Celebrating Small Successes

Yesterday I did a sharing session with my kids on the things that I did during the school holiday. The objective was to get my students to listen and then to speak and write about their holiday as well. I used the same material in Form 1, Form 3, Form 4 and Form 5 but of course, emphasizing on different things (sentence structure for F1, tenses for F3, paragraph building for F4 and F5)

I showed them pictures of the UUM, Japanese food and pictures I took in the Trick Art Museum in iCity (thanks Angeline!). I was surprised some of my kids know UUM and even clarify with me whether UUM is in Sintok instead of ChowKit! But the rest are most amazed by the Japanese food I showed them and most expressed that they have never had Japanese food before.

*Mental note: My kids like to pore over teachers' private photos!*

So the delivery is pretty simple:

1. Let students understand the objective of the day: they need to write about the teacher's holiday and they need to share about their holiday
2. Show pictures and share about the events that lead to the picture
3. Get students to share in class according to the demonstration given by the teacher (do not pick students immediately for speaking assignments, using think, pair, share will lessen the stress)
4. Hand out worksheet for students to write about their holiday (draw a picture and write  few sentences about the picture)
5. Hand out worksheet for students to write about the teacher's holiday

Yesterday was such an amazing day because even in the class that I face most resistance in seems to be in a pretty good mood (probably from the one week holiday) and participated respctfully in classroom activities. They did not even complain  when they were cold-called to share in front of the class. Everyone tried their best to write good sentences in this particular class according to the sentence structure I emphasized in the class as well as the tenses used. I CFU extensively and most of the kids knew exactly where they were and were willing to help their friends who were not on task.

I can't wait to read their worksheet tomorrow morning!

*Happy teacher dance*

七転び八起き

I started reading this amazing blog a few months ago and it took my breath away. The blogger is 15 and joyful. She shares her insight and all things beautiful in her blog.

Which brings me to the title. The title comes from this particular blog. This is a Japanese proverb that literally means: fall down seven times and stand up eight. How beautiful this phrase is. Fall down seven times, stand up eight! It means when life knocks you down, you stand back up. You just keep trying.

Today, I rediscovered something that works in my classroom (I tested it out in all almost all of my classrooms since last year and it works wonderfully every single time!) and this activity I am taking about is the common and humble:

BINGO!

This is a super effective activity in my classes.

You can use BINGO game for practically every subject and every topic.

Some examples:

When I am teaching Grammar, I use BINGO for guided practice. For example, simple future tense using the format of "I will ... next weekend.".

1. Get the students to list down plans for the weekend on the board first. 
2. Then fill in the BINGO worksheet with the plans. 
3. Students take turn to read something from their worksheet but they need to state in full "I will (go swimming) next weekend". Only if they can state the sentence correctly they would be allowed to cross out the item on their BINGO sheet.
4. Once they cross out five item across or down their worksheet they win the game!

When I am teaching vocabulary, I use BINGO for revision.

1. Just list down the words on the board. 
2. Get students to put them into the BINGO worksheet. 
3. For my class, I will state the Malay meaning of the words, and they need to cross off the English equivalent. 
4. The first person to get BINGO is the winner! (Idea stolen from Shannon)

You can use this for synonyms, antonyms, sentence structure, question words, SVA, literature component, reading, speaking etc. etc.


BINGO is a super game in my classes after the Flyswatter Game (NOTHING beats the Flyswatter Game, of course). And it works for almost any subject there is (History, Mathematics, Geography, Science etc.)! The kids are always super excited if you narrate the game in an upbeat tone and even better if it is organized in groups because it would add in some competitiveness amongst groups!

I am glad that we enjoyed ourselves today, and ended it with good old Friday Song (:

It's time to wrap up March! Enjoy the holidays!