The Reflection of Micro Teaching Class (Part XI) -Mid test I and Mid Test II-

This week was my turn to do my class teaching both in the micro teaching class and junior class. It was very exciting. I could apply what I have learned in the micro teaching class. Moreover, I could share my knowledge for my students. After teaching, I know that being a teacher was not easy. I have to prepare many things related to what I have to teach. I have to master my materials well.

In my first progress test, I taught about reading skill. I learned how to convey my knowledge for my friends who are pretended as the senior high school students. At first, I felt nervous but I could overcome it. I was enjoying my role as a teacher. However, I had to improve my teaching skills. I got some comments from my lecturer, as follows:

1.       My introduction was good but I had to consider about the content of my video because it contained violence.

2.       I had to find a way to make my students understand the difficult terms (such as news item, newsworthy).

3.       I had to work hard to motivate my students to learn.

4.       I had to make sure that my students got the correct answers.

5.       I had to manage my time.

I also felt excited while I was teaching the junior class. I learned that I had to check the media before I was going to teach them. It was because there was a trouble with the speaker when I wanted to play the video as one of the media for the teaching-learning process. However, my students were very cooperative so that I could continue teaching them without finding any difficulties. I also got some comments from my observer, the lecturer in the speaking class II:

A.      Positive comments:

- I was confident.

- I mastered the material well.

- I could explain the students’ curiosity about some grammar problem.

B.      Negative comments :

-          I discussed the handout a lot.

-          I could re-explain the handout when I gave them feedback after they worked.

After performing my teaching skill both in the micro teaching class and junior class, I feel more confident now. In conclusion, I have to improve my skill more to be a good teacher. I hope I can give my best performance in my final test.

My reflection in microteaching class- Part X

This week, I found that one of my friends used the appropriate recording to teach listening. He preferred to make a recording. It was good because he paid much attention about the students abilities and skill. The recording was understandable enough. The duration was also good enough for the students in senior high school. I learned that to be a good teacher, we had to comprehend our students needs and condition to follow the lesson.
I also learned how to teach speaking. My friend taught about the degree of formality in speaking. It was very interesting and good. The students had to know how to speak formal in order to show their polite attitudes. Therefore, the students will have a good personality later on.
This week, one of my friend had a turn to do the class teaching for the junior class. It was also interesting because I could learn how to teach the junior class next week. My friend had a high language awareness. Therefore, the students were very understood about the lesson. Next week will be my turn to teach. I hope I will be success both in micro teaching class and junior class.

My Reflection in Micro Teaching Class (Part IX) - Mid Test I -

This was the second week that we had a progress test I in micro teaching class. Based on my friends’ performances, I had learned many things about how to manage the class. I also paid much attention on their lesson plans and skills to teach English. To teach reading, we have to focus on scanning and skimming skills. There are many ways which we can do to improve their reading skills. We can persuade them to guess the topic of the text by analyzing it based on the title. As they know the topic, it will be easy for them to know what the main idea of each paragraph is. While they are reading, teacher has to make them able to guess some important information from the text by relating it to the topic. Guessing is also important when the students find some difficult words. Teacher can persuade the students to read the text and ask them to guess the meaning from the text.

To teach writing is not easy. As teachers, we have to make sure that the students understand the steps how to write. To motivate the students to write is a big challenge for teacher. Finding an idea is a big problem for them. Therefore, teachers have to find some creative ways to encourage students to write. However, we also have to know about our students’ abilities. Based on my friend’s performance, I found that there are some inappropriate lessons for the students for senior high school. I also noticed that there was a misleading about how to teach writing. In my opinion, instead of explaining or reviewing about the generic structure and language features, we should directly practice them to produce their writings on the certain topic. Moreover, the term of ‘language features’ was not appropriate for the students in senior high school. In my opinion, what we want to learn for students should come up from the text.

Teaching listening is not easy. As teachers, we have to make sure that we teach the skill, for example, teaching the students how to predict the answer by underlining the keywords while the students are listening and teaching the students how to take some notes from the recording. However, as teachers, we also have to make sure that the recording is appropriate for students or not; and whether it is difficult or not for the students in senior high school.

To teach speaking is not easy. Teachers have to make sure that their teaching’s strategy motivates the students to speak. While the students are speaking, teachers have to pay attention to the grammar and pronunciation. While the students make some mistakes related to that, teachers should directly correct it. Therefore, they will not make some mistakes again. In my opinion, this week, my friends had done their best performances. Congratulation for them!

My Reflection in Micro Teaching Class (Part VIII) - Mid Test I -

Eighth week is time for us to start doing a micro teaching class. We have to do our first teaching one by one in order based on the lottery. This week, there were six of my friends who did class teaching. From their performance, I learn that we have to make sure about the time that we would spend to do a class teaching. Two of my friends only spent 20 minutes class teaching. In fact, they had to spend it for 30 minutes. I also learn while we are teaching listening, we have to make sure about the media; It will work well or not. Based on my friends experiences last week, there was some trouble with the recording. Therefore, we have to make sure that the media is in good condition or not. We have to test the media before the class started.

In my opinion, as a teacher, I have to pronounce words well so that our students will pronounce all words well. I also learn that we have to be patient to teach some naughty students. Although we have to be patient, it does not mean that we have to ignore their attitude which is not appropriate and not good. We have to be strict to warn them. I also learn while we help certain students, we do not allow to concern or pay our attention for them. We have to remember others, the whole class; others have our help or not. While we are teaching, we have to make sure that the students at the back will hear our voice or not.

In the second meeting in this week, I became an observer. As an observer, I also observed about the students in the class. I found there were lots of their attitudes which did not show that they pretended as high school students. However, my friends who pretended as teachers could solve this problem in a good way. They were very patient. Six of my friends did their first class teaching well. Congratulation for them. 

My Reflection on Micro Teaching Class Part VII -Classroom Management-

In the first meeting of the seventh week, one of my friends did the class teaching for 15 minutes. She taught about simple present tense. Based on her performance, I learned how to do the class teaching later on. She was confident, well-prepared, mastering the lesson, and having a good language control while teaching. Those are some good things which I should have in my class teaching next on. However, the topic which was taught by her was difficult for the first grade students in senior high school because she taught directly about the grammar. In my opinion, we have to teach the grammar indirectly by using texts. For example, by using descriptive text, while we are teaching about the language features of descriptive text, we can also insert the grammar lesson about the simple present tense. It will be nice both for students and teacher.

In the second meeting of the seventh week, I learned about the tips of classroom management. There are 25 tips which are helpful us.

1. Arrange the seating to help

ð So that the students can learn comfortably.

2. Stand up when we’re directing activity

ð It is important that the students can see teacher. Then, it can make them easier to understand what the teacher is saying.

3. Look at the students

ð It can help the teacher to check the students whether they understand or don’t.

4. Use our hands to encourage and direct students

ð The gesture will make the teacher’s instruction or explanation more meaningful.

5. Use the back of our hand to point

ð It shows the politeness.

6. Use pauses to punctuate what we say

ð If the teacher speaks “without punctuation”, students will be very confused.

7. Vary our voice

ð To avoid the boredom and monotonous intonation.

8. Keep our language to a minimum when students are doing something

ð The function is to make the students speak more than the teacher.

9. Don’t commentate

ð Any commentary we give should be of help to the students, and not used either to reassure ourselves or simply to fill up silence.

10. Don’t be afraid of silence

ð Silent can indicate that there is a balance between activity and quiet moments for reflection.

11. Don’t be afraid of noise

ð Effective language teaching means giving the students a chance to speak.

12. Use pair work to increase student talking time – even if it seems chaos

13. Use group work to increase student talking time

ð Group work must be followed by a general class activity when the result of the group work are reported to the whole group, and commented on by teacher.

14. Be explicit

ð Classroom instructions and explanations should be simple, precise, and explicit. It also means doing this in detail.

15. Don’t ask “Do you understand?”

ð Teacher can ask directly about the topic lesson to know whether their students understand or don’t by knowing their answers.

16. Don’t go ‘round the class’ if individuals can prepare particular examples

17. Admit our ignorance

ð To say the truth about the anything which teacher does not so that there is no misconception for students.

18. Consult colleagues

ð Ask anyone who can help us to answer the students’ question which we do not know.

19. Consult students

ð Ask the students whether they like the activities or don’t.

20. Demonstrate, rather than explain, new activities

ð Demonstrating reduces the amount of unnecessary teacher language.

21. Exploit real events

ð To stimulate the students into using the language naturally.

22. Divide the blackboard

23. Use the overhead projector to control what students see

24. Machinery will not solve all our problems

25. Expand, don’t clutter

In my opinion, those tips are really helpful for me to do my class teaching both for my micro teaching test and practice the junior high school students later on. It can be my guideline to be a good teacher later on.