1. Based on your preference, what kind of classroom activity do you like most and which one do you like the least?
2. Can you recall some very fun activity you experienced recently in class? Please describe it.
3. When encountering some kind of difficult knowledge, do you have any strategies to process it?
4. Based on your responses to Q1, Q2, and Q3, can you tell the type of learner you are? Why?
In the six kinds of classroom activities (reading, listening, watching, hands-on activity, discussion or reflection), I personally like discussion or reflection most. To me, it is interesting to listen to others’ viewpoint toward the same topic. I am curious about others’ thoughts and creativity. Also, in the process of discussion, I am always surprised by peers’ good ideas and wonder how she or he comes up with those amazing ideas. After all, a man couldn’t see completely than a group. On the other hand, trough reflection, I can gain much opportunity to organize my idea into words. During discussion, I can exchange my opinions with friends and clarify my thinking at the same time. I can learn something good from others and change into mine or improve what I lack. When it comes to the activity I dislike, I think reading is my answer. I feel a bit annoyed when I read something but can not remember, especially in tests. Besides, I can’t bear to read materials I don’t like or have no interest.
I think learning could be an enjoyment rather than torture. For example, in my German class, the teacher usually teaches and plays a German song. If someone forgets to bring textbooks, the careless classmate has to sing a song. I am glad to learn German in such a natural way. Furthermore, the German teacher even teaches us how to say four-letter words in German. In my opinion, maybe I will forget some German words or dialogue after several years but thee song will help me recall of something.
Difficulties are inevitable in learning process. Learning in fun is not synonymous with learning in laziness. Take myself for example; I have difficulties in one of my general knowledge course about multimedia web design. I am clumsy when dealing with computers and have no experience of web design previously. I feel anxious not only in class but after class particularly in handing assignment and test paper. I always afraid of forgetting steps of web design and have no confidence to do well like predecessors or peers. To overcome these hardships, I watch the video the teacher provides on the e-course and learn to do as good as demo steps by steps. If I have problem, I will ask my classmates. I don’t have excellent learning strategies but I believe learning steadily and surely is the best way for me.
According to my learning methods, I think I am an individual learner. That is, I learn independently. I have my personal thought and I am stubborn in it. I seldom ask to others and show my confusion in appearance. This learning type is not fine actually. However, I think it can become my unique learning way if I can ask questions or discuss with others regularly.
Of the six kinds of classroom activities, I prefer to integrate them all together.
回覆刪除I personally can’t bear routine either in learning or in teaching. That’s why even when the same version of textbook used last year is decided by all the English teachers of the same grade this year, I still choose to adjust my teaching approach to fit different classes. Take a reading class for example. First of all, I will have students listen to the content of the reading without the reading material to train their listening ability, then ask them some questions about the content to test how much they can comprehend the reading. I will then lead the students to read the reading more thoroughly and provide advanced questions for them to have deeper discussion in groups. After that, students are supposed to present the results of their discussion. In this case, the other students are observers (watching the presenters’ performance). Next, a writing assignment will be given for students to write down their reflection on the reading or the group discussion.
What I don’t like is a single activity applied, which may make the learners feel bored and the class dull. In my viewpoint, if a teacher doesn’t feel interested in his or her own teaching, how can the teacher make students enjoy his or her class? This is always my criterion of my teaching. For instance, the most interesting activity I have employed many times is that students are divided into groups, each of which is assigned a part of learning materials as well as a time to present it. Students usually have a week ahead to prepare for the presentation. When one group is presenting, the others are audience. Once any of the audience asks a question, their group can get one extra point to the total score of the presentation. As to the teacher’s role, he or she is supposed to give comments for students’ improvement next time.
When encountering some difficult knowledge, I will exhaust any methods to process it such as googling it or consulting an expert if possible.
Dear Faith,
回覆刪除Thank you for sharing your teaching experience. Being your student sounds happy since you are not the teacher who only reads text book or has no creativity. I also hate pigeonhole. I think that students will want to or cannot help but fall asleep if doing the same thing each year. Moreover, you mentioned that you will adjust yourself to different classes. It reminds me of Confucius. He teaches students in accordance with their traits. What is more, you say that you will give students a listening warm up before they open their text books. I think that it is a good idea, too. Because it can help students know the main idea of this lesson and make them pay attention to listen the contents. Besides, group discussion gives students chance to talk, to show their opinions. Some creative thoughts will come out in this period. And then, you divide students into observers and presenters. In this way, their critical thinking ability will be cultivated. Eventually, you propose students to write down their reflection. In my opinion, writing is truly a way to clarify thoughts systematically.
Other than that, I appreciate you to stand in your students’ shoes. It is not only a important personality to be a teacher but a person. I think that you play a teacher’s role successfully indeed.
Best wishes,
Tina
Dear Tina,
回覆刪除Thank you for your compliments. I am really flattered. I think I am just the person who chooses what he likes and enjoys what he is doing. That's all. It's nothing big deal. To be more specific, I think I am a lucky guy, being able to do what I like, invloved in it and enjoying it until the end of the life. Thus, I shall live without regret.
Best,
Faith