planning a unit of work, Lesson 2

[iol]

Read the three teachers' quotes again. Whose planning style is most like your own – Deniz's, Paolo's, Erika's or none of these? Why?

I think I am using a combination of the three of them. In fact, I've read some of the previous posts about it and I am agree with those posted by secondary teachers, when you've got a class of more than 27 students(special needs, different learnign styles, capacities, etc..) improvisation is always there. I plan everthing before starting the course-year, I teach three-hours per week and I plan taking into account things like variety, motivating activities, balance and flow (I always start classes by using an speaking activity which helps me to introduce a grammar point or the vocabulary of the unit, or to review what we did last session, etc... )then, I try to practice some skill every session: reading-listening (most of the times I try to find readings which we can also listen to), writing-speaking...communication is basic for me and I avoid big teacher's focused classes so, I don't like grammar explanations I prefer, grammar clarifications when they need them, after having done some activity, we make a reflection on why this form or another... things like these.
Another question that I found interesting to discuss about was when we do the homework checking. In act 4, lesson 2, the planning included the checking at the beginning but I am not quite sure this is the best option. Students lose their attention after 40-45 min, I prefer to spend them in activities and practising rather than in a long correction. I usually use self-correction, I project htem the answers and they do it by themselves, meanwhile I go around looking for problems or not-understood activities. That's why I usually do it at the end of the class, when they find hard to follow another activity or communicating because they are tired.
From what you have read, you can imagine I am not using coursebooks very much, I prefer to create my materials and develop them according to my students' needs. And that also answers the last questions, I would tell them not to worry much about planning and having control of everything, because teaching is not a mathematical science, it has to do with teens, their moods, their interests and these things vary from one day to another.

[Admin]

Thanks for your interesting post Iol. I have never taught such a large group of teenagers, but I'm sure you are right about having to improvise to a certain extent. Even with smaller groups you have to take into account moods, energy levels, changing interests, shifting alliances within the group and so on. Also your approach to using the course book makes a lot of sense - there will always be exercise types or certain topics that don't work with the particular group you are teaching, so you are forced to find alternative materials that will be more suitable. The problem is that sometimes students complain: "Why did you make us buy the book if we hardly use it?" Which is a point..