After doing Reader Theater (RT) project for a month in Chang-Te Junior
High School, I find that it is indeed a very good experience to meet different
students in different areas. Also, it is
good to know some students were trying hard to learn while I was
lecturing. However, through this RT
project, it helps me to think and rethink some questions that probably could be
suggestions and further improvements for both the RT project and me. In the following paragraph, based on
different aspects of the observation of the whole RT project, questions are
illustrated from the lightest to the most horrible one.
First of all, considering the
RT script, a question of whether they could do it within a month arose. Apparently, most of them couldn’t do it. Some students are not familiar with English alphabets,
so it would be hard for them to speak out.
Then, I feel probably “i+10” was
too much for them. For the next time, “i+5”
would be a good try. Of course, the next
related problem is that the RT’s schedule is too tight. Many students probably need more time to
practice and digest.
Second of all, considering
their English proficiency, what they have learned before they enter this Junior
High school should be noticed. Originally,
I thought English teaching or learning has been carried out with efforts in
their elementary years, but the truth is that they tend to have problems in
recognizing English alphabets. For
example, I didn’t write whatever I said on the broad because I didn’t want them
to overly rely on my writing, and they might not get concentrated on my
lecturing for they only need to write down whatever I write. Then, I repeated those words by spelling them
three times, but some students started to ask how to write some alphabets. For sure, I will probably need the microphone
so as to let them listen precisely.
Then, some students have fallen into traps (in a more modern way, called
cram schools) for at least one year.
Therefore, it is amazing to know that some of them have learned present
perfect. However, when I tried to know
what they have in their heads by asking more questions, it is a pity that they
got confused with all tenses and aspects.
Without doubts, a discrepancy exists between students, but they all need
helps. Probably, there is a need to know
what happened to their English learning before.
Third, concerning of the
teaching project, the importance might need to be explained explicitly. Most of students don’t realize that we,
teachers, tried to teach them something, including designing good learning materials. In students’ mind, they know RT project is
not going to be a part of grades in the new semester, and they know there’s
nothing if they failed to perform. They
simply want to play as if they did not graduate yet. Therefore, probably making the whole project as
a competition of the whole 7th grade might be workable somehow. For
sure, in the summer tutoring, students are here for trying to get themselves
ready as junior-high students before the new semester, but it still would be
good for teachers to help them or get involved.
For example, the principle, the dean or their homeroom teachers could
simply pass by to see their students or whether I should do something to adjust
my teaching. This way, students would
probably realize that we do care the RT project and their learning as well.
Forth, concerning of their
learning attitude, it is very important to teach them disciplines, respects and
manners. Based on my observation,
students do not really know why they are here and why they are learning
this. Some students keep their devout
beliefs in their cram schools.
Furthermore, it is surprised to know that although girls are
biologically and cognitively more mature than boys, some of them are arrogant
and reluctant to follow up the class.
For example, while other groups were performing on the stage, one of the
girls patted the head of the boy who sat in front of her, and took away his
textbook, throwing it at his face. Every
time I asked her to behave herself, or I simply stared at her, she turned her
face to the other side, and then went on playing when I was looking the
performing group. Besides, some girls
think that they are good because of going to cram school. Then, they turned out to believe that the
purpose of staying at school is to make better use of their own times. For instance, there is a very classic girl
who took out a short Chinese horror novel (which can be bought easily at 7-11)
while the first group was performing. As
I took away her novel, she took it back without asking for permission in the
break. Even worse, when she performed on
the stage, she did lip-reading for the total twenty minutes. Fortunately, they are not much, but they are
annoyed. Typically, they really don’t
understand the differences between elementary school and junior high
school. Therefore, no matter what kinds
of project or activities are doing, students’ attitudes should be placed in the
first priority. If necessary, I don’t
mind that the dean comes into the class and does something.
Overall the questions above, it
is easy to find that they are actually interconnected. But now, a question appears: Do they really
need to be that serious in their learning?
Based on many well-known educators and publishers, it would be more
suitable to teach students by understanding them, lowering their anxieties, and
promoting their motivations. However,
are they that mature to realize that we are trying to help them learn English
speaking, or do they simply think it is not an important class because the
teacher is doing something funny? Then,
it could turn out that we are all talking but never on the same page. Besides, it is also interesting to think the
following up questions: when teachers are trying to communicate with them, are
they that mature to understand teachers are trying to help them, or teachers
don’t dare to be harsh at them? Are they
that mature to evaluate teachers’ teaching and teaching materials, or to think
they are the boss that should be pleased?
In here, the point is not about what they are going to write, but it
doesn’t help to build their characters. For
sure, there are indeed some students learning very hard. However, is teaching or learning to comprise
with students who don’t want to learn? That
is the reason why I try to push them to walk forward rather than get afraid of
being ticketed. Still, there were times
I felt helpless and powerless. In short,
it is a very good experience to meet different kinds of students in different
areas.
