ASSIGNMENT 4

LESSONS FROM THE

CLASSROOM
Name:
Assessment criteria candidates can demonstrate their learning by:
1.noting their own teaching strengths and weaknesses in different situations
in the light of
feedback from learners, teachers and teacher educators
2. identifying which ELT areas of knowledge and skills they need further
development in
3. describing in a specific way how they might develop their ELT knowledge
and skills beyond
the course
4. using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task
GRADE
PASS

PASS ON

RESUBMISSION
RESUBMIT (If first attempt*)
FAIL (If second attempt)
* If the assignment is not resubmitted it will be recorded as
a Fail
Tutors signature:

Date:

COMMENTS (INCLUDING REFERENCE TO ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

(IF APPROPRIATE) AREAS REQUIRING ATTENTION IN THE RESUBMISSION

RESUBMISSION DATE
PART A: Teaching strengths
For this part of the assignment you must refer to
1. your tutors feedback forms from TP
2. your self evaluation forms
3. your observation of experienced teachers
4. your tutorial records in your CELTA 5
5. other forms of feedback you have received (e.g. formal or informal
feedback from students and peers)
Begin this assignment noting 3 areas of teaching you feel confident in. Say
why you feel these are strengths and give evidence/examples from TP to
support your claims maximum 250 words
PART B: Areas to work on
For this part of the assignment you must refer to
1. your tutors feedback forms from TP
2. your self evaluation forms
3. your observation of experienced teachers
4. your tutorial records in your CELTA 5
5. other forms of feedback you have received (e.g. formal or informal
feedback from students and peers)
Continue the assignment noting 3 areas of your teaching that still needs
some work. Say why you feel these are problem areas for you and give
evidence/examples from TP to back your claims maximum 250 words.

Part C: Action plan

Complete the assignment by designing your own personal action plan that
you can implement once you have finished the course. Relate the action plan
directly to the areas you have indentified in the previous section that you
need to work on, e.g. if your instructions still tend to be lengthy and unclear,
your action plan might look like this:
Area to work on:
Giving clear instructions

Action plan:
- Script my instructions in
my lesson plan and
practice giving those
instructions before class
- Record myself teaching
and transcribe my
instructions then
compare with my script
and notice if I have strayed
significantly from the
script. Do I repeat myself
excessively? Do I sotp and
start sentences? Am I too
long-winded?
- Ask a colleague to observe
me to identify problems
with instructions and
suggest solutions

For each area to work on, aim for at least 3 things that you can constructively
do to work on that area.
You can write this part of the assignment in table format, using bullet points
or in continuous prose maximum 250 words

Example of trainees self evaluation:

GOOD EXAMPLE ELICITING
In a lesson on directions at elementary level, I was trying to elicit the
question How do I get to the bank? I failed to get any response because my
language was too difficult and indirect. I said, What question do you ask if
you want to know how to find a bank? I should have just said You want the
bank. What do you ask me? (and start prompting the language: How .. How
do I How do I get etc).
POOR EXAMPLE
It is important to be direct when trying to elicit language. In a lesson on
directions, I didnt succeed because my language was too roundabout.
Example of trainee drawing on what he/she has observed in other
teachers:
GOOD EXAMPLE ERROR CORRECTION
My observation of Tony, an experienced teacher, showed me how effective
students self correction of error can be. The student had said, I go to my
mothers house last night. Tony repeated I then paused and made a gesture
indicating past time. As a result, the student knew exacty what the mistake
was and managed to correct himself. I have tended to correct students
myself, automatically but would like to try this technique as a way of having
students participating more in the learning process.
POOR EXAMPLE
Tony, an experienced teacher, was very good at error correction. He got the
students correcting themselves.
Example of trainee drawing on feedback received from TP tutor
GOOD EXAMPLE CONCEPT CHECKING
I have had some success with concept checking. In TP 6, I had to concept
check the meaning of The plane leaves at 10.00. I asked the students the
following questions:
Am I talking about now or the future? The future
Is this event on a timetable? Yes
My tutor commented on how appropriate these questions were and I realize
how important it is to plan them in advance, so that I avoid using the target
language and check the meaning of the grammar item, not the surrounding
vocabulary.
POOR EXAMPLE
Concept checking is very important. Without it, students dont get the
meaning and the teacher cannot tell how much students have understood. If
find it quite easy though, as my tutor commented in TP6.
NB
Notice how the good examples are:
Specific, focused and personal
Backed up by examples
Reflect on the learning/teaching process

Take on board feedback

Length: 750 1000 words