My first blog.

I just started a new cycle at the Institute I work at. I have Advanced level. I was supposed to review questions to find about about someone's interests and background. I took advantage of the situation since it was the first day of class and I introduced myslef.

I drew some pictures (11 in total) on the board and then had the students ask me questions about the pictures. Exactly 50% of them did it quite all right. The other 4 stuck to their right of remaining silent. I noticed that they didn't control the question structure, so their questions were difficult to understand.

I started explaining the grammar part. Temporary, permanent, ongoing and completed situation questions. They need to review the simple and the continuous tenses. We went home and the second class, I just wanted to have a quick review and move on to the next topic. Amazingly, when I asked them for examples, they just couldn't do it. I explained some things and every time I got deeper and reminded them to remember what they have already studied, they just told me they don't remember that or they hadn't studied that. They asked me to reteach these things: Present Perfect vs. Simple Past, Simple Past and Past Continuous, Present perfect progressive, Present continuous vs. Simple Present.

These people are just 6 months away from finishing the program, and they do not feel comfortable enough to speak. I see the reason why. 

The Institute gives teachers a weekly lesson plan which is 'suggested' to be followed. The plan points out what pages and activities we have to cover. Some people might say, but the teacher decides what or what not to cover and then he/she can apply his/her creativity. 

The plan, which students also receive, indicates there's a weekly quiz based on what was 'studied' (better said: covered) during the previous week. The exercises, questions or topics in the quiz are taken from the book. So if the teacher doesn't cover the pages indicated, the students will probably be a bit lost. Students of course demand, expect at least, that the teacher covers what is planned. They studied and prepared for the quiz and accumulate points. But their capacities were left out.

Just when I wanted to get in depth with what students were asking me to review, I remembered i have a quiz coming next week and I was half way the pages I had to teach. I had to make a decision. I asked the students to review their notes and books form the previous levels. I couldn't help them right there. I told them: we have a quiz next week and time is almost out and we have to cover 50% of this week's plan.

Before I mentioned the word quiz, everybody wanted to review, but after I said quiz; they changed their mind and supported my decision to continue covering, so they can be prepped for the quiz.

I finished my class, covered what I had to and bid them good bye. I got into my car, I reflected upon my class and I noticed I had spent more than 90 minutes (each session lasts 130 minutes) explaining something I already did in the previous session. I didn't explain quite well the second part of the plan. I felt that my reviewing activity was quite all right and went well, but I felt sad and frustrated. Students left the class tired, sad and I never gave them an opportunity to apply what we had studied, I mean, covered.

What about their capacities?

How can they know they can do this?

How can they know they are making progress based on what they can do?

Do they know what progress is or look like?

Is covering pages and passing quizzes more important than developing capacities and sharpening skills?