Observation in classroom at Banlamhuk school

According to tape script: recorded from observing in personal experience I

Introduction:

In Thailand, Thai teachers usually use traditional teaching strategies for teaching students to gain knowledge about English. In a previous of time, some teachers focused on teaching vocabulary only, and they did not focus on how to use English in macro skill; listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
In addition, some teachers taught students to know how to use more grammatical structures than using in the real life situations. The role of teachers was teaching or focusing on teacher-centred. As this present, the world has moved all the time so educational system should change their teaching strategies. Teacher-centred should be changed to student-centred. According to observing how to teach in personal experience I subject, we gain information that is more useful for developing how to teach in 21^ST century. Moreover, Thai education should be improved for preparing population’s English ability into AEC (Asean Economic Community). We had observed and gained information (Prathomsuksa 1) from observation how to teach students in grade 1 or prathomsuksa. In this section, we would like to present information gained from observing. There are six topics answering how to teach English for beginners, including 1) lesson structure, 2) classroom management strategies, 3) types of teaching activities, 4) teaching strategies, 5) uses of materials, 6) teachers’ of language, 7) students’ uses of language, and 8) students interaction.

First, lesson structure is important for teacher that it will help teacher easy to teach students. These are the way the lesson opens, develops and closes. In warming up step, a teacher may greet and check attendance for students or reviewing the last lesson what they had learned about “family.” The teacher says, before we are going to learn about new lesson that is feeling. we will review about English songs. After that, the teacher lets students review three songs, including “what’s your name song,” “hello,” “a-z.” After finished singing three songs, the teacher says today, we are going to learn about feeling. In presentation step, the teacher guides students to know the meaning of these four vocabularies about how to tell feeling; bored, sad, tired and happy. First of all, we should know about the meaning of this vocabulary that is HAPPY.” The teacher spells vocabularies and lets students to repeat them. The teacher says “I’m happy.” After that, the teacher teaches students to know what bored, sad, happy and tired mean. The teacher tells students how to use each vocabulary. In practice step, the teacher allows students to practice how to show their feeling. In production step, the teacher would like students to do exercise on their book. After finished completing their task, the teacher asks some questions related to what they have learned.       There are four numbers of activities constitute the lesson, including the whole class, group work, pair work and individual activities. There are several links and transitions between activities. Warm-up step is focused on greeting and reviewing the lesson again. Presentation step is using questions. Practice step is focused on speaking how to show feeling bored, sad, happy and tired. Production step is focused on doing an exercise. The teacher usually uses questions in wrap-up step. In addition, teacher should have the classroom management strategies.

Second, classroom management strategies is the good thing that teacher should have and should do with students. The teacher lets students to sing songs together in the whole class. Sometimes, the teacher divides students into two groups (boy and girl groups) for singing a song. The teacher randomly chooses some students to say “I’m happy, sad, bored and tired” In front of class. In addition, the teacher lets individual students to do task. For maintaining order, the teacher will describe students when they do not understand the lesson or how to write some alphabets; h, s, a or u. If students do something wrong or break the rule of class, teacher will cut something they get such as sticker or scores. In addition, teacher may punish them by psychological punishment such as avoid what they do. For time management, the teacher takes about 5 minutes in warm up step, 10 minutes in presentation step, 5 minutes in practice step, 5 minutes in production step and 5 minutes in wrap-up step. For seating management, there are twelve students in grade 1 room. Arranging seats are set in two long lines in order to students can contact eyes with the teacher easily. The teacher allows students to use body language coupled with speak easy English sentences. In addition, teacher should have activities that thay can motivate students to learn.

Third, types of activity is the part of teaching it will help to motivate students to learn. There are three types of activity such as the whole class activity, pair work and group work and individual work. For the whole class activity, the teacher allows students to sing songs named “What’s your name?” “Hello” “A-Z” and “Feeling.” In addition, the teacher allows students to spell vocabularies “bored” “sad” “happy” and “tired.” The teacher lets students to speak easy English sentences and acting body language. For pair and group work activities, the students work in pair for expressing their feeling. The students work in group divided into two groups: the boy and the girl groups for singing songs. For individual activity, the students do an exercise by matching sign of face that tells feeling with sentences appropriately and teacher should uses several teaching strategies.

Fourth, the teacher uses several teaching strategies. The teacher teaches by focusing on Cooperative teaching method. For example, the teacher can contact eyes to eyes when doing activities because the teacher focuses in student-centred. The teacher also focuses on task-based teaching because the teacher gives students to create task. For organizing practice, the teacher focuses on practicing repeat and using body language. Students practise speaking all the class. The teacher chooses several teaching techniques such as using the text book named “Smile 1,” questions, songs named “What’s your name?” “Hello,” “A-Z,” and “Feeling.” In other hand, material is the part of teaching.

Fifth, Materials are good for teaching. Teacher should use them for teach students because students can understand much more. The authentic materials are the best thing because students can see. It will make students understand much more. From observation, teacher use the text book. Students use the book that is “Smile book 1” and work smile 1. Smile book 1 use to teach students and they can learn the contents from this book. Students can do the exercise for practice from learn in each unit. In addition, teacher uses other resources. There are microphone and songs. There are 4 songs those teacher uses that are What’s your name?, Hello!, A-Z and Feeling. So, Materials are important for teacher and students. Teacher should select the appropriate material for content. It will help teacher easy for teaching. Moreover, teacher’s use of language is part of life that teacher should speak fluently and accuracy.

Sixth, Language is important for teacher and students. Teacher’s use of language is the most important. If teacher wants students can speak English fluently and accuracy teacher must speak English correctly because students will absorb everything from teacher. From I observation, I think teacher speak English little. Teacher has the steps to teach students. Teach teaches slowly the students can follow easier. Teacher speaks English little. Teacher check students’ understanding by use Yes/No questions. In addition, teacher has reinforcing to give encouragement to students. When teacher teach about vocabularies teacher will explain about meaning of vocabularies. Teacher will spell and read and students spell and read follow teacher. Teacher focus about pronunciation.  However, teacher should notice students’ use language.

Seventh, Students’ use language is the best way that students can practice English.  If teacher want the students can communicate with another person teacher should support students communicate by using target language. Student’s use of the mother tongue during class to talk between teacher and friends. Students use language in group work little. Students have problem about grammar that students don’t understand structure and students don’t pronounce correctly. So, teacher should focus about students’ pronunciation. It will help students can speak fluently and accuracy. In addition, student’s interaction is the part of successful of teaching.

The last, Student’s interaction is the part of successful of teaching because teacher and students should have good interaction. Teacher fix time for do the activities in class such as do exercise, teaching. Teacher asks some questions to students that students usually answer them immediately. In this class, teacher sometimes uses English questions for ask students. When students answer questions they will answer questions by using mother language. In addition, when they talk together they use mother language.

Conclusion, good production usually comes from good teaching. The teacher should have basis knowledge about the grammatical structure, how to apply English in the several situations happened and be nearly in the real life situations. The students should be active in learning, have good attitude in English, have effort for searching new information, and try to apply English repeatly as second or foreign language. The teacher also teaches students focused on student-centred because they will interest about what they have learned. The teacher should create or design the ways to open, develop and close the lesson as so interesting. In addition, the students should be taught by several teaching strategies such as cooperative teaching, task-based teaching, communicative language teaching or the others. The students therefore should be taught by several techniques designed appropriate for students’ interests, including using a game or song. The teacher should prepare several activities for students such as the whole class activity, pair or group work and individual work. Unless, the teacher allows the students to do several activities, they cannot gain new experiences. Besides allowing students to do activities, the teacher should present the authentic materials. In my opinion, I think both the teacher and the students should be a part of teaching English effectively. What students have learned will be useful for them if they try to use and practice English all the time. So, the teacher and the students should prepare themselves for staring the first step as good into the ASEAN Economic Community.