By Leana Mae Carreon
Teaching Practice
I was assigned to teach two classes, each a different grade level, Grade 7D and Grade 8H. It was a challenging but fruitful experience.
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Grade 7D
The 7D class has 32 students. For this class, I had a different mentor. Her name is Miss Fajar Noor Trisna. Miss Fajar is 7D’s English teacher. She only observed me a few times. She usually just trusted me with her class. 7D was much more harder to manage than the Grade 8H class. They were more talkative and active. They’re younger than the 8H students which is probably why they’re harder to control. I also noticed that whenever my mentor, Miss Fajar, would observe the class, they would be more quiet, so it was easier to discuss the lesson. Although they were noisy, they would listen whenever I would scold them. I still had a good time with them. The 7D students were very sweet, playful, and creative. My time with them has taught me to be more patient and understanding.
When I taught the 7D students, I always made sure to include games and other group activities so they will be more active and participative. My mentor also wanted me to help them with their pronunciation, so to practice, I read a story and they repeated the words after me.
The topics I had to discuss to the Grade 7 students were:
- Verbs
- Personal Pronouns
- Possessive Pronouns
- Proper Pronunciation (through stories)
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Grade 8H
The 8H class has 30 students. My mentor for this class was Miss Ratmi Larasati. She is 8H’s English teacher. Miss Laras observed me every time I would teach 8H. She was always there. 8H was easier to manage and control. They were much more quiet than the 7D class. It could probably be due to the fact that my mentor was always there observing us. The students of 8H were very good listeners. They knew how to follow instructions and do the activities. They are smart and very creative. My time with 8H helped me grow as a student teacher.
When I taught the 8H students, I also used games and other activities like role play and group projects to enhance their creativity. I also gave individual written assessments in order for me to assess each of them and see if they have really learned something.
The topics I had to discuss to the Grade 8 students were:
- Ability and Willingness
- How to Give Suggestions and State Obligations
- How to Invite and Ask/Give Permission
Procedures of Teaching
I usually started the lesson with a video. This helps students become more focused and participative. Afterwards, I discuss the topic and have games. When I have games, the students become more active and they enjoy while they are learning. After the games or group activities, I give them individual assessments to see if they have learned something on their own. I like to give activities which encourage the students to use their imagination and creativity.
Time Management and Organizing Activities
I need to work on my time management. There are times when the activities I give cannot be done within the time frame which is 1 hour and 10 minutes. I usually discuss or give a recap before the activities so the time left is not enough. I need to work on how I arrange and organize activities.
Problem Solving
A problem that I encountered was the language barrier. Some students had a difficult time understanding me so I made sure to speak slowly and made sure that my instructions were clear and simple.
Classroom Management
Whenever the class got too noisy, I would raise my voice sometimes. But I would usually just keep quiet in front of the class until they settled down and listened to me. I needed to let them know that they have to serious and attentive when I am discussing.
Activties
