That Was The Week That Was !

WOW !
Well done everyone !
What a wonderful end to a very powerful week.
You all showed a great deal of understanding of the content of this week's study together as well as a very refreshing humanistic approach in your micro teaching today...Thank you.

Group 1: Victor, Diana, Rigo, Mauricio, Raul
This group's activity focussed us on auditory and visual learning intelligences and confirmed how we learn. They included excellent use of the physical classroom and the acting done through the two-way mirror window was superb, very dynamic and humourous.
In a real classroom situation, you could get 2 student volunteers to do this type of role playing for you. There was a very clear confirmation of the vocabulary needed for the subject; they used the 'elicitation' technique to get the vocabulary from us, automatically meaning that we were peer teaching.
The use of the white board was also fine and made me realise we need a new board pen !!!
Be careful of the false cognate 'picture' for movie.
Movie-USA Film-UK Picture is a static thing...it doesn't move
Each teacher in this team had an individual responsibility and was actively involved in the success of the group as were the 'students'.
Very well done !

Group 2: Ana, Raquel, Margarita, Rodolfo, Daphne
The element of surprise, urgency and engagement in the task of this group's activity had us all engaged very quickly. The instructions were not very clear at the beginning and this meant that the activity needed all the 'helper' teachers to go to the individual groups and explain and confirm the instructions again.
Try to give clearer instructions. We can look at this on Monday.
By sticking the vocabulary words on the 'students'' backs, every single member of each group was active and a vital part of the group success. The round up after the activity and the questions we were asked (How did you manage to guess so quickly ?) were perfect to have us confirm our learning and also for the teaching team to understand how we managed to not only learn the new words, but also to teach them as well.
CHILLY: does indeed have many meanings, but I was concerned about the definitions given today. Can you all check the 4 main definitions for 'Chilly' for Monday please and we will look at it then.
Another very positive thing was the way that Ana asked the 'student' who was whispering to her colleague at the back, the sum-up question...Ana showed here that she was aware of which 'student' was distracted...a good technique.
Very nicely done guys !

Group 3: Jorge Luis, Ireri, Vladimar, Jorge, Mariana, Caro
This group showed how some simple yet colourful and attractive materials (which Jorge had prepared the night before and has now shared with you and will use again himself) can be used to not only teach and review language but also show what we as students like, enjoy doing, are able to do and therefore good at.
Jorge gave very clear instructions and used a natural tone of voice and speed of speech.
The round up activity of questions to individual students about the cards they ended up with was also a very good way to create a group understanding of individuals.
We were all engaged in the activity very quickly because speed mattered. Obviously today there wasn't enough time for the teaching group to fully allow us to fill in our cards, but they gave us a very clear idea of how to achieve a good group rapport early on in the course.
Very well done guys !

Group 4: Lulu, Ivonne, Isaac, Daniel, Miguel, Yolanda
Lulu and Miguel made good use of the board for us and confirmed the language focus visually. Daniel gave a clear introduction which focussed us on the task at hand; measurement.
By simply observing what we were all doing and how we went about measuring the things they specified, the teaching team learnt a lot about how we learn. It was a very quick and concise way of finding out a lot of very important information about us and a very cleverly devised activity.
All you 'students' worked quickly together as teams and your individual contributions were vital to the success of the group. Many different vocabulary words were taught and learnt and even a few mistakes were cleared up.
Isaac had a good way of motivating us to get up and do the activity...his smiling face shows a feeling of confidence which he passed on to us.
Yolanda managed a great sum up at the end all the teaching team were involved in observing.
This meant that they achieved their objective of finding out more about our learner profiles while teaching subject through English.
A very nice job indeed guys !

I was able to see today that even though you began on Monday, a little scared, a little shy and a little nervous of speaking English with me too, you have managed to break through these barriers already and are doing very well indeed.
Thank you for all your effort this first week.