t require any listening.

Such videos aren’t a “dime a dozen”!

This one not only fits the bill but ties in nicely with the topic the strongest group of students is working on – writing opinion essays. I wanted them to practice using other phrases besides “In my opinion” or ” I think”.

This video is full of statements to agree/disagree with so I prepared a worksheet for it.

The students have begun handing it in and it’s great fun. These are 17 and 18-year-olds. They seem shocked at the idea of not looking actively for the love of your life. They agreed, in theory at least, that if you don’t have enough time you should stop watching TV. They also supported the idea of trying to change things. One student thought that “sharing your passions” was a bad idea, passions should be kept private. I’m going to ask him and see what he understands “passions to mean”. “All emotions are beautiful” was criticized and jealousy was cited as an example of an ugly one.

One statement seemed to strike most of the students as stupid – “Getting lost will help you find yourself”!

You can find the film clip on Sandy’s blog, on Youtube and on our class site, with my worksheet here:

http://englishcenterlakash.wikispaces.com/Reading+Videos (bottom of page).

Thank you Sandy Millin!

 

 

Day by Day in the Classroom

The Simple Joys of FEBRUARY!

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Epstein Family Photos (Norway)

I left the classroom today with a certain sense of satisfaction.

Right! It’s February!

It’s not just that is the last real month of winter around here.

Every year, February is  the time of year when I can finally begin to feel that most students (NEVER say ALL) are moving in the right direction.

The 12th graders are beginning to see the ” exit door” to high-school opening wide and many are really buckling down.

Most of the 11th graders who were problematic behavioral -wise in 10 th grade have decided they really want to try taking the upcoming 11th grade finals and have dropped some of their “wasting time” behaviors.

HOWEVER,

It’s the 10th graders who make February into FEBRUARY!

I finally feel that they have settled down and adjusted to life in high-school.

The move from Junior High to High School is quite a move for everyone (expecially as our school is SO large, 1700 students!) but for some it is really difficult. Particularly those students who came to us from the mainstream, where they were the only hard of hearing students in the entire school. They often were treated as “the poor things” and simply did not do many things that were hard for them. Teachers would take pity on them in tests, forgive them for being late , etc.

Here they had to adjust to a framework where the excuse “But I don’t hear well” simply doesn’t carry weight! Neither do any of the other 59 students in our program situated in a regular high-school!

The acting out, the tears and other forms of drama have seemed to die down. Life is so much easier without them!

Ah, the joys of February!

Day by Day in the Classroom

Comment on “The M Word” on Macappella’s Blog

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I have already read Fiona’s incredible post on multitasking (yes, that’s the “m” word!) three times and still don’t feel I have taken it all in. There’s so much here to think about! For the moment I will start with one point.

Somehow I always thought of multitasking in terms of amusing the baby and getting the dishes done at the same time, or cooking and thinking about Fiona’s blog post (which leads to forgetting the seasoning!).

I hadn’t given much thought to how much (or how little) I’m having my students multitask in class.

Fiona says: “Focusing on form and meaning in language, on the other hand, is something we do at least since birth… Ultimately, for children to have meaning and form separated, or to meet form and meaning independently of any other activity is to underload, not the opposite. Learning language while busy with something else is just part of life…”

Fiona doesn’t seem to be fond of teaching isolated words…

This sounds so true and so natural. It makes sense and worries me regarding my deaf and hard of hearing students.

If you think of these children learning their l1 while interacting with their parents in real life situation, you discover that their vocabulary looks like a slice of cheese full of holes. There is no accidental learning – what was not taught isn’t known. So you find the 10 year old who doesn’t know the word “frying pan” as his mother says “I’ll make you an egg” not “I’ll make you an egg in the frying pan”. Or the 18 year old who had never encountered the word “ashtray”.

I teach these children a foreign language through reading and writing. Form is our access to the language itself, “form” as in the written word.

I can’t bring meaning in a natural/exciting/significant manner to the multitude of unknown words which they encounter at once, in every single text. If I call my lesson “smelling your way to the second conditional” a meaningful way to understanding the word “would” (which is a difficult, abstract one!) the sad fact is that it took an entire lesson! When the students are focusing on understanding an unseen-reading passage they concentrate solely on comprehension, puzzling out the answers expected of them for the questions. They use their dictionaries and very few new words are learned. ***

It is only when we work on vocabulary in an isolated manner, without a context, focusing on the shape of the word in order to remember its meaning, do the students exhibit word retention.

So, you might say, for deaf and hard of hearing children learning words without context is more beneficial, and that’s that.

Unfortunately, it seems to be so only for some of the children. Some seem to really internalize only those words that made a click in their brain somehow. I’m sure my student this morning will remember the word “cheap” because she hit on the idea that it reminds her of the word “chips” (French Fries) and they are cheaper than a hamburger. But that only works for her personally. And if each and every word she learns needs to have this “click” (and she’s in high-school!) before she can remember it, then she will join the ranks of those students who progress VERY slowly.

Therefore, it seems that form and meaning are best taught together, as Fiona says, but that it is a very hard goal to achieve when language is acquired through reading and not listening!

*** There are exception, of course!