September 6th, 2013
Answering the 'Richard and Lockhart' questions with regard to my warm up lesson.

1. What did you set out to teach?
I set out to teach the target sentences for the chapter in the textbook.

2. Were you able to accomplish your goals?
Yes, I was.

3. What teaching materials did you use? How effective were they?
I used the whiteboard, the classroom computer and TV to show a PPT, and a visual aid for cueing Ss.

4. What techniques did you use?
I used the classroom interactions of Assistance, Repetition and Comprehension Check.

5. What grouping arrangements did you use?
I had the students form into pairs for question and answer dialogue.

6. Was your lesson teacher dominated?
No, I think I got the Ss to do a fair amount of speaking and interacting.

7. What kind of teacher student interaction occurred?
I questioned Ss and then had them question me. Finally, they questioned each other.

8. Did anything amusing or unusual occur?
Four Ss interrupted my video to come and carry some boxes out of the classroom.

9. Did you have any problems with the lesson?
I taught that particular lesson six times. The first takes had some problems.

10. Did you do anything differently than usual?
Not really, no.

11. What kinds of decision did you employ?
I decided to execute my lesson plan.

12. Did you depart from your lesson plan? If so why?
No, I stuck with it.

13. What was the main accomplishment of the lesson?
The students learned the target language, had fun and I completed a STG assignment.

14. Which parts of the lesson were most successful?
The pairwork was a lot of fun for the students.

15. Which parts of the lesson were the least successful?
The T Q S section of the PPT. Some students gave the 'wrong' answer just to be contrary.

16. Would you teach the lesson differently if you taught it again?
I did. As I said I taught it six times.

17. Was your philosophy of teaching reflected in the lesson?
I suppose. That is how most of my young learner lessons go.

18. Did you discover anything new about your teaching?
I sometimes rush parts of a lesson due to boredom (on say the 4th time explaining something)

19. What changes do you think you should make in your teaching?
I should use groupwork more often.

Questions about the students

1. Did you teach all your students today?
No, I teach close to a thousand students. They see me once a week at my first job and twice a week at my second job.

2. Did students contribute actively to the lesson?
Yes.

3. How did you respond to different student needs?
I try and cater to the student needs on a case by case basis. But that is more at my second job. Honestly, at my first job, their faces are a blur.

4. Were students challenged by the lesson?
Most of them. There are a few ahead of the curve and a few behind. I create lessons for the majority.

5. What do you think students really learned from the lesson?
They went in the direction that the textbook wanted them to. School management chooses the textbooks, and I take my lead from that action.

6. What did they like most about the lesson?
I incorporate PPT learning games into my young learner lessons. They love that.

7. What didn't they respond well to?
They don't respond well to worksheets.

Questions to ask yourself as a language teacher?

1. What is the source of my ideas about language teaching?
How I was taught as a student (by my favorite teachers), and the ideas and concepts I've picked up in my local context.

2. Where am I in my professional development?
It's still early days for me. I've got a lot to learn.

3. How am I developing as a language teacher?
I keep gathering material related to my level of child development, and picking up more confidence with teaching elementary school students. I'm trying (with this STG course) to push my boundaries out further, to teach adults at university level.

4. What are my strengths as a language teacher?
I'm patient, friendly and genuinely love well behaved kids.

5. What are my limitations at present?
I work too much. I sacrifice lesson quality for money. I have a business degree and have limited advanced English language knowledge.

6. Are there any contradictions in my teaching?
I say it's important to let the students speak in class, but probably don't give them enough opportunity to do so.

7. How can I improve my language teaching?
By being open to new ideas from different sources.

8. How am I helping my students?
I always try to maintain a certain level of professionalism. I give a good effort.

9. What satisfaction does language teaching give me?
My previous job at a logistics company, had me checking endless sheets of order numbers and regularly lying to customers (by order of management) about the location of their goods. There was zero joy in any action I took on any given day. Teaching is much more emotionally rewarding.