Last week we had our usual lesson with a 4th
form class in Durazno, right in the center of Uruguay. The teacher was absent
that day and a substitute teacher was with the students. This might have been
why the children adventured to show their curiosity and were more inquisitive than
in previous lessons. Out of the blue they started asking how old I was, where I
lived and other questions of that sort. It was very funny and heartwarming to
see how they wanted to know more about that person they get to see just once a
week and through a TV screen. I thought they might have been willing to ask for
several weeks before that!
That group is very dear to me as they are
really enthusiastic (and they were the very first group I ever taught remotely).
They are always asking me to play the songs, new and old, over and over (which
of course we cannot always do). Their class teacher sent me an email the other
day saying how happy she was to see children who are usually on the slower side
but who are very motivated and really stand out in English! That’s what I call
an incentive.
A very interesting experience you've shared here, Virginia.
ReplyDeleteThough necessary in order to give classroom teachers the structure they need to feel confident in their role as facilitators, our heavily scripted lesson plans may sometimes have the undesired side effect of leaving little room for spontaneous but meaningful communication of the type you describe here. But it is precisely this type of communication which helps to build rapport with the the group
What a great story, Virginia!
ReplyDeleteThis shows us all, that even though we are not in the classroom everyday, we still create a special bond with our students.