My personal teaching method has been developed throughout the years with experience and practice. I have been a teacher for over six years in many different places like a public school, a couple academies and many one on one classes. The way I have needed to teach in all three environments, has pushed me to use very different methods.
Let´s start with the public school. When I taught in Pedrezuela´s Elementary Public Bilingual School, I was an English teacher´s assistant. I barely needed to make any preparations for class, and only helped with the kids’ pronunciation. However, when some of the teachers found out that I had some knowledge in biology from university, they started to put me to good use in their science classes. Sometimes, just as the class was starting, the teachers would tell me to please teach the science lesson in English. So I would give the students 5 minutes to review the content from the previous day, while I speedread what I was supposed to teach that day. I would then have the students read the material in turns. Whenever there was a serious mispronunciation I would correct them (which was the main reason why the teachers wanted me to teach the class, since they didn´t know how to say most of the scientific vocabulary in English). This would take around 20 to 30 minutes. After that, I asked them if they didn’t understand any vocabulary and explained it to them. Once those doubts were cleared, I would explain any new concept which hadn´t been mentioned until then. Finally, if we had any time left I would create some games to review what we had learned that day.
Another requirement during that time was to help prepare the students for their trinity exams. I had a coworker that was also an English assistant, like me, and we divided the different tasks for the 200 students in that school. I would focus on the technical stuff like vocabulary, grammar, essay writing and reading comprehension, and she would focus in putting that into practice, especially into a natural conversation. It was difficult because we really didn´t know how the exams were done and we had to self-study and teach ourselves in how to prepare the kids. It wasn´t until the end of the year that we found out that we were supposed to be taught at the beginning of the year on how to do so, but obviously it was a little too late for us. In the end over 90% of the children passed and the administration was quite happy with the results.
After that I went to two different academies. The first one was “Sus Primeros Pasos” which was a preschool that hosted English submersion camps during the summer. I worked there for a month with a 40 hour per week schedule. Before I started I was told that the age range would be from 4 to 7 years of age, but when I got there I was given students way younger than that, I even had two year olds. So all of the lesson plans and activities I had planned had to be scratched and started all over again. The way I structured the lesson plan was the following. I would start the day with English songs and dancing. I would give the children instructions in how to move their bodies and they would imitate my movements. In this way they would subconsciously be hearing English through the music. At the same time they would listen to direct instructions learning some verbs and body parts as vocabulary which also helped them assimilate the information as they imitated my movements and repeated them. Moreover, I would have them repeat what I said as well. I would also have some interactive videos and movies that wouldn´t last longer than 30 minutes. I would then have some crafts based on the theme of that week and the video of that day. I would also have the older children helping the much younger children which helped me keep control of the class and make each student feel quite accomplished. Once we were finished with crafts we would play some games that required some type of actions, such as running or jumping. During these activities I would give the children 15 minute breaks to play with random toys and I would not allow them to speak in Spanish whatsoever. I would speak in English at all times. If I ever needed to make myself understood I would use the older children to translate what I was saying to the younger ones.
Because I have signed a confidentiality agreement with the Academy Kids and Us I can´t say much about how I worked the three years I was there. What I can say is that the children that enter start from one to seven years of age. I had to strictly follow the school’s guidelines and was given a little bit of wiggle room to be creative. But most importantly I learnt a lot from them and apply many of their concepts in my own teaching methodology. Some of which are to teach through creative reading, games, and repeating structures constantly.
During all these jobs I have also been teaching one on one classes to children, teenagers and more recently adults. As time has progressed I have learnt new methodologies and more about the English language.
When I started I focused on conversations. The way I would structure the classes was by choosing a movie both the student and I enjoyed and then ask very specific questions about the plot and vocabulary I thought they might not have understood while watching. Some parents preferred that I would focus in improving the student’s studies at school rather than their fluency. In those cases I would use their school book’s content and later on added more exercises from my own grammar books.
In the present day, my methods have changed somewhat. On the first day of class I give both the parents and child a questionnaire to find out what it is exactly that they want to learn. In that way I avoid most miscommunications and prevent misunderstandings in the future. I also find out what type of learning method my students prefer: auditory, visual, kinesthetic or reading and writing. Depending on the result I have created different notebooks that helps them learn through their preferences. If it´s auditory, I have the students record their homework, focus in conversation topics and watch movies. If it is visual, I have the students write or draw their homework, create flashcards, explain different grammar structures through diagrams and watch movies. If it´s kinesthetic I give them more practical exercises than the rest, as well as flashcards and games that require movements. If it´s reading and writing, I give them books to read and have them write essays on what they just read.
In my one on one classes I usually give homework which I correct with them during the first 15 minutes of class, so that they can see where their mistakes are and why I corrected it in such a way. We then watch videos or movies with which I ask comprehensive questions and new vocabulary they might not understand. As they answer I have them write it down and correct any mispronunciation or incorrect structures. However this is not the only activity I can do with them, sometimes we play games, read books or write essays. I also like to motivate my students to ask any questions whenever they need to.
When the parents have asked at the beginning of the year to concentrate on improving their school grades, I use two to three weeks a month to focus on the content of the school book. I start with the vocabulary and then grammar which are the main things they need to know to pass. Depending if the parents want A’s or to simply have them pass the subject, I would have different demands. If it’s the first case, I push them to score at least a 90 % in my homework and tests before letting the matter go. If it is the second, I only let them go if they got a score over 75%. When they don´t achieve such results I explain it again through different approaches and retest them until they understand it. I use facts of life, interesting stories, songs or games to help them remember the material better. Only when there is a student with an extreme low level who needs to understand grammar, will I speak a little Spanish with them, but it´s simply to save time and make sure they understand the concepts. Because as the year progresses I will use it less and less or use the following technique to help them get used to the language: first communicate in English, repeat it in Spanish and then again in English.
To conclude, my favorite method is a conversational method. I barely allow my students or myself to use any Spanish to communicate with each other. I also put a big importance in homework because I believe that if one wants to learn a language one should be practicing it every day. I also like to cater to my students needs as well as try to reach the objective the student and I have put for ourselves. I also believe that it is very important to have fun and laughter during the class, so that the student may remember this as an enjoyable experience. However I also think it is essential to have some basics in vocabulary range and grammar structure to help the student understand why they are talking the way they are.
