This is what I do for a living: responding to vague one-off briefs at shortish notice. I’m interested to know what others would do with it.
One of my high schools has the ‘big tests’ next week, and want something ‘special’ for the classes immediately following. The students have worked hard, so they get something different - a moment of respite.
Twelve different classes, 30-50 students in each class. I don’t know exactly how many, or even if they’re first or second year. The only certainty is that there will be a wide range of prior knowledge and confidence in each class. I get one hour (50 mins) with each group, and the brief is something like ‘teach them about common mistakes, or something useful, or something.’
In other words, I have to impart something that local teachers are not expected to be able to, in a short time, to a large group of kids at different levels, who have never met me, twelve times over a couple of days. (The rescheduling on my part just to make this possible was pretty heroic.) But nobody has actually given any thought to what that might be. It’s my problem.
Oh, and it has to be reasonably fun.
What would you do? An activity or a lecture? What message would you try to convey in this time?
(Assume no computer/projector in class.)
(Also, if anyone is interested in high school teaching but has no first-hand experience, I could probably take you into one of these sessions as a guest. No pay, and it won’t lead to a job either.)
This may be obvious–which means you’ve probably thought of it–but find out something about the content of the test, choose one or two of the more obscure or difficult to understand aspects (say probably causative structures or the ruddy subjunctive), prepare a worksheet for each student, plan some Q and A activities, etc. Come up with some “interesting/fun/funny” dialogs with the material and do some role plays question and answer lines, etc…
Theatre old boy, make them improvise around a theme, that way you can cater to different levels - maybe give them some suggested vocabulary to build in and perform their piece infront of their peers.
Or maybe have a class project, like building a boat. You only have a few classes so it would have to be a pretty lousy boat, which wouldn’t matter much because nobody intends to sail in it anyway. Just make sure it stands up to inspection.
Can you do a worksheet? Who pays for the printing?
For an hour class I’d teach them something different for half an hour, such as a Calvin & Hobbes Cartoon; or a drama something; or start them on a project as Bob suggested; or go through old fashion magazines cutting them up and finding different pieces of clothing; or a song, complete with sentence stress and rhythm. Something like “Rock around the clock” would teach them all words they know plus some words they don’t know. Snazzy, quick, fun, put a poster of The Fonz on the wall or something.
Spend 15 minutes doing some grammar - maybe just correcting some basic Chinglish with muddled tenses and non-matching subject matter. I’m sure, Mr Grammar Expert, you can find plenty of examples of those! Get them fixing it, and make sure they know why it’s wrong. This is partly for them, and partly so they walk away with something that fits their teacher’s and parents expectations of “good teaching” so it makes you look good.
Play a conversation game for 15 minutes. If you could review what they’re supposed to have learned, perhaps you could split them into groups and do a mock up of a restaurant; or have them do a survey.
Bob far be it for me to call something inappropriate - but this is a kids class right? I’m not sure thats really on. Shall we throw it open for debate? Maybe a poll?
Bob far be it for me to call something inappropriate - but this is a kids class right? I’m not sure thats really on. Shall we throw it open for debate? Maybe a poll?[/quote]
A few of the girls in my regular class may be up for something like that, but the boys are way too shy. For a first class, it’s probably a bit too challenging. I liked the boat idea though.
Yup, worksheets are do-able. I think the school wants me to focus on speaking though. Some of those suggestions sounded like a lot for 50 mins.
Bob far be it for me to call something inappropriate - but this is a kids class right? I’m not sure thats really on. Shall we throw it open for debate? Maybe a poll?[/quote]
Perhaps not. Sorry I didn’t know this was a high school class. I thought it was the geraitrics at it again bugging poor loretta for classes.
Start with some wall posters of 18th century British ships of the line, with labels for officers and crew, parts of the ship, and ropes, sails etc. Have some discussion questions for them to answer to you afterwards. Then have a team quiz game. The winning team gets to be your on-stage dancers as you whip out the DJ turntables and equipment, and rap over “I’m the jolly captain of the Pinafore”. The raps are all useful sentence patterns, such as contrasting past continuous with simple. The kids have a “rap sheet” (Ha haa!) and can sing along.
I’d be happy to teach an environmentally themed 350 lesson. I’ve taught it to adult classes and they had good fun. Did some running dictation and a nice roleplay at the end where half the class were trying to convince Joe public to attend a fight climate change event. I’m sure it would work well with junior / senior high school students.
[quote=“alecinwonderland”]I’d be happy to teach an environmentally themed 350 lesson. I’ve taught it to adult classes and they had good fun. Did some running dictation and a nice roleplay at the end where half the class were trying to convince Joe public to attend a fight climate change event. I’m sure it would work well with junior / senior high school students.
Get them fixing it, and make sure they know