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Author Topic: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!  (Read 64010 times)

Offline kindenglishteacher

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #100 on: March 21, 2012, 09:49:18 AM »
I am having problems with severely mixed levels of proficiency in my classrooms. There are some students who can have a entirely coherent conversation with me, while others can barely mumble "No Englishy". Does anyone have tips to overcome this kind of thing? Focusing overly much on either end of the spectrum leaves the other end with nothing to do or learn, while teaching for the middle often becomes mediocre or boring. Ideas?

There is an article about this with tips in a KOTESOL publication called The English Connection, winter 2011 volume 15, Issue 4.  Find them on facebook and ask how you can get a copy of it. 

Offline biancafrench

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #101 on: March 29, 2012, 08:06:04 AM »
Human Bingo is also a nice way to learn syudents names and get to know some of the students. I played this with level 1 and 2 high school girls and they loved it....

Offline Uhfotis

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #102 on: March 29, 2012, 08:12:04 AM »
How is everyone finding it now? I'm in my third week and have done greetings. It is pretty hit and miss but getting the students standing up and doing the actions together seems to at get their interest a bit.

Im a bit stuck as to what to focus on next week but I might do a lesson focussing on describing their houses or clean/dirty houses.

Good luck everyone!

I do something similar but after I teach them a ton of descriptive vocab (hair styles, facial hair, body types, etc.) I have them draw am imaginary person. Then in groups of 4-5 they take turns describing the person they drew while the other group members try to draw the same picture based only on the first student's description. Only once the description is totally complete can students look at the original picture. I had a lot of success with the lesson, even if the students only remember the basic stuff it still gives them a ton of practice with the difference between she is _____ and she has______   

Offline blairfitz

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #103 on: March 31, 2012, 06:59:41 PM »
The only thing I can suggest for teaching high school students is to create lessons that interest the students otherwise they will not involve themselves in the class. More often than not they are 'too cool' to share so by making it something that they enjoy they will be more likely to involve themselves.

Offline Uhfotis

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #104 on: April 01, 2012, 08:16:02 PM »
The only thing I can suggest for teaching high school students is to create lessons that interest the students otherwise they will not involve themselves in the class. More often than not they are 'too cool' to share so by making it something that they enjoy they will be more likely to involve themselves.

Very true, also along the same lines most of your high school students go to school 12 or so hours a day, are constantly being ridden by their parents about their grades and prep for the KSAT, and are also dealing with normal teenage angst. Trying to make your lessons as interesting and fun as possible is a huge part of getting through to your students.

Offline ruthsaunders.sa

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #105 on: April 06, 2012, 08:24:55 AM »
Finding or planning lessons that keep the kids interested and active is really tough! I am an elementary school teacher back home and i find that elementary kids are so much easier to entertain and keep them active and involved in the lesson! I am struggling with the high school kids! I have been given free reign to do any lessons i want which is actually more difficult than being told what to do! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Offline pejohnson76

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #106 on: April 08, 2012, 11:23:34 AM »
One resource I've found helpful is the website www.its-online.com. It has many topic based activities and while some are High Beginner-Low Intermediate, there should be enough Low Beginner activities. It isn't free but I subscribed. They also have a resource called "The Language Teacher's Survival Handbook" which has many useful articles including one on first class activities. Other than that as people have said there should be lesson plans available here from teachers in similar situations. The standard format could be a video followed by discussion questions. Some presentation of important vocabulary/expressions, listening examples, speaking activities such as role plays, followed by a presentation by students and a consolidation/quiz/review. Powerpoints and worksheets help keep the students from getting bored especially if the images/videos you use include some of your students our Korean celebrities.

Offline crod11

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #107 on: April 10, 2012, 12:34:37 PM »
I'm a new high school teacher in Chungnam province. I taught some informal English classes in Suriname, South America, and found that making it relevant and entertaining does make quite a big difference. In South America, I was able to do a lot of lessons about soccer and sports. In Korea, it's been a bit more difficult.

I've been putting together some presentations on Korean culture. I did a lesson on Korean dishes and had the students describe them. The presentation flowed quickly and held their interest and I finished up the class period with a scripted restaurant visit. I'm also working with an English club on campus and what I'm trying to get my students to do is to show me something Korean and describe it. I think it's important for them to try and link their own culture to the use of English language.

Offline Home.Slice

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #108 on: April 15, 2012, 02:35:42 PM »
There are large amounts of valuable information in this forum for new teachers. Thank you for generosity!

Offline Mattaru

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #109 on: April 26, 2012, 03:43:32 PM »
I was nervous approaching my first lesson with middle school kids. I think good faith in your lesson plan and a strong show of confidence will tide me through.

My first day I watched a few lessons and had my first class which was a Grade 2 class or something like that. I thought every things was great until a kid ddong-chimmed me. 

Offline Sugarbabes

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #110 on: April 29, 2012, 08:05:13 PM »
Hey it gets better you just have you get connected to the network of sites to use. Ive just started using this site, Ive been here two yrs and high school was tough but I was thrown in the deep end. Glad I was though, I learnt a lot. Best websites to use MES - english, EslHQ, Boggles world, eslgamesworld, talkenglish, puzzle-maker, eslflashcards - just google them. Korea has the fastest internet so very lucky indeed. My advice make up a list of all the topics youre going to focus on like Themes : Introductions, family tree, body parts, EVEN ABC's (not joking some dont know even in high school - so phonics are important), hobbies/favourites, Actions/everyday routines, classroom vocab, house vocab, clothes vocab, etc ...

Offline markallenwoody1

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #111 on: April 30, 2012, 09:26:56 AM »
Hey.  I'm starting a new job as a high school teacher for grades 1 and 2.  Like a lot of the posts on here, I have no textbooks, and I'm allowed to develop my own lesson plans.  The focus of the cirriculum is primarily reading comprehension, dictation, and communicative exercises.  Does anyone have any good examples or ideas for where I can locate reading excerpts so that I can develop comprehension questions?  In addition, any good examples or ideas for where I can locate listening, dialogues, etc. to play to the students and provide them with comprehension questions? 

Offline markallenwoody1

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I'm a new high school teacher. Need some advice
« Reply #112 on: April 30, 2012, 09:29:18 AM »
Hey.  I'm starting a new job as a high school teacher for grades 1 and 2.  Like a lot of the posts on here, I have no textbooks, and I'm allowed to develop my own lesson plans.  The focus of the cirriculum is primarily reading comprehension, dictation, and communicative exercises.  Does anyone have any good examples or ideas for where I can locate reading excerpts so that I can develop comprehension questions?  In addition, any good examples or ideas for where I can locate listening, dialogues, etc. to play to the students and provide them with comprehension questions? 

Offline Ashanti Teacher

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #113 on: April 30, 2012, 09:31:46 AM »
I've always done this opening lesson where I briefly introduce myself then I give students a piece of paper and have them write seven questions to ask to me. This is usually a fun lesson because they get to ask me anything they want and they get to know me. At the end, I collect the papers. In this lesson I am able to evaluate to a small degree their abilities; speaking and writing.

Offline markallenwoody1

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #114 on: April 30, 2012, 10:00:34 AM »
I agree with Ashanti.  Introductions are a great way to get to know the students, and subsequently, have them get to know you.  Collecting their answers is a great way to assess their composition skills as well. 

Offline Jameskenpo

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #115 on: May 01, 2012, 10:20:11 AM »
I just started in Muan. I need game ideas. they want me to use the book and it seems rather dry. perhaps I can incorporate a game at the end of each lesson. sort of a reward for the dry material?  any ideas? High school levels 1, 2, 3.

Offline shhowse

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher. Need some advice
« Reply #116 on: May 01, 2012, 10:39:52 AM »
Try the website, www.netimes.co.kr. I get a magazine from them every so often with little articles that could be useful. If you get a teacher to help you, I'm sure you could subscribe to have it delivered to your school, too, or you could just use the website, though I have not looked at it to see what it's like.

Offline Mattaru

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #117 on: May 02, 2012, 08:17:31 AM »
I just started in Muan. I need game ideas. they want me to use the book and it seems rather dry. perhaps I can incorporate a game at the end of each lesson. sort of a reward for the dry material?  any ideas? High school levels 1, 2, 3.
Hey James, there's a sticky here with all the information:
http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,566.0.html

For your first lesson, if you're doing an 'About Me' (what textbook do you have?) I'd suggest a 2 Truths 1 Lie game - or maybe a ball-passing game where the student with the ball has to do an introduction.
My first day I watched a few lessons and had my first class which was a Grade 2 class or something like that. I thought every things was great until a kid ddong-chimmed me. 

Offline CirceKy

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #118 on: June 07, 2012, 11:19:07 AM »
I am also in this position.  I am about to start my second year teaching.  My first year, I was told to teach them what I thought they should know.  There was no book, no guidelines, no starting point.  This caused my first year to be quite unorganized, unrelated, and so this year, I'm trying to prepare in greater detail.  However, I still have no idea what these students will "need to know."  This is supposed to be a TOEFL preparation class, but I was told to "teach them how to talk."  Many of my students have joined our program because there was no other way for them to enter the school.  They are studying alongside the students who wish to travel abroad for college.  So, I guess the question is: What can I teach that is applicable to both?

Offline jmanis

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Re: I'm a new high school teacher ..... HELP!!!
« Reply #119 on: June 18, 2012, 10:44:40 AM »
Chuckthebear,  I'm in the same situation that you were in.  Some of my high school students really don't know any English and it is hard to come up with games and lessons that will keep their attention and not insult their intelligence.  I have no textbook to fall back on either so I have a lot of reading on waygook to do!