All the world's a stage

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players

- Shakespeare

This is the blog I have been meaning to write for a WHILE. In this blog I wanted to look at the language my co-teachers and I use when giving directions.

One of the biggest problems I have with giving directions is timing. I am unsure of when I should give directions. I want to tell the students what to to as soon as we start an activity, but then they need to understand each piece (vocab and roles) before they can do the activity and I want to explain everything at once. 

"This is a pass the ball game. When you hear the music, you will pass the ball. When the music stops, the person holding the ball stands up." (directions)

"When the music stops the group says "Say hello to the class" The ball person says "Hi! I'm ____. I'm interested in _____" The group answers "Nice to meet you!" 

"The ball person should look a the screen. There is a picture. Say what matches the picture."

"You get points for listening and speaking. 1 point for listening, 1 for speaking."(each piece)

When all is said and done, I find that I have so much information that I need to tell the students and no simple way to give it to them. That is, until my co-teacher A took over one class and re-did my instructions.

I wish I had recorded it. (hindsight is 20-20)

For every direction she gave she had a student rephrase it for her. If they didn't understand a direction she would break the sentence apart and explain each piece until they got it. 

She used simple English that didn't dumb down the main message. One of the key things she does is gives the students a clear thing to DO at each step. 

"First, you will choose one item. How many items? Second, You will make 4 stories. What will you make? 3 lies and 1 true story. How many lies? How many truths? etc." 

The students understood what they had to do and how they could do it. 

She would use all English to explain, she is a certified TEE teacher (teaching English in English), and works on her credentials all the time. She is trying to become a master TEE teacher (one that teaches others how to teach in English). She was able to make input comprehensible without using L1, using the techniques we learned in class. It was simply amazing to see it at work.

I am always talking with her during class, changing what I will say to the students. "You said this, how about this?" We offer each other tips on what to say and how to make the classroom a more well oiled machine to help us and the students get the best out of it. (She was also the co-teacher that first approved my station work for class and let's me try more novel approaches in the classroom) Sadly I only get to teach with her once a week this year. (She was my main ct last year, 16 classes together a week)

I believe this is because I have built a rapport with her and we are able to better read each other. She understands what I want to happen in the classroom and helps me to make it a reality.

On the flipside,  I have had some strange interactions about classroom English with my co-teachers. When ever they speak English in class they seem very ashamed. They will talk to me after class and tell me that they apologize for how they spoke and that they wish they were better. This happens with every co-teacher, even co-t A who has amazing classroom English! 

This week I talked with one of my co-teachers and they told me that they want to mimic my speech exactly. They were pointing out that they have different sentences for the same meaning 

I say "Do you understand?"

She says "You got it?"

The students in her class understand BOTH phrases, so I told her there is no problem with saying it one way or another. She told me that to speak better English she should stop saying anything that is different from how I speak. 

I tried convincing her that we have different voices and that's okay, but I was unsuccessful. 

I am not sure how to build up my CTs' confidence in their English ability.

That's why I quoted this blog with Shakespeare. We are all acting and trying to build our identity as teachers. One place to really focus on is the classroom language you use and how that builds your identity and theirs.