Sunday, October 20, 2013

Don't be afraid of changes


Don’t be afraid of changes

So the seating arrangement doesn’t work? Change it.  Use actions and simple words to let students understand what you want. Demonstrate it first; of course, and then show them what your intension is.  Physically help them move so they understand. Always say thank you when they listen. When students are not listening during whole group instruction time, change their carpet seating arrangement right away.

座位安排有问题?马上换。用简单的词汇和动作来让学生了解你的意思。示范一下动作,让他们知道你要他们跟着做什么。实际上帮他们搬移座位上的东西也可以让他们了解。记得说谢谢。如果学生在地毯讲课区吵闹说话,马上换。让他们知道每一个行为都会有特定的结果。

Take lining up as an example.  Give clear directions.  Count to three; a quiet line should form.  If it doesn’t happen the first time, ask the students to come back and do it again.  Keep doing it until a quiet line is formed.  There will be students who are obedient and know how to be quiet. Walk up to them and say “thank you for being quiet.” Ask the whole class to go back and form the line again. Pretty soon, the children will understand that you are expecting a quiet line and nothing else. They will start reminding each other so they don’t have to repeat this action too many times.

拿排队做例子。清楚说明要学生安静迅速的排队,数到3 然后看这队伍是否安静。不安静?回去再排一次,再一次,再一次,直到队伍安静为止。不用大声说话,只要轻声跟听话的学生道谢,然后要全部的学生继续努力排队。很快的,学生就会知道并提醒彼此安静排队,免得要再多跑几次。

Good learning habits need to be created and practiced so a teacher’s can be effective.  When fostering good habits, don’t worry about spending time on it because language will be reinforced and behavior will be molded.  Henceforth, teaching will happen.

好的学习习惯需要被造也需要持续练习,如此老师的教导才会有效果。养成好的 学习习惯时,不要在乎花费的时间因为语言也会被学习到,好习惯养成后,教书的工作才可以真正开始。

Teachable moment


Teachable moment

Any moment is a teachable moment.  When a teacher only has three hours or less a day to teach all subjects, it is a challenge.  So, any tiny moment can’t be wasted. When choosing lunch, math can be added to the counting. Gradually, a comparison can be made.
Do students yell out things in English? Instead of telling them not to use English, just repeat it in Chinese and put it in a sentence.  The language comes from the students, and it’s in a context they can understand.  They will remember it better. 
I often make a crazy laugh to the kids during early October and expect them to scream “Witch!” at me.  “How perfect” I will tell myself, and I will point at myself and keep repeating巫婆”.  Now, they learn a word that is useful during Halloween but has never appeared in the textbook. The best part is that they won’t forget about it due to the context and the way they acquired this new vocabulary.

任何时候都是教学的时刻。当一个老师只有3个或不到3个小时来教所有学科,是个极大的挑战,一分一秒都不能浪费掉。
选午餐,数数可以加进来,等学生熟练数字后,可以趁此机会来比较多少和多几个,少几个。
学生大声喊出英文,无须浪费时间来纠正,顺势把中文词汇丢给他们,这是学生自己提供的语文,用在情境上,他们比较不会忘记这个词也不会忘记用法。
十月初,我会故意对学生奸笑,他们往往会喊出“witch”,正合我意,我总是指着自己反复再说几次“巫婆”,要他们跟着说“陈老师是巫婆”.一个万圣节有用的词汇就简单学会了。

Once, several students talked about one student being a “smarty-pants”.  How exciting! I asked the student to come to the front. I asked him questions, and then expect his “smart” pants to answer me after putting the microphone to his pants. Of course, there was no sound from his pants. I asked him the same questions, and he could answer everything. I turned to the students and asked in Chinese “who is smart, he or the pants?” Everyone laughed and learned to say, “pants are not smart,” “he is smart” in Chinese. Of course, there will be students trying to answer for the pants.  Ignore this naughty behavior and reward positive behavior and let the students know your expectations.

一次,几个学生形容另一个学生是个 “smarty-pants”。机不可失,我请这学生站到前方, 把麦克风放到学生膝盖附近问了几个简单的问题,当然裤子不会回答,我问学生同样的 问题,这个学生回答了每个问题,接着我问所有学生,是裤子聪明还是他聪明,笑得开怀的学生大声回答“他很聪明,裤子不聪明。”当然会有几个调皮的学生想替裤子回答,故意忽略,然后表扬听话认真的小孩就可以让学生知道老师的态度和期许。

When something drops, say it out loud.  When thinking of something, say it out loud. When you can’t find something, say it out loud.  When you find something, say it out loud.
When the students match your actions with words, everything makes sense to them and they have a better chance to remember the words.

东西掉了,大声的说出来 “啊,掉下去了。在想事情的时候,也说出来 我想。。。。找不到东西时,也说出来,“我的东西在哪里?”找到了,也大声说找到了或是在这里,学生自然可以从你的行为和言辞找到连贯,由此知道也学会一些课本上不容易教到的词汇。

Students need social language; they need to hear it in daily life and in the most natural setting in order to remember and reuse the language.  So, when to teach these social languages? Any moment is a teachable moment. Students are learning all the time. Look for these teachable moments.

学生需要知道生活上的用语,他们从自然的环境,生活周遭听到这些语文时是最容易记住的。何时教才对?任何时候都可以教,学生无时不刻都在学习。善用这些时刻。

天气的幻灯片和音档结合的分享

 给学生自己练习天气名称和对话用的幻灯片。大家有兴趣也可以使用。 天气这个话题,我上课的习惯是天天说,不会单独成一个单元。因为学生每天来说一点,随着天气变化,这些贴身话题才能深深刻印在脑海里然后被使用。 1. 可以点击这个 链接 播放。 2. 如果想要下载更改成自己的 链接在此 。