School Lessons

Where, oh where, does the time go? It gets eaten up by my researching ideas and creating lesson plans! I have 4 different class levels: 9 - 12 (Freshmen - Seniors) and then within each, I have at least 2 levels of ability. Luckily, the teachers for these different class levels are in agreement as to what they want me to teach, with a couple of exceptions. So, for a week, I need lessons on 4-6 topics at different skill levels. I spend hours and hours on the prep, and then in 45 minutes, bam !, it's over and I am busy analyzing and critiquing what worked, what didn't, how well I met their ability level, etc., and then I start adjusting the lesson for the next classes. I have nineteen 45 minute lessons each week: just over 14 hours, and then three 1 hour lessons for a total of less than 20 hours of teaching time. But my prep time is at least 20 hours per week - more like a minimum of 30.

There is so much information available about teaching English in addition to lesson plans, worksheets and activities on a bazillion topics, it is hard not to get lost in reading it all. For those of you who have worked with me, you know how I read and read and take in so much info, and then at the last minutes have to pull together whatever the task was I initially started with! I am really enjoying learning so much ... it's almost as if I am in school myself.

This last two weeks one of the subjects was asking for and giving directions. I introduced the phrases and used "gap-fill" worksheets and maps to become familiar with the phrases. Then in the 2nd session on the topic, we either went outside or moved desks in the classroom and created little "towns" and students had to ask and follow directions from each other. When I have run into the students outside of class, I ask them for directions to things and most are doing ok with it!

Another subject was shopping - large superstores vs. small shops. This is a subject the 12 graders must speak on to pass their English test at the end of the year. We've done role plays with students trying to convince each other to shop at one store or another and then for the two most advanced classes, I had then discuss the impact on the economy of large superstores and small shops, based on a dialogue presented from a language workbook.

All of this make the students sound pretty advanced when I read what I have written. They aren't. One of the biggest barriers is that a lot of Hungarian is spoken in the class. It is impossible to stop it, and at the higher class levels it is the worst in that it is institutionalized. Some of the kids have made it to grade 12 with learning very, very little English. What has happened is that as they did not pick it up as quickly as the other students, another student will translate for them. It has now gotten to be the way of the class: I say something, maybe 1/2 the class will understand. The other half of the class doesn't even try to understand - they wait for another student to translate it for them. Or, I speak directly to a student and they don't know what I said, so they turn to the top student and ask for translation, instead of saying they don't understand. For a student who wants to try to understand, they will say the don't understand or will ask a question, and we can try different words, pantomime, etc., to understand each other. But these other students don't even try, they just wait for instructions in Hungarian.

I have one 12th grade class that there is no way that any of the students will pass the English exam. They just don't know anything. I have asked what to do about it, and basically, about all I can do is help them memorize a few sentences on each of the topics they will need to speak about. But this won't even be enough to pass the exam. They will still get their HS diploma, but not a diploma that shows they are eligible for entry into college or university. Bottom line is that none of those kids will even try to go on to University anyway, so they aren't too concerned about the test.

Anyway, I just keep trying. I had feedback from the Headmaster this week that he hears good things from the students about my classes. I'm glad, because I put so much work into them! I hope it gets easier as the year goes on, but I have a feeling that as I learn more, I will only learn that there is so much more to learn!