Dear diary,
Finally the summer school has finished and I am enjoying a bit of relaxation before launching back into the new term.
I want to share a dream with you! My dream is to participate someday in a larger event where I can enjoy the company of other teachers who come from different countries to learn/share ideas and experiences.This year the IATEFL 2015 conference is just about to accept other teachers application of around the world.am I ready? Do I really have something worth listening to?Or do I just want to travel and go shopping in London street?although it is a pretty good idea going shopping!!
Well,I do have something to discuss, something that I have been trying out all through the previous year since I had a taste of what it is like to stand in front of other teachers and share an experience no matter how trivial that seemed to be to others.
The thing which I have been trying all through this year is to establish what I like to call "the CCR and motivation).CCR stands for Creative Classroom Routine! I know you are probably wondering how could a routine thing be creative.the idea first came to when I thought of establishing something in the class where I can get a constant feedback from my student and yet keep them busy.
By the end of the year I have tried a number of ideas with different types of students where some of them really enjoyed the experience others seemed reluctant to participate.
The first CCR was making a box for extra activities to help keep the early finishers and the so called early birds,who arrive early to class, busy.That box as mentioned by some of my students"the box of fun" or by others"that's what I get for coming early!"
Then cam the idea of "the class journal" a good speak out kind of chart where I asked students to share their suggestions or ask me for anything,in case of shy students that worked better.Then that journal was then developed into sections, as suggested by some of my students, a section for the best writing, a section for phrase of the week and other parts where I suggest certain activities and they vote or they suggest certain activities for me to consider.
Another great activity;which is considered a more secure way of using a class journal, that helped me motivate students into writing ,which is not originally mine, is the asking students to keep a diary.And to keep a long story short I bought them the diaries and asked them to spare ten minutes by the end of each class to write down how they felt today what was good and what may have changed also what they have learned or considered for extra practice.
In an attempt to encourage students into using the target language and at the same time develop their reading/speaking skills,I asked my students to sign a contract where they are asked to summaries a chapter of a novel or a short story depending on their levels, in case they have used their mother tongue inside the class.Not that I am totally against using the L1 inside the class it is just Arab students tend to overuse their L1 ad asking their teachers most of he time to explain in their L1.(see attached contract sample)
That contract proved that establishing ground rules in the classroom can be a good motive for students.It helped also serve as a part where students who have got talents of acting or even a bit shy to speak to practice speaking in a non-threatening environment.They knew that everyone of them sooner or later will be in their shoes.
One final activity that was a major success with the students was creating a book that kept their memories and their advice to any other class that may read that book.That book helped me as a teacher re-discover the talents of my students as it was entirely their own creation I only throw them some colored sheets/pens, a glow and printed out some of the pictures we had together through the year and they have created what they called "North Pole class"(see attached pictures)
