The first class-warm-up activities (11/1)

11/1 was the first "official teaching" for me. I decided not to go directly to the textbook in the beginning. Instead, I designed a small warm-up activity. I asked students how often they go to the supermarket and who do they usually go with, but I found they were not good questions because I could tell from their facial expression, saying "Why are you asking this questions? Don't you think they are boring?" Therefore, I turned to asked them what products they usually buy in the supermarket and passed the handout, typical merchandise of supermarket. I felt sorry for class 捷 because if I had read the items and asked them to repeat before they started to look up the meaning, it would have been easier for them. Thanks for Alice's reminding, the tip really worked and made the process of teaching handout1 more smoothly.
I was glad that they doubted the definition of so-called "typical merchandise" because that's the result I want. I moved on and passed the 2nd handout, What is supermarket, and divided students into groups to read the article. The matching of main ideas of each paragraph helped them understand the article easily and I was intended to introduce and emphasize on "main idea" in this unit because from my observation of their "novel-reading project", some students had difficulties catching the general picture of their novel. I also gave them three questions as homework. The first question was to compare hypermarket, supermarket, convenience store and grocery store. The second was to express personal opinion, "Should supermarkets be blamed?" This question was designed to train their critical thinking ability, to inform them that for certain questions or topic, there is no "correct answer"! You can express your personal opinion as long as it makes sense. The third question was to think of another slogan for supermarket besides "Pile ot high, sell it low." It was also designed on purpose because they would be required to do another project related to slogans in the extension activity.
After the first class, I was extremely nervous because I found that the situations were not the same as I expected. But the first teaching in class廉 and 勤 was better because I followed Alice's suggestion. I found some fatal problems with my teaching on the 1st day.
1. Clear instructions: Sometimes, I forgot to give students clear instructions before they start, or I announced the instruction in an inappropriate timing, such as the middle of their discussion. If I can remember to announce in advance, then students could know clearly what they had to do becuase only few students would listen to the teacher if they were concentrating on their discussion.
2. Bad time management. I was surprised to realize I finish class at "sharp 9" in the first class simply because I was really nervous and had nothing to say. As to the other two class on that day, I felt not that panic and was able to control the class, but one serious problem was.... I FORGOT THE TIME!!! It's students' right to have break and in my opinion, it's the teacher's obligation to finish class in time, though I didn't make it.
I was a little bit frustrated to find that I couldn't control the situation in class on the first day but I always hope that things will be better as long as I try my best. Besides, I also went to Yu-ming's class, and I was impressed with her organized explaination and teaching vocabulary with powerpoint because personally, I prefer using powerpoint for extention activities. But it is always exciting to know different methods of teaching!