My Second Lesson Plan

 The Journey continues, everyday I pass by a new experience that makes my eyes wide open for development and becoming better. Exploring the culture around me, gives me confidence, that I will find myself in this place and build up a career.

 In the previous time, stress worked his way and made a kind of a block or barrier between me and the students and that led to uneasy start, where I didn't warm up the students for a smooth lead in. This time, I believe, I was much better, and I believe this is going to improve with experience, so I can eventually say I possess a very strong, motivational and engaging lead in to my lessons. However, I can say that this time, stress didn't affect my teaching and the learning environment was very safe and I was able to establish rapport with the students. 

  Details of how my lesson went, and to what extent I have followed the written plan will come in the next post. Today I want to share with you my second lesson plan and hear from you what do you think of it? The lesson main objective was using and practicing language of colors and clothes to ask and answer questions in related contexts. 

 Until then, Have a Good Day!

Lesson plan

Main Aim:

Using and practicing colors and different cloth fabric patterns to describe clothes. “What does he/she wears?”(لابسة/لابس/ لابسين)

Subsidiary Aim:

Knowing colors conjugation with masculine and feminine vocabulary.

Personal Aim:

Controlling the TT, giving much time for students to use the language in pair and group activities. Giving clear and focused instructions with the activities and controlling Meta language used with this level, sticking to the target language. Never entering the students’ zone. Grading activities, easy comes first then a bit challenging.

Anticipated problems and solutions

·        In Meaning: the word منقطة، منقوشة، مقلمة، كاروه)) these new words will be supported by visual aids to help students get an idea of it meaning.

·        In Form: conjugation with masculine and feminine vocab may confuse some of the students, however, illustration on board using color codes, practicing and drilling on different examples using different activities to form and answer questions will probably solve this issue.

·        Pronunciation:  the (ق) in (برتقاني، قميص) are pronounced like /a/ if it happens, I will use peer correction, and focus on the /a/ sound, (س،ص) in different vocab as in: (أسود،أصفر، كرسي، قميص)

 

Stages & Aims

Time	Interaction	Stage & Aim	Procedure
15 min	TS	Leading to basic colors (black, white, red, blue, yellow, green) using different colorful items. Then other secondary colors. The aim here is to introduce (ده،دي) with different vocab.	Using colorful objects I will start asking what is the color of this and that Trying to elicit this color to form short sentences with masculine and feminine vocab.
15 min	TS, SS	Drilling and practicing colors with/without the word (لون) with conjugation in singular (M/F) and plural form.	Giving a model sentence, drilling on different examples followed by an activity from the course book in page 183. Followed by checking answers in pair.
15 min	TS	Leading to clothes vocabulary supported by visual aids and printed materials. To practice cloth items and describe their patterns and colors.	Using a list of pictures on the computer and printed, we’ll start to identify different clothes types also with M/F (ده،دي) then start describing the cloth fabric pattern and its color.
15 min	Group Activity	Asking and answering questions about what is this? And using the board for an activity categorizing clothes types into M/F.	Giving clear and simple instructions for the activity, answering the first one for them. Followed by the students sticking the picture according to M/F category.
15-10 min	Group Activity	Practicing on verb conjugation with different pronouns using pile cards of pronouns, colors and clothes.  This is to help them form complete sentences in different context and produce the language.	Using pile cards of pronouns, colors and clothes they will form a sentence, each in turn.
15 min	Group Activity	Describing people. Practicing the target language in real environment to help them produce the language learnt.	Asking them to describe each other’s clothes. Then moving to the rest of the people found in the class.
15 min	Group Activity	A role play for freer practice of the targeted Language.	Setting: In a Clothes Shop A conversation between two about certain items and its available colors.

 

Feedback Benefits (First Official Feedback)

  Yesterday I have taken my first official feedback from my boss about the lesson I prepared and taught in the ECA Level 2 class. I am writing today to highlight the feelings associated with this experience. Further, stress the advantages of a building feedback.

  In the teacher training program, I get used for the presence of our teachers taking notes about our performance inside the class, our lesson plan, style of teaching and everything related to the lesson, starting from the lesson's objective and ending with the freer activities for producing the targeted Language. Still, it was totally different experience when observed officially in a real classroom. I worried a little bit, although I planned my lesson very well, wrote down a lesson plan and used variety of sources and materials to support my lesson. I was a bit tension at the beginning of the class and I believe it was obvious for some. 

  By the way, getting feedback from my friends and teachers was of the best parts in the training program. I believe I got the ability to see and analyse my lesson and think how to make it better, however, feedback has given me a wider vision, it gave me the opportunity to see from different perspectives and even notice things I have not seen. Feedback grabbed my attention to  details of the details and reinforced my feelings and intuition about the elements in my lesson, and it helped me look deeper.

  Although, I have written down my own analysis about my first lesson with the ECA Level 2 class and to what extent I have followed this lesson plan. Feedback came to enlighten me about new things that I couldn't see, or was not sure if it happened, caused a problem or not?

  I have read once that people avoid things that cause them pain or embrace them and welcome any element of joy. The same with the positive feedback, it works on positivity, your points of strengths, and grab your attention to the areas that need development to make you stronger. That what happened with me, I got a very positive feedback, a feedback that I will always welcome. A feedback that praises and shows you nicely the way to improve and be much better.

  My first official feedback gave me confidence I am on the right track, and that I can be better. It made me see another slips I didn't notice in my analysis. First it assured my sense about the tension at the beginning of this class, I wasn't sure if anybody noticed this, but they did. This affects the stage of ice breaking, I should have given much time to break the ice between the students and me. Further, The target language was focusing on (عايز/عايزة) + verb for future indications. I was shifting between this and another rule of the future form. For example, instead of saying (عايز تعمل إيه في الأجازة؟) I was saying (هاتعمل إيه في الأجازة؟) this may confused them because they didn't take verbs in the future form yet. In other words, I have to stick to the target language.  I didn't notice that I used (عايز) only with the pronoun (I)(أنا), I should have highlighted the usage of (عايزة) as well with the pronoun (I) (أنا). It draws my attention as well to the importance of a handout. I did it already and handed them a written script of the story built on the board using the pictures, but I was not sure if this is necessary for each class, now I know it is very important. I knew already that my hand writing on the board needs more practice, but I didn't know that I need to work as well on using color codes professionally. 

  At the end, I can say I am happy and very satisfied with this feedback, it is a feedback that builds and adds to the ones sense. Now I am aware where to focus on and looking forward starting planing for this week's lesson and getting my second feedback. In other words, I feel grateful and blessed to find myself in this healthy environment.

 

Observation (3) ECA Level 2

 The journey continues, and I am here today to tell you about another observation in the ECA Level 2 Class. This time the lesson objective was focusing on categorizing verbs with short and long vowels in the present form, verbs they have already took inside class in previous lessons. This categorization was divided into two classes, one focusing on verbs with short vowels.

علي وزن بِيَفْعَل - بِيِفْعِل - بِيُفْعُل

 They started with verbs that have short /a/ (متمثلة في الحركة فوق الحرف الأوسط للفعل الأساسي) in the middle, in the infinitive form (فعل) such as:

بِيِرْكَب - بِيِسْمَع - بِيِلْعَب - بِيِرْجَع - بِيِفْطَر

 Drilling and practicing was there all the time with all pronouns, to highlight verb conjugation. Then they moved to verbs with short vowel /i/ (متمثلة في حركة الكسرة الموجودة تحت الحرف الأوسط للفعل الأساسي) such as:

بِيِكْتِب - بِيِغْسِل - بِيِدْرِس - بِيِلْبِس - بِيِنْزِل - بِيِعْمِل

 Activity using different pictures representing the verbs and cards with the pronouns was used to practice producing these verbs in short sentences. Then they moved to verbs with short vowel /o/ ( متمثلة في حركة الضمة الموجودة على الحرف الأوسط للفعل الأساسي وياء المضارعة) such as:

 بِيُطْبُخ - بِيُقْعُد - بِيُخْرُج - بِيُرْقُص

  Making questions using these verbs were used as an activity to practice using them in different contexts and recapping on the whole verbs took place to make sure they pronounce  them correctly, in other words one of the main goals in this lesson was accuracy. They have been asked as well to practice those verbs at home and record themselves saying them with all pronouns.

 In the second part of this lesson the focus was on verbs with long vowels (المتمثلة في حروف المد  و ، ا ، ي  ) and verbs with "Shad'a" (شدَّة). First, verbs with long vowel /o/ (متمثلة في حرف الواو الموجودة في وسط الفعل الأساسي) Such as:

بِيْرُوح - بِيْزُور - بِيْشُوف - بِيْقُول

 Second, verbs with long vowel /a/ (متمثلة في ألف المد الموجودة في وسط الفعل الأساسي) Such as: بِيْنَام

 Third, verbs with long vowel /i/ (متمثلة في حرف الياء الموجود في وسط الفعل الأساسي) Such as: بِيْجِيب - بِيْبِيع 

 Fourth, verbs with long vowel /i/ at the end of the verb (متمثلة في حرف الياء الموجود في أخر الفعل الأساسي) Such as:

بِيِجْرِي - بِيِمْشِي - بِيِشْتِرِي

 Fifth, verbs with long vowel /a/ at the end of the verb (متمثلة في حرفي الألف/الياء الموجود في أخر الفعل الأساسي) Such as:

بِيَقْرَا - بِيِتْغَدَّى - بِيِتْعَشَّى - بِيِصْحَى

 Sixth, verbs with "Shad'a" (شدة)  Such as:

بِيْنَضَّف - بِيْحَضَّر

 Seventh,verbs with long vowel /a/ at the  beginning such as: 

بِيَاكُل - بِيَاخُد

 Activities were focusing on producing these verbs in short simple sentences, with all pronouns. Asking and answering questions on pictures representing these verbs. Further, they were assigned to record these verbs at home with all pronouns. 

 This lesson was very challenging for the students, but at the end they were able to recognize all of the verbs with its conjugation and the lesson's objective was fulfilled. 

 In the next post I am going to write about today's observation. Until then stay tuned and Have a good day!

To What Extent I Have Followed my 1st Lesson Plan

 So as I told you in my previous post, I will tell what I have really experienced inside the class while teaching. Following the preparation I have written down in my plan, I have started to have a small conversation between my students for Ice breaking, how are you today and started to lead for my lesson asking them about which day is today? So I got the answer today is Thursday.

النهاردة أيه؟

النهاردة الخميس

 Using a timeline I have started to illustrate (النهاردة) then started to ask them about tomorrow and yesterday and put it on the timeline.

<…|……………………………|…………………………|…>

     امبارح                               النهاردة                               بكرة 

 Then I started to illustrate,  I want a cup of coffee, I want to drink some coffee and ask them if they think they have the same meaning. They said they believe they have the same meaning.

عايزة قهوة

عايزة أشرب قهوة

I confirmed in turn that the two sentences have the same meaning, then I started to ask them if this action already took place or not yet. Between me and you, although I have been told that they didn't took the past yet. I slipped into this unconsciously!

أنا عايزة أشرب قهوة

أنا شربت قهوة؟ دا حصل؟

This confused them, and I realized I have to fix this, I asked them in English if this action of drinking coffee happened or not yet? Then I asked I want a pen  and referred do I have a pen now?

أنا عايزة قلم

أنا معايا قلم دلوقتي؟

 They answered no and they realized this action doesn't took place yet. I started to illustrate that (عايز أو عايزة)  indicates the future. The near future, after one minute from now, or very far arrangement within a year or more. Then I started to give them the key words that refers to the future, after clarifying using the timeline again that:

 (بكرة) refers to the future (المستقبل)

(النهاردة، دلوقتي) refers to the present (المضارع)

(امبارح) refers to the past (الماضي)

    

                            Future(المستقبل)                      Present(الحاضر)                      Past(الماضي)
                                  

<…|……………………|…………………|…>

     امبارح                      النهاردة                           بكرة

 Writing down on the board the future key words they may found with (عايز وعايزة) such as:

 (بكرة، كمان ساعة، بعد دقيقة، بعد شوية، بعد بكرة، الأسبوع أو السنة اللي جاية)

 Then following my lesson plan I have prepared a story about someone I called him Walid (وليد), he is a male and that is to focus on the pronoun (he) (هو) as the students used to and as I observed in the previous classes.

وليد النهاردة عايز يروح السينما مع صاحبه أحمد. بكرة الصبح عايز يزور جدو وتيتا. و الضهر عايز يقص شعره في الكوافير. بعد كده عايز يشتري هديه لصاحبه جون من أمريكا. بليل الساعة ستة عايز يستقبل صاحبه جون لما يوصل المطار. بعد بكرة عايز يخرج مع صاحبه جون و يلعب كورة في النادي. و بليل عايز يرجع البيت ينضف ويغسل المواعين. الاسبوع اللي جاي عايز يسافر الجونة مع صحابه.

                                

 I have used pictures to support my story, giving hints to what walid is planning to do today, tomorrow, after tomorrow and next week. 

 In real in some sentences, I didn't stick to the style written in my lesson plan. For example, in (الضهر عايز يقص شعره في الكوافير) I said instead (بعد الضهر، وليد عايز يروح عند الكوافير) asking them (هو عايز يعمل ايه عند الكوافير؟) and the answer to this is (هو عايز يقص شعره). Giving them the difference between (كوافير) and (حلاق), the 1st can refers to men's or women's salon, while the second refers to men's only. Further, in (عايز يستقبل صاحبه جون لما يوصل المطار) I totally forgot about (لما يوصل المطار) , I said (وليد عايز يروح المطار) asking them (ليه؟) and the answer to this is (عشان هو عايز يستقبل صاحبه جون). According to this I was obliged to explain what (عشان) means because they didn't understand it.

 I have spent the first hour drilling and practicing these sentences using the pronoun (HE), then (SHE) manifested in the female MONA instead of WALID. They did well concerning the verb conjugation with (عايز). Then it was a bit challenging for them when the pronoun (I) is used. They knew previously that the rule is: 

عايز + فعل في المضارع

I was planing to let them conclude it from the context, or guess it. One of the students was able to do this without knowing the rule. However, I have been obliged to explain the rule for clarification for both. That with the pronoun (I) (أنا) the (ي) in the present is deleted and replaced with (أ).

E.g. أنا عايز يخرج

أنا عايز أخرج

أنا عايزة يشرب

أنا عايزة أشرب

 In the second hour, the focus was on giving the rule with verb conjugation and production of the language using three different activities. The first activity, was giving them the verbs taken in Walid's story and asking them in turn for verb conjugation with the different pronouns. They did well, however it was a bit challenging for them when it came to pronouns like (أنتو، أحنا، همّ) but eventually they were able to do it with little help. The second activity was focusing as well on verb conjugation, I have given them a pile of cards with verbs written and asked them to form a sentence using different pronoun each time. They totally succeed in this, and I was very happy. In the third activity, I have given them a pile of cards, but this time with random pictures that may can refer for any action in the future. They were very clever and they were able to do them all, except for one verb they weren't able to do it unless I gave it to them, the verb (swim) (بيعوم). 

 I was planing for a role play for freer practice, however, time was over. This is something else, I have to think about it a little bit. Time management is a very challenging issue. I believe the sense of time will sharpen with experience. You have to be aware when you have to stop to start something else. All in all, I am satisfied with the results I have achieved in this lesson. The objective of the lesson I was working on was accomplished and done and the students were able to comprehend the rule, and use it to produce language. 

In the next post, I will continue posting my observations. Your comments are welcome, until then Have a Good Day!