Okay, this morning was just ugly here. Just plain ugly. It rained my whole walk to school and fortunately my sister had forced an umbrella on me last weekend and I still had it or else I would have been a sopping mess. The rain didn't clear up until about 5:30pm which was a good thing because it was taking a to
ll on my usually cheery disposition.
The bright side to the morning was getting to class and hearing lots of laughter coming from the room as I approached. It's so nice to be around genuinely happy people.
This morning was a kind of exciting event, for me anyway, because we had to make presentations on alternative teaching methods. My team and I got the "Total Physical Response Method which basically is teaching the same way a baby would learn to speak its
first words. It's all about the teacher repeating language and makes the corresponding movement. So if I said stand up, I the teacher would in fact stand up and then get the students to follow me. The students don't speak until about the 10th hour of classes. The student is instructed to only speak when they feel a natural inclination to do it, just like a baby only starts speaking when it's good and ready to.
So team A included Maura, Eoin and Ben and they did a fabulous lesson that was about creating mood and taking the students into a relaxed state of consciousness by playing Baroque music, lighting candles and suggesting the language to them so they can just absorb it naturally. I could see the merits in it and they never teach grammar so that gave it my 5-star rating right there. And team A really made an effort to create mood and atmosphere in the classroom with candles, colorful cloths and posters.
My team consisting of me, Ruth and Niamh (see picture of Ruth (blonde) and Niamh (brunette)went third and Ruth presented the introduction to the method and I followed with the practice part. We all had to teach our lessons in a
foreign language so I looked up what I needed to say on the internet and did my whole lesson in Italian. I'm lucky that all I had to do was say one or two word sentences. I started by standing in front of the class and miming to them not to speak and then I proceeded to say "alzatevi" the Italian word for stand up and at the same time I said the word I stood up and gestured for the students to do the same. Then I said the word "sedetevi" which means sit down and then I sat down. The students dutifully did the same thing. I repeated these words and did my action as the students continued to do the same. I spoke and they did the actions all in total silence, it was kind of fun to be
in such control. Now for added challenge I said "mangate" or eat and did a gesture for that. All went well so I added one last thing, "batti le manine" clap your hands. They really had a lot of fun and by the end I had part of the class standing and sitting while another part was eating and the last section was clapping their hands.
Niamh followed right after me with a summarization of what our method was all about. I don't think she every could have guessed the kind of laughter she’d end up soliciting. I was laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face. Niamh is truly one of the sweetest ladies and she is soft spoke and just lovely so when she stood up and said "As you can see from what Debra just did the teacher is a dictator and the students’ mimic what she does." Now it probably doesn't seem so strange to you but when the word dictator came out of her mouth the class just burst into laughter not because they knew it was t
he wrong word just because it was funny to them that I would have been referred to as a dictator by my own teammate. But I on the other hand was doubled over laughing because I knew the real word was supposed to be director. I take now offense to what her subconscious was thinking and I can see how the role of the teacher in this method could very much be like a dictator.
I was particularly happy after the lesson was finished because I found out just a little bit later that the foreign students studying English in the class next door to us said to their teacher, when they heard my class going on, that they really wanted to be in there with us. What can I say, I just make learning fun! And yes, I'm totally dramatic all the time and I'm lou
d so that makes me more noticeable. The Irish may like to talk but they do it in more subtle tones where as I can be heard three floors down while the river is raging outside their window. See included picture of raging river on rainy Galway day.
In the afternoon I observed Louis and Maura's teaching practice 5. Both were great and Maura even got a distinction rating and well deserved I might add. Her board work was impeccable and her lessons were clear and fun and it was a fabulous lesson in every way. I'm so happy for her.
Jean Marie met me at the Budding Cafe and we went off to the gym and then had Indian food for dinner. Apparently she had never had Indian food before but she managed just fine although I don't think it will become one of her favorite cuisines. She's like my mother in that way, they like what they like and foreign food consists of Chinese.
I am off to bed shortly as I am fighting off a possible flu attack. I tell you, I rarely get sick in New York or anywhere else for that matter, but during just about every visit I've made to Ireland I've caught some kind of bug. I picked up some herbal remedy today and hope that I can evict this unpleasantness from my body by morning.
ll on my usually cheery disposition.The bright side to the morning was getting to class and hearing lots of laughter coming from the room as I approached. It's so nice to be around genuinely happy people.
This morning was a kind of exciting event, for me anyway, because we had to make presentations on alternative teaching methods. My team and I got the "Total Physical Response Method which basically is teaching the same way a baby would learn to speak its
first words. It's all about the teacher repeating language and makes the corresponding movement. So if I said stand up, I the teacher would in fact stand up and then get the students to follow me. The students don't speak until about the 10th hour of classes. The student is instructed to only speak when they feel a natural inclination to do it, just like a baby only starts speaking when it's good and ready to.So team A included Maura, Eoin and Ben and they did a fabulous lesson that was about creating mood and taking the students into a relaxed state of consciousness by playing Baroque music, lighting candles and suggesting the language to them so they can just absorb it naturally. I could see the merits in it and they never teach grammar so that gave it my 5-star rating right there. And team A really made an effort to create mood and atmosphere in the classroom with candles, colorful cloths and posters.
My team consisting of me, Ruth and Niamh (see picture of Ruth (blonde) and Niamh (brunette)went third and Ruth presented the introduction to the method and I followed with the practice part. We all had to teach our lessons in a
foreign language so I looked up what I needed to say on the internet and did my whole lesson in Italian. I'm lucky that all I had to do was say one or two word sentences. I started by standing in front of the class and miming to them not to speak and then I proceeded to say "alzatevi" the Italian word for stand up and at the same time I said the word I stood up and gestured for the students to do the same. Then I said the word "sedetevi" which means sit down and then I sat down. The students dutifully did the same thing. I repeated these words and did my action as the students continued to do the same. I spoke and they did the actions all in total silence, it was kind of fun to be
in such control. Now for added challenge I said "mangate" or eat and did a gesture for that. All went well so I added one last thing, "batti le manine" clap your hands. They really had a lot of fun and by the end I had part of the class standing and sitting while another part was eating and the last section was clapping their hands.Niamh followed right after me with a summarization of what our method was all about. I don't think she every could have guessed the kind of laughter she’d end up soliciting. I was laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face. Niamh is truly one of the sweetest ladies and she is soft spoke and just lovely so when she stood up and said "As you can see from what Debra just did the teacher is a dictator and the students’ mimic what she does." Now it probably doesn't seem so strange to you but when the word dictator came out of her mouth the class just burst into laughter not because they knew it was t
he wrong word just because it was funny to them that I would have been referred to as a dictator by my own teammate. But I on the other hand was doubled over laughing because I knew the real word was supposed to be director. I take now offense to what her subconscious was thinking and I can see how the role of the teacher in this method could very much be like a dictator.I was particularly happy after the lesson was finished because I found out just a little bit later that the foreign students studying English in the class next door to us said to their teacher, when they heard my class going on, that they really wanted to be in there with us. What can I say, I just make learning fun! And yes, I'm totally dramatic all the time and I'm lou
d so that makes me more noticeable. The Irish may like to talk but they do it in more subtle tones where as I can be heard three floors down while the river is raging outside their window. See included picture of raging river on rainy Galway day.In the afternoon I observed Louis and Maura's teaching practice 5. Both were great and Maura even got a distinction rating and well deserved I might add. Her board work was impeccable and her lessons were clear and fun and it was a fabulous lesson in every way. I'm so happy for her.
Jean Marie met me at the Budding Cafe and we went off to the gym and then had Indian food for dinner. Apparently she had never had Indian food before but she managed just fine although I don't think it will become one of her favorite cuisines. She's like my mother in that way, they like what they like and foreign food consists of Chinese.
I am off to bed shortly as I am fighting off a possible flu attack. I tell you, I rarely get sick in New York or anywhere else for that matter, but during just about every visit I've made to Ireland I've caught some kind of bug. I picked up some herbal remedy today and hope that I can evict this unpleasantness from my body by morning.
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