Teaching Journal

Class: 40 students of 1-1 in HSHS
Date: December 2nd, 2005
Textbook: Brushup your English grammar p/b CHART INSTITUTE
Allotment: Review of Comparatives

Lesson objectives

1. To review Comparatives, using the handout.
2. To help ss memorize important comparative expressions.

Teaching objectives

1. To change the pattern of interaction three times in a lesson: review on the board, a handout, and explanation.
2. To draw ss' attention by providing ss with a motivating way to memorize expressions.

Post-class reflections

This lesson was the review of comparative. Comparative has a lot of items to memorize, which quite often makes the lesson boring. Grammar by nature has a lot of things to memorize, and sometimes unconsciously, T repeatedly said to ss, "You should memorize this. This is an important point. You will see this question in the exam." I wanted to change this situation for today's lesson.
I start with writing simple questions about comparative expressions on the blackboard, without saying anything. All I sad to ss was to write them down. Ss must have wondered what this class was about, but this was my intention. Instead of giving them every direction, I just gave them a routine work that they could follow. While doing the routine work of writing questions on the notebook, ss would become more curious about the answers. That was my intention. This worked quite well. All the students earnestly wrote down the items on the board, and checked answers, using the textbook.
The next activity was the quick question-and-answer session. I picked up one student, and asked the answer of the question on the board, pointing it. If they did not know the answer, all they had to do was shake their head, when T answered it instead. However, after a few questions, T went back to the same question that ss could not answer. After I showed this model to ss, I had them practice by a pair. Ss seemed to enjoy this pair work. Through the pair work, I believe, they could enjoy the process of root memorization.
Finally, I gave ss a handout of further exercises. I picked up only ten questions, and made ss answer them quickly. After five minutes, I gave ss the answer sheet. Since this was a shot activity after the pair activity, their motivation to learn was higher. Ss worked quite well.
Over all, I am satisfied with ss' participation to the class, but I am not sure how effective each activity is. I will see it through the result of the exam.