TEACHING PRACTICE
“Procedures of teaching, for better learning” 1.1 Procedures of Teaching As I stood in front of the grade 11 students at Udon Thani Rajabhat University Demonstration School, feeling nervous. Teaching science in English to non-native speakers felt challenging, but I wanted to make it effective. I started the lesson with a simple greeting, asking the students about their day and how they felt. They responded quickly, sharing their thoughts and feelings. This helped me connect with them and build rapport. Next, I had the students stand up for a quick energizer to get them moving and engaged. Then, we reviewed the previous lesson to reinforce their understanding of the material. To introduce the day's topic, I used a game-based approach with Quizlet, an online learning platform. This helped introduce the new material and familiarize them with the website. As the lesson continued, I asked the students what they thought the lesson was about and then shared the lesson objectives to guide their learning. I provided an activity for them to apply their knowledge, followed by a class discussion to reinforce what they learned. To check their understanding, I summarized the lesson by asking questions to clear up any doubts. Finally, I gave a multiple-choice quiz to assess their understanding, which showed their progress. Throughout the lesson, I was impressed by the students' enthusiasm and engagement. Despite the challenges of learning science in another language, they were eager to participate. Reflecting on the lesson, I realized that with careful planning, creativity, and flexibility, it is possible to teach complex subjects like science in a foreign language and achieve meaningful learning outcomes.
“The sequence of education and the science behind lesson” 1.2 Time Management and organizing activities Udon Thani Rajabhat University Demonstration School is a well-organized school that values time management and effective learning. Classes start at 8:30 AM and end at 3:30 PM. This schedule gives students enough time to spend with their families and return home, especially those who live far away. In my case, I teach on Wednesday and Friday. Every Wednesday I was given 1 hour and 40 minutes to teach students and on Friday I was given 50 minutes only. During Wednesday I have plenty of time to deliver my lesson. I used my 1 hour for discussion, 20 minutes for providing a certain engagement game for motivation, and the 20 minutes for the class activities. Every Friday, I make sure that my lesson doesn't exceed about 40 slides since the time is limited. I used my 30 minutes for discussion, 10 minutes for motivation and 10 minutes for activities and quizzes. During my free time, I used to make my powerpoint presentations and this blog. I also practiced my lessons one day before the actual teaching to make sure that I will hit all the lesson objectives and leave the students with some sort of learning in my discussions.
“Organizing the classroom organization” 1.3 Classroom Management Udon Thani Rajabhat University Demonstration School is notable for its exemplary classroom management. As a pre-service teacher, I had the opportunity to observe their teaching methods, and I was impressed by their similarities to my own experiences at CapSU Main. The junior high school class, in particular, showcased a unique approach to maintaining discipline and engagement. The teachers used a strict yet effective strategy, employing facial expressions to signal when students needed to refocus their attention. This commanding presence, combined with a genuine passion for teaching, fostered an environment where students could clearly differentiate between playtime and study time. In my class, almost all of my grade 11 students didn’t understand or even speak English. That makes me think of other alternative ways on how to deliver my lesson without thinking about the language barriers. So, my ways on how to make them learn even though we can’t understand each other well is I used videos about the lesson and also I drew on the white board. By doing that, they will know what I am really talking all about. Also, in terms of oral recitations I rather make an oral quiz by showing pictures of my lessons and providing them with choices so that they will easily recognize and retain the lesson I implied to them.
“Problem makes us stronger, teaching make us better” 1.4 Problem-solving while teaching and staying in the designated school During my teaching at the demonstration school of Udon Thani Rajabhat University, I faced a big challenge: language barriers. The main language used in class was Thai, and English was only used sometimes. I needed to find effective ways to communicate with my students. One major issue was that all the lesson materials were in Thai. To solve this, I used Google Translate to turn the content into English. Although it wasn't perfect, it helped me understand the main ideas and prepare my lessons. To overcome the language barriers, I used various strategies. I spoke in simple English phrases that my students could understand and used videos to explain key concepts. These visual aids made it easier for my students to follow my discussions. I also saw the value of interactive activities in helping students remember what they learned. By involving them in hands-on exercises and group work, I encouraged them to participate actively, which reinforced their understanding of the material. Despite the language challenges, my students responded positively to these interactive methods and showed a strong desire to learn. My experiences at Udon Thani Rajabhat University's demonstration school taught me important lessons about the challenges and opportunities that language barriers create in the classroom. By using technology, creative communication methods, and interactive activities, I connected with my students and supported their learning, even with the language differences.
1.5 Others Udon Thani Rajabhat University's demonstration school employs a strategic use of printed activity books for each student, enhancing the overall learning experience. This method significantly reduces the time teachers spend on administrative tasks, such as printing individual activity sheets for each lesson, allowing them to devote more effort towards planning and delivering engaging instructional content. Additionally, I used video presentations to initiate my lessons. This innovative approach not only captures my students' attention but also effectively introduces to them the subject matter, stimulating curiosity and encouraging active participation. By integrating multimedia content, I create a vibrant and interactive classroom atmosphere, setting a positive tone for productive and effective lessons. These teaching strategies demonstrate the school's strong commitment to fostering efficiency, creativity, and student engagement. By utilizing printed activity books and video-based introductions, educators at Udon Thani Rajabhat University's demonstration school cultivate a dynamic and supportive learning environment, ultimately promoting both academic achievement and a lifelong love of learning among students.