MY TEACHING PRACTICE - The english classes

Kulsbjerg Skole

Skolevej 1, 4773 Stensved

Teacher and grade: Per Larsen, 8th grade
Official language taught: Danish

Subject: English

Language spoken by the class: Danish/English

Group members UCSJ: Elisabeth Joensen, Juris Kalnins, Binita Shrestha, Alba Montalbán.

THE ENGLISH CLASSES


The reason why we were only observing the english classes was that it was not an International school, and all other subjects were taught in danish. 

The english class has been divided into 3 groups, depending on their level/difficulties to learn the language. I can see how flexible is their program, and how well does it works when taking in consideration the different needs of each pupil is not only possible, but NECESSARY.

As we can see in their schedule, group number 3 is the one with a lot of difficulties in english, comparing with the other two groups, and  group number 1 was the one that had the highest level of their course.

The school used to promote the work groups as a method of study in the class for all or almost all activities according with the danish system and mentality. And therefore, that is reflected in the way in which tables and chairs are distributed, according also with the idea that teachers are not an authority figure who explains the topics as absolute truths without discussing them. 

I have not seen a teacher trusting on his/her students before. I remember all my school life having a very angry teachers, because it was unbearable the screams during class changes, before the teacher of the next subject came. And now I understand it. We were one and a half hour in silence just listening the teacher, never being allowed to talk with each other, sitting in an individual separate tables (sometimes in couples), writing notes in a little papers to talk with our friends behind the teacher's back...and in the moment the teacher went out of the door...that was the apocalypse!!
However, at Kulsbjerg Skole, the pupils sit in groups and work in groups, and they are allowed to get out of the class and sit in a corner or wherever they decide that are more comfortable, and so they vent in small doses, and usually finish the work and present it on time.

The teacher has not a table in the class, he always stands, walking around,observing his pupils (which makes him realize about things that otherwise he would not). He is always asking one by one making sure they understood the task, answering their questions. In the spanish system, while I was a student on 8th grade, it was considered rude to talk to the teacher while sitting in our chair, and the right thing to do was to stand near the table of the teacher while he/she was sitting. I do not even remember too many times where the teacher was standing, beside while was explaining something in front of the blackboard, or during the exams. Definitely, danish system is more efficient, so that might be a good way to do it. 

During my teaching practice, I have been following closely this special group I have talked about before, because I have not seen this kind of projects before in a public school, and I believe that it is a very interesting theme to observe. They came from special schools, and the teacher at the moment told me that they were sended to the normal school, because perhaps they could integrate in a normal class. If I could, I would get more involved by going every day having also the possibility to see how is the children's progression and how is the process in each case, both when they get integrate in the normal class and when they decide that it is not possible and why. They also had english, and I tried to start a conversation with them, and after hear their english, even though it was very basic, it was sounding like the teachers had been doing a great job with them!They were using tablets (interactive games) and books, and they were working individually depending on the need of each.

Some of the activities during the english classes were, for instance:  a discussion group about generation gap one of the days, talk about the origin and meaning of teenager and talk a bit about their personal feelings. Other day they were analyzing the lyrics and meaning of a song from Cat Stevens called Father and son:

So, as we could see, they were using many resources to get pupils learn dynamically, such as activities on the ipads, videos combinated with powerpoint presentations, playing known english songs, or filling missing words in copies that the teacher made taken from textbooks.

I realized that the teacher was giving feedback always right after the pupils had finished their activities. I did not see him giving negative reinforcements to the pupils, but the opposite: he was only focussing on the mistakes that he considered more important instead of correcting every single error (being always more important the basic grammar and the comprehension of a word or sentence), and he did always combine it with positive reinforcement words that encouraged them to continue learning and increased their self-esteem. In addition, I could observe how it created an environment where pupils were feeling very comfortable about asking any question or try to practise their english proficiency, as that seemed a good way to encourage communication between teacher and student. Therefore, I got to the conclusion that grammatical correctness is actually the less relevant point to focus on when trying to help a group of students who are at a level below the average. Instead, I think it is more effective to focus on the most basic grammatical mistakes, and help them to acquire confidence and fluency.

As we learned in class, we can distinguish between three theories of second language acquisition:

  

Behaviourist theory 

- Memorization/mimicking 

- Rote learning 

- When/how is it applied: 

I would say that there is not only one language acquisition theory that is employed at Kulsbjerg Skolen. They use what they think is better for each activity. They are employing the behaviourist theory when they make different activities to practise the same thing over and over, and they tell the pupils right after positive words to encourage them to keep on working on the improvement of the language (positive reinforcement). 

   

Innatist theory 

- Comprehension

- When/how is it applied:

I think they are aware of the innatist theory the when they are helping them to get to their own conclusions, follow their logic and instincts (self-learning) from some basic guidelines provided by the teacher, who plays the role of a guide who provides them the tools to comprehend why and how, instead of simply believe and follow what I say far away from being authoritarian. 

   

Sociocultural theory 

- Interaction

- When/how is it applied:

They also believe that parents, caregivers, peers and the culture at large are responsible of higher order functions. And therefore they make sure as much as possible that the communication of all these elements is fluid and they get involve together to participate in the positive way to the social and individual development of each pupil. For that, they pay attention on the environment, keep constantly in touch with the parents and frequently organize meeting together with all the teachers to expose their observations and find solutions.

MY TEACHING PRACTICE - The School

Kulsbjerg Skole

Skolevej 1, 4773 Stensved

Teacher and grade: Per Larsen, 8th grade

Official language taught: Danish

Group members UCSJ: Elisabeth Joensen, Juris Kalnins, Binita Shrestha, Alba Montalbán.

The school is located in a very nice area of Denmark, Stensved. It is a satellite town of Vordingborg in South Zealand with 1,545 inhabitants (2013). Wonderful lakes near a huge and dense forest make, from Vordingborg to Stensved, an awesome landscape. I am living 4.6 km from the school, so I was using my bike to get there, and therefore I had the great opportunity to enjoy the views, which I believe are also part of the culture of the population living here.

The school holds a total of 929 students, of which 93 belong to the 8th grade, and are divided into 4 groups (a, b, c and d): Language&culture, Body&Movement, Science&Mathematics. There is also a group called special group, which are people with different problems that make them have difficulties to fit in a normal class, so they have teachers working with them in one of the corners near the classes, with the ultimate goal of helping them to integrate. I am especially interested in that project so I will try to follow how is their progress.

I will stand out some things that really took my attention, and compared with the Spanish system, I would think that Danish system is very advanced, even though now I see it just logic and rational.

- They have a lot of flexibility on the schedule: the fact that they decide how many hours to spend in every subject, depending on the needs, raises the quality of education.

- They are constantly reviewing the situation of the class.

- They divide the students of each class into the smallest groups, and combinate the hours of every subject depending on what they need, in constant observation, both individually and collectively. The teachers are constantly having meetings and in contact with each other, allowing them to know the situation of the class and find the best solution to the potential problems.

- In the same way, they divide the students of each class into the smallest groups, depending on their level and the difficulties they have to learn a specific subject. In the end, all of them will make the same exam, but the pupils that need special help on this specific subject, they get more self-confidence in a class that they can follow, while learning keeps being funny and encourages them to get to the level of the other students, covering their specific needs.

The pupils in this school learn how important are the freedom and they experiment with its concept. They have the freedom already, for instance, to go to the toilet when they need to, without asking permission to the teacher. Is this kind of freedom what makes the students feel responsible of their decisions, and what they are actually learning is that they are capable enough to decide what they want, so it gives them confidence and self-esteem (I can trust my own criteria).
Juris prepared a very interesting activity, to check what was most valued between our students. He printed in a smalls papers 10 words, and he asked for numerate them from 1 to 10, being 1 the most important and 10 what they would consider the less important thing. Afterward, he made a graph with all the answers of the pupils, being 50 in total, and here are the results:

Personally, I think that was very relevant to understand the mentality of Danish children because I believe that this graph even represents the general beliefs and values of Danish society. The concept of family and friends is highly valued, as well as freedom and education (very well done at the schools, so children think this way). However, religion is the least important in children's lives, which, in my opinion, the normal course of the world society, according to evolving. Certainly, when we talk about freedom at schools, we talk about it in many ways:

- Physical: pupils are allowed to move around during their classes (besides the time where the teacher is explaining the activities), and to get out of the school (some of them does it to go to the canteen or somewhere else to get their lunch, which is not possible to do it indoors).

- Methodological/organizational: teachers are allowed to distribute school hours between subjects, depending on the need of students.

- Ideological: school promotes free thinking, as well as mutual respect. Thus you find pupils that respect the decision of other students, about their dress or sexual orientation (there were homosexual people not hidden from others, as it happens in my country).

Honestly, I feel that I do not have enough tools/knowledges yet to criticize the negative sides of the school, because even though there were a couple of things I did not understand (like the amount of the freedom and the trust that the teachers show to the pupils, or the flexibility to (it seems) consent all their demands) because I am used to observing other ways to teach in my country, I also can see that it seems to work! So even though I did not get yet how this process is working and why, they might be doing it pretty well, when the students are happy and passing the exams successfully.

Another highlight was all the activities that the children get involved in a lot of social activities. For instance, they made a party where they pretended to be political, and therefore, they had their own name for the party and wrote their own electoral program. That makes them aware of the needs that people have in the town, and they learn to fight for what they want while making plans and caring for others develops on their minds. Per, their English teacher, showed me, very proud, a piece of paper hanging on the wall, where they were written all the proposals coming from the party. 

Per also told me, that every Friday someone has to bring a cake for the rest of the class. I haven't seen that before either, it is so cute! I think it is a cozy way to learn to share and spend a little spare time with the other pupils, so in my opinion, it helps, together with the other extracurricular activities, to create bonding among students.

Other very interesting activities that I have been talking with the English teacher :

- They spend 30 minutes per day to read a book, a magazine, or other reading matter that they feel interested in. In this manner, the school promotes culture, as well as encourages them to acquire the good habit of reading, together with all its benefits.

 - The excursions that the school organized. Sometimes they do it to break the routine, and put into practice what the have learned in class. And sometimes they do it to show to the pupils a job so it can arouse a special interest to learn more about it. They went to an open field and to a botanical center with biology class one day, to a fur factory another day, and very often Per participates together with his pupils in competitions that organizes the runner club, being him, precisely, the webmaster of it. I have not seen a teacher so close to his pupils before, that was a great surprise. You can find the web link below:

NYRÅD LØBEKLUB - By Per Larsen

TEACHING OBSERVATION PLAN

Activity: What is your cultural identity?

Note: before joining the group going to Kulsbjerg Skole, I belonged to the group that went to Bjørns Internationale Skole, and I made the first activity together with Hasna Hussein and Annabella Efinger. Afterward, all the other activities I did together with my current group. 

Lesson Opening: Guiding Questions

-          What do you think identity means?

-          Is it your culture?

-          Is it your heritage?

-          Is it your likes and dislikes?

Step-by-Step Procedure

Warm-Up Game: Teacher Puzzle

-          Split the class into 4 groups,  assigning one number to each pupil, from 1 to 4, counting this way: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4…

-        Each group gets a link from the Prezy, that contains 24 objects (see PREZI - Bjørns Internationale Skole), which are the ones we have chosen previously as a representation of our identity. 

-        Each group must guess and decide which 6 objects could describe the assigned teacher’s identity. 
      18 objects should be deleted. 
      The students have 5 minutes for this activity.
      When all students have finished, the teachers will ask the groups which objects they have decided on. And finally, each teacher will present their actual identity.  

Students Activity:

The students must create their own cultural identity paddles using 5-10 objects. They should include culture, heritage, likes/dislikes, hobbies, etc.  They can use pictures, texts, videos, words, sayings, etc. They have 15-20 minutes for this activity. 
The warm-up activity implies didactic learning, when we show the pupils how to use paddles and make their own, and also before when we explain to them what culture and identity means. Therefore, all other aspects of the activity are taught to be experiential learning: 
- The activity is then taken to experiential teaching method as the students experience to talk and listen to people from other cultures (concrete experience), as well as create their own cultural representation on Prezi, in the way they want without limitations (active experimentation), see how others do it and how others act, from different cultures (reflective observation), and reflect on their own culture and others (abstract conceptualization). 

-         When all students have finished, they will present their padlets to their fellow classmates, explaining their personal cultural identity.

Learning Theories we used:

- Learn to use the program themselves, after a very short explanation, and find out other application they can also add to their subsequent presentation, it is up to them by their experience. 
- In the moment we present our identities to the rest of the class, but we don't teach them how to present. It is up on them, to choose how to do it (they can copy us, feel free to do it on their own way, or a mix of both...). It is experiential because they are free to represent their culture as they wish, they "learn by doing".

- The activity is then taken to experiential teaching method as the students experience to talk and listen to people from other cultures (concrete experience), as well as create their own cultural representation on prezi, in the way they want without limitations (active experimentation), see how others do it and how others act, from different cultures (reflective observation), and reflect about their own culture and others (abstract conceptualisation). 

- Because culture is such a broad topic, we have decided to use the didactic teaching method to guide the students into a certain direction by teaching them the concept of identity or how culture differs or resembles from one group to another.

The experiential teaching was more about understanding, reflection and acceptance of other points of view and different identities, than communicate knowledges of a specific theory. As well as getting tools to know how to explain and present their own identity, with a previous reflection. That is why, personally, this teaching method was the most successful in achieving the objectives. And the didactic method was just a tool to complete it. The experiential teaching was more about understanding, reflection and acceptance of other points of view and different identities, than communicate knowledges of a specific theory. As well as getting tools to know how to explain and present their own identity, with a previous reflection. That is why, personally, this teaching method was the most successful in achieving the objectives. And the didactic method was just a tool to complete it. According to David A. Kolb, an American educational theorist, I think we have covered what it needs to be done for an experiential teaching. He says, knowledge is continuously gained through both personal and environmental experiences. He states that in order to gain genuine knowledge from an experience, certain abilities are required:

• The learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience.

• The learner must be able to reflect on the experience.

• The learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience.

• The learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience.

Kulsbjerg Skole

Skolevej 1, 4773 Stensved

Teacher and grade: Per Larsen, 8th grade

Subject: English

Official language taught: Danish

Group members UCSJ: Elisabeth Joensen, Juris Kalnins, Binita Shrestha, Alba Montalbán

Pupils schedule:

Our schedule:

• Monday: from 8 to 9:30 (hold 3) and from 9:50 to 13:50 (hold 2)

• Thursday: from 9:50 to 11:20 (hold 3)

Week 43 – 47: In total 40 lessons. The students are expected to assist and participate as much as possible.

English subject (hold 1): pupils have the level of English proficiency above the average.
English subject (hold 2): pupils have the level of English proficiency that match 7th/8th grade. 
English subject (hold 3): pupils find English quite difficult to learn.

Competences to be observe:

Didactical competence: about purpose, planning, implementation, evaluation, and development of teaching. 

Classroom management: the organisation and development of pupils' academic and social learning environment.

Relational competence: about contact and relations to pupils, colleagues, parents and the resource persons of the school.

PLANNING

1) What would be interesting to observe? 

1.1. Methodology of average Danish school teaching (mistake acknowledgement, values, reinforcement of positive behavior, teachers authority, Blooms taxonomy, teacher body language, classroom dialogue/discourse patterns, classroom language)

1.2. Classroom management, conflict management, use of physical space,

1.3. Environment of teachers, teacher communication, everyday appearance, routine.

1.4. Student/teacher relationship, Multiculturalism management – intercultural competence,

1.5. Social environment, social relationships and interaction between students, how social status effect students relationships and behavior in and out the class

How will we do that? by observing classroom week by week adding focus according to order

2) What would be interesting to ask?

• Teachers – what is the most challenging for teachers in school, teaching methods they use, what is their teaching philosophy, the overall mood of educators (recognition, salary, development.

           How will we do that? arranging a date for an interview with the English teacher on weeks 46, 47,48.

• Students – what students think about their education, what daily day-to-day challenges/joys do they experience. What is difficult in language learning, why they feel like they fail or succeed? What interests you the most and what would you change if you had a chance.

          How will we do that? by establishing a closeness with some pupils for interview them informally later.

• School – school organization, administration, power, policy on young teachers, hiring policy, numbers (stuff, pupils, size), surroundings, aims/values (written document at best), website.

          How will we do that? Arranging a meeting with the school headmaster, checking out the website, and other resources.

3) What would be interesting to reflect upon?

•     - Similarities and differences between school today and time when we went to school. Methodology, teacher/student relationships, dress code, social environment.

               - Strengths’ and weaknesses of Danish education.

·       4) Send the plan to Lonnie, contact the school, and decide on a commute.

Linguistic observation questions
Teaching Experience autumn 2013

Your questions	Classroom observations
Which is the primary language used in an English class? Are students allowed to use their native language, on what occasions, how often?	We expect teaching will be in English constantly, with maybe a few rare exceptions for explaining some specific language structure rules.
What activities are included in teaching language and how physical space is used?	We expect quizzes, role-plays, use of U-shape classroom.
Are all of the students engaged in the language teaching activities? How is the teacher checking for understanding?	We expect the teacher will work for engaging everyone into activities and check for understanding by asking check-point questions.
How often teaching is organized in group work, classroom discussion or discourse?	We expect a combination from all of these tools.
How feedback is given, how reinforcement of positive behaviour is carried out, how errors are corrected?	No expectations.
	The teacher
What language acquisition theories or perspectives supporter you are?	Probably innatist or socio-cultural perspective.
Which model (didactic or experiental) do you find more productive in language acquisition and why?	Probably they meet somewhere in the middle
How, how much and how often do you plan your lessons?	No expectations

	The pupils
Do you feel comfortable speaking English? What is the hardest part in language acquisition?	We expect students to like using English. Hardest part probably will be language structure and written grammar.
Do you understand English is a global language? How does it effect or motivate your acquisition?	We expect pupils to understand this concept and see the benefits from English acquisition.
Do you have homework? How do you feel about it?	We expect students to have some and don’t like it.