You teach the hated course

Ruchel ↓

Tue, May 04 2010, 11:25 am

You teach the hated course. The pupils skip it, or sleep, or play, or disrupt.
How would you handle it? Do you just go back to the basics? Do you just give them "tools" to have a less bad grade for the finals? do you try to teach anything in any shape like showing movies in the foreign language you are teaching? something else?
I'm interested in any input!

↑ Ruchel ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:12 am

It's classic to be disruptive in a course you hate, even in the first year of uni, unfortunately... and davka 12 yr olds are easier to impress and control and less teenagerish... apparently English is the hated course in most Jewish schools, because it's the second language after Hebrew so it's neglected.

Like in the public schools they neglect German or whatever. Existed in my times, even in my mom's (she remembers the Flemish courses and the way the teachers were treated).

But it's getting worse and worse with time, it seems. In a private school like the one I'm discussing, this should not be happening (that way).

They cannot follow a movie in English, and nowadays with downloadable subtitles they don't have to make efforts anymore... conversations have been tried, but you need a basic level to do it. If you correct every word, they get discouraged... if you don't correct, they keep making mistakes. Also they use the opportunity to talk to just chat away and make noise, if they don't want to work.

↑ Ruchel ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:25 am

sequoia wrote:

Hold on a second, they are in terminale and they cannot carry on a conversation or follow a film in English? What's the expected level for the bac?

Yes it s*cks, right??
I was told their level has been evaluated has "6e" (6th grade, first middle school grade, year when they start English). They will have 2 or 3 out of 20 at the bac. It's a catastrophe.

↑ sequoia ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:29 am

Wow.

Okay, so you cannot work any miracles, clearly.

But I still think you should take the job.

Download or make some charts for them so all the grammar and usage is presented clearly. Focus on shortcuts, memorization, make everything very logical and organized.

Maybe you can get them up to speed so it's not so catastrophic.

↑ Ruchel ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:39 am

If I take the job, I'll definitely work on the worst mistakes ("it's I am not I are") and try to give them something to say for the bac (they will have to comment on texts).

The director wants me to take the small classes next year (beginning middle school) as I have never taught and the terminales can be "only" 5 years younger than me (and two heads taller lol). But you just reminded me I need to call him, thanks Wink

farmom

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:45 am

Do they want to get better grades? To learn?

If the answer is no to both, you are pretty stuck.

If there is any interest, I would go with that. Make the class interesting. Go with what they want to learn. Show them that it can be useful, fun, interesting.

I wouldn't teach just for the exam, because that ill just make the course even more tedious.

shalhevet ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:46 am

Are there experienced teachers you can get advice from? Sorry, but students are often disruptive when they are bored - maybe you are teaching them on too high a level? Students in Israel traditionally "hate" English too, but you can learn techniques and provide them with interesting material so that they will study and not disrupt.

Another mistake inexperienced teachers often make is to start disciplining a pupil for misbehaviour - the rest of the class gets bored and things go from bad to worse. Try getting a message of disapproval across by eye contact, hand movements etc, while you carry on teaching.

freidasima ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:50 am

From my teacher friends I'm told you have to catch them the first lesson with a combination of two things: one is something really interesting, the other is to be strict with discipline but with a smile.

What could be interesting? Bringing in a strange but common item, teaching them what it is called in English, and asking them to make up a few sentences about it. while they are at it, correct their grammar, make them repeat and compliment. Try to have a sense of humor about it, but again, keep the discipline.

If worse comes to worse tell them that if they are good you will teach them good curses in English (at the end my friend the english teacher won them over with that...no it wasn't a frum school).

↑ shalhevet

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:54 am

Ruchel wrote:

If I take the job, I'll definitely work on the worst mistakes ("it's I am not I are") and try to give them something to say for the bac (they will have to comment on texts).

IME, if the class is very weak do as little grammar as you can get away with. It's boring for them, and the usually don't progress anyway (they know it for the test and then make exactly the same mistakes the next week). It's better to work on increasing vocabulary, reading comprehension and speaking even with mistakes.

realeez

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:59 am

sequoia wrote:

Why are they so disruptive? It seems odd for 17-year-olds to behave like 12-year-olds.

I would imagine that you try to engage them and make it more interesting -- show American films, talk about things that matter to them in English, and so on.

I had that experience in one teaching job where the 17-year-old girls were more disruptive than my 8-year-old students (both boys and girls) in Sunday School. (And I taught that age group 3 years in a row along with the same subject 4 years prior with no issues at all) And the chutzpah - it was scary!

Good luck Ruchel!

Last edited by realeez on Thu, May 06 2010, 7:00 am; edited 1 time in total

↑ Ruchel ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 6:59 am

Quote:

Do they want to get better grades? To learn?

The director says no. I may be idealistic, I cannot believe out of 30 or 33 students NO ONE CARES about the bac. He says they make up for their terrible grade with Hebrew (their first foreign language) and maths.

Quote:

Show them that it can be useful, fun, interesting.

Any idea on how I can bring interesting (for them) material while not breaking rules of this Orthodox school? director is a shtark Litvak and he'll go crazy if I bring stuff I can see the "disruptive" ones liking, like Spartacus. lol

Quote:

Are there experienced teachers you can get advice from?

I'll meet the other high school teacher soon iyh (before I start)

Quote:

Sorry, but students are often disruptive when they are bored - maybe you are teaching them on too high a level?

They are definitly taught on the normal level as the school is under contract... I also think it's part of the problem and if I start, I'll be back to the bases.

Quote:

Students in Israel traditionally "hate" English too, but you can learn techniques and provide them with interesting material so that they will study and not disrupt.

I'm open to any idea that can fit in a frum school.

Quote:

Another mistake inexperienced teachers often make is to start disciplining a pupil for misbehaviour - the rest of the class gets bored and things go from bad to worse. Try getting a message of disapproval across by eye contact, hand movements etc, while you carry on teaching.

Thanks. Punishments don't even seem to work with them, or the teacher wouldn't refuse to teach...

Teacup9 ↓

Thu, May 06 2010, 8:05 am

They may be able to follow a movie if it is a story they already know well like a fairy tale. There may be english language teaching DVDs available too. Ones that teach like the Rosetta stone where English is matched with pictures for association instead of translation. Of course in high school I would have found that terribly boring....

My best language teachers only spoke in the foreign language and just kept explaining themselves in simpler and simpler terms while acting things out. Just hearing the language spoken for that amount of time each day really gave me an ear for it.

I think the trick is to get them to look up to you, find you interesting, and like you. That was the hardest part for me when I taught briefly. Also for some reason I did better with the older students whom related to me more.

mae1984

Thu, May 06 2010, 8:43 am

When we had French classes in school I found them terribly boring!
A few idea from classes where the subject was not always one that I liked:
* Start the class with a student giving a speech in the language about any topic. Use visual aids etc. We did this in English class (to improve public speaking) and girls would give talks about how they enjoyed (eg.) baking, and then would hand out cookies in the end. I gave one about Spain (had a thing for Spain that year!) and I made postcards to pass around.
* For rosh chodesh make a 'party' where snacks are brought in and games are played - in english.
*Songs are a good tool. When I was in hebrew Ulpan the teacher would play a pop song in hebrew, then she would write it on the board and transalate and we would talk about it. She would choose really beautiful songs which had inspirational words.

Hope these help!