Life’s not so grim after all. Little by little students are doing what I expected them to do. Some haven’t still done anything, though. Three tests this week? Fear of the unknown? Sheer laziness? I don’t know, but I don’t want to force them. Let’s wait and see. Still, the ones that had started by complaining a lot are now really involved. I knew they would be!
And the first conclusion to be derived from these first days is: their writing really needs to be worked on. When they write in class and in tests they are writing about something they have studied, they have prepared, and so you don't really see many mistakes, but here, at least in their personal journals and in the chat, they are writing about whatever they want and often on the spur of the moment and all those problems and mistakes appear. I had never imagined the situation was so serious or maybe I had, otherwise I wouldn’t have decided to do this type of project.
Here are two examples from their personal journals:
“Ok, so im starting my journal. I dont know what to say. Well, there's a thing that i can say: i think that all theese links that our English teatcher gave us mean that we ( my class, i dont know if she is doing this torture with other classes.......) are going to actually WORK!!!!!! OMG! I am not ready for doing any work. I DONT EVEN LIKE TO WORK!! But what can i do??...............”
“Today, is the first day that I am write there, but I have already writen in the wallwisher and in chatzy, it's a start! I'm not very good to write in English but, I'm trying.
Tuesday, we had a english class. There we knew the most of works that had did for english teacher, she are crazy! But is a form to win more capacities in writing.
The teacher don't like my reation about this, and now I agree with her! But, in the moment, I have thought that don't had time to do so things!
SORRY, TEACHER! :)
This project can better very notes in class and I hope be one of them! For this I have to work very much and I'm going able.Thank you teacher for leave me to do part of your project, and now the class project!”
Tuesday, we had a english class. There we knew the most of works that had did for english teacher, she are crazy! But is a form to win more capacities in writing.
The teacher don't like my reation about this, and now I agree with her! But, in the moment, I have thought that don't had time to do so things!
SORRY, TEACHER! :)
This project can better very notes in class and I hope be one of them! For this I have to work very much and I'm going able.Thank you teacher for leave me to do part of your project, and now the class project!”
You can also have a look at the first Wallwisher http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/ClassDMovies.
And all this data that I am collecting has already made me adjust the project. I first thought I would email them my comments and their mistakes, so that they could edit them, but now I’ve changed my mind: I’m going to use some classes, even if I have to set up some extra classes, to work with them using their own texts. Understanding why errors occur is essential to recognize them and learn how to correct them. And the more you do it, the better you’ll remember it next time you’re writing that structure. It’s going to be real hard work, but it’ll be good for all of us.
Luisa, thank you for this. You have made my day.
ReplyDeleteIf I may quote: "i think that all theese links that our English teatcher gave us mean that we ( my class, i dont know if she is doing this torture with other classes.......) are going to actually WORK!!!!!!"
That sums it up nicely. And the second student writes a whole page just to say s/he has no time to write anything. I like the fact that they are honest with you and that they can say what they think. You have already engaged them by giving them a channel to vent. The Wallwisher looks great, they obviously didn't even know they were doing their homework.
We have both realized that we need to work on our students' writing harder than we thought. You say in one of your earlier posts that we are left with too little time to realize the project and I agree. Apparently, we are supposed to just start it and see what happens.
Cheers,
Natasa
Yes, Natasa, as you can see my students have a very open relationship with me: they are free to complain, to express their opinions and feelings. I know they like me and respect me also because I let them be who they are. I told them "Use your journal to call me crazy or to say you're not going to do anything, but write it down." And so they did. And I know that most of them were glad that I chose their class and not any other class.
DeleteDear Luisa,
ReplyDeleteI love the way your student claimed your assignment as "TORTURE". Haaaaa, there is one thing I know for sure: How negative their comments sound, they love to be tortured as they know that the teacher cares about them and that the assignments do good on them.
The same way when my wife, a medical doctor, FORCED me to have regular Health check and I hate the sight of blood. I get fainted whenever I see doctors taking my blood for tests. I got angry several times however I deeply understood the importance of regular checks.
I believe that your students love you more when you TORTURE them.
The
Yes, I chose that example, because that's probably what they first thought and this particular boy has quite a sense of humor and didn't mind writing about it (and there were just one or two petty mistakes).
DeleteI get along very well with these students (I'm kind of their pal-teacher), so don't be surprised they talk to me this freely about my reactions or theirs. We have great classes together, so these comments are more like they're picking on me a bit. They're used to me being a bit provocative and they're learning... :-)
A comment from Yuliya
ReplyDeleteHi, Luisa!
It is true the project takes most of the time. Even if everything seems OK at first sight as soon as you start implementing it problems crop up, new ideas come to mind.
I have also made the conclusion about writing of my students. This is a good idea to devote a class to the mistakes. I will consider that too.
Yesterday when I was reading the posts of my students, I came up with the idea of getting them to work with their own mistakes. I will probably assign them to go back to the posts and spot the mistakes (as many as they can) and then bring edited posts to the class for discussion. Do you think it can work?
Luisa, thank you for the link on Halloween Prezi. I am sure it worked like a dream in your class.
I am sure to learn to use it when I have free time.
Luisa, in the end I want to wish you good luck in your project. I hope your students will not let you down and even exceed your expectations on the project!
Yuliya
Hi luisa
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Passion we need to be teacher as you wrote in your old blog, patience to encourage our students to write and our patience to see the results that we wish, but it's not a dream it can be true. Your first prize is your confidence with your students it helps you to change opinion and to create rubrics where they participate about their tasks. I like your Journal Idea sincerely let them to have learner autonomy too,because the have freedom to write in spite of their mistakes which you'll check lovely and they can see them to avoind in the future.
Great Luisa.
Orquidia