While we discussed last Thursday in class (15/11/2012) the theme about the time dedicated to "serious" tasks in class, it came to my mind a situation I learnt when I was on teaching practises (TP) last year.
Ales, the teacher I spent the most time with when I was on TP, told me that children, above all when they are very young (1st and 2nd year) tend to get bored or not to pay attention after they are required a lot of effort on an activity or this is the same once and other again. He told me (and I was able to prove it by myself while I was with him in his classes) that he prefers to spend a little time with a task (no more than 20 minutes, unless it´s needed) and to play games (referred with the task as well of course) or talk about something that worries to the children; ablout this last point, he told me that it doesn´t matter if they talk in spanish if the theme discussed is something very important, so that children could understand every word.
He taught me that there´s no problem if one day you don´t finish all tasks you had scheduled. The important thing is that children learn not the maximun things (altought is an objective, but I would a secondary objective) but in the best way these things they study. We could say is not a matter of quantity but QUALITY!!!! So it doesn´t matter if one day children only learn one thing, that if this knowledge they have interiorized very deep in their brains it will be much more important than having had learnt more things and the day after they couldn´t remember a single thing.
Víctor Pérez
I agree with you with the fact that children can just focus on the task around twenty minutes. After that they need some rest, which does not mean that they need to play, it means that they can continue learning through another kind of activities which can be more funny and motivating for them. Referring to children, we must plan our theoretical explanations for not more than fifteen or twenty minutes. After that, we must do activities, otherwise they won´t listen to us and they won´t learn anything.
ResponderEliminarOn the other hand, from my point of view, I consider that the day is long enough to learn more than one thing. Of course learning from and for live is very important, but also are the contents. I think that we should focus on both of them. Solving our students problems is very very important, but there are also extra hours in which we can do it. I do not think that we have to spend the whole hour with a child problem, which probably do not concern to the whole group. Problems are usually between two or three students.
I remember that my tutor on Teaching Practice told me the approximate percentages about what students understand in only one session. I think that it is very curious and completes the interesting information that Victor has explained.
ResponderEliminarIn a normal class of twenty five girls and boys, only the 40% of the children pay attention and understand what the teacher is explaining in a specific moment. Other children, 40% approximately, are paying attention to the explanation but they don’t understand it. Finally, 20% of children don’t pay attention and they understand nothing!! I think that a teacher has to take this information into account because a perfect explanation is not enough to teach something.
My tutor said to me that the teacher should know who are the students that don´t understand the contents and repeat the explanation or the exercises (They are not always the same pupils). After two or three explanations (in different days, of course), almost 75% of students can understand what they are working although there are always some students (15% approximately) that think they understand it but they really don’t. The teacher has to repeat the contents or the activities again because these pupils can have some problems to do the exercises or apply the theory.
It is very curious because, as Victor says, the teacher has to try that students learn something, although it is a concept or an exercise. Then, after reviewing it again and again, students understand it perfectly and they learn!!
I think that we have to change it because nowadays the contents are more important to the teachers than other matters. First of all we are person and then we have to know new contents.
ResponderEliminar“Step by step, one goes a long way”
Better late than never.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarI agree with you. Children can not pay attention in a task or work more than twenty or thirty minutes. They are children and are distracted easily.
ResponderEliminarSo that, we, as teachers, must be concise and brief in the explanations and stand out the most important items of the topic. Because then, we can increase this with activities, games, discussions… This can be proposed to clear the students mind and take a break. Moreover with this strategy we can check if children have paid attention and have understood the concept. Both, you motivate them to express their views and participate in class.
Finally, I disagree with using a whole class to treat a problem or other matter outside the curriculum. Because this technique can be used by the students to miss class or the bone explanations of the teacher. Although there are pupils who participate and provide wonderful ideas and solutions. But there are other percentage that do not and disturb the rest of the class.
We can not forget that the school is a place where children have to achieve some targets and acquire some academic aims.
I do not mean that we should not treat the personal problems of children, but at the right time and giving the necessary importance.
Elena Calvo Pérez