Journal #3

Which technique seems to be more feasible and convincing for you to use in your own teaching?

Teaching and learning English may become challenging in our society. Teachers are experiencing day after day students with a huge lack of motivation, interest and wiliness of learning. Nevertheless, teachers should focus on the student’s necessity and interest to be able to encourage them to learn English as a second language. One way to make this possible is by using a teaching technique that may be more feasible and convincing to be used in our teaching process.

As an English teacher of kindergarten, first and second grade, I consider the Total Physical Response more feasible and convincing in my teaching process. Even so, other techniques may be practical as well but it’s good to know that the effectiveness of each technique or approach is when is used correctly in the correct setting. TPR encourage the students to become listener as well as performers. On the other hand, the teacher’s role is to become more active and direct. In my personal experience the TPR has being effective in my teaching process because it helps my students stay more focused at the learning process specially when the class involves the use of physical items (realia) to create meaning. The level that I’m teaching it requires plenty of commands and actions, therefore, I believe that TPR is more effective to teach my students the basic speaking skills and the best of all is that it doesn’t require the use of materials, since it permits me the use of my voice, actions and gesture as basis for classroom activities.

The best part of teaching is that our students are the center. They learn from us as well as we, teachers, learn from them. As an English teacher, I should always recognize the success in my teaching process, establish goals and objective, establish communication as first and last and finally, create a conditions for learning. What I mean by this is, be more dynamic, involve the students in a varied activities and interaction, make them feel able and confident. Teachers must take the lead in establishing positive atmosphere, planning appropriate activities, and encouraging the students to learn English as a second language.