A Week of Teaching Practice and Evaluation!

February 5^nd – 11^th, 2018

            Second week of teaching practice. Actually, this week would be our Evaluation week. Since there were three of us whom being English Pre-Service teacher in this school, there were three days of evaluation sessions. The Evaluation took within the days with 2 periods of English subject. Those days were Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. My evaluation was assigned on Thursday at Matthayom 5/4 class. Before the evaluation, there were many things we have to prepare. Such as lesson plan, teaching aid, students’ worksheet and many others. We got the lesson plan from batch 4 SEA-Teacher, we used it as a guidance to create our own lesson plan about problem and solution essay. It was not easy at all, knowing that we had to deal with different topic for our evaluation. However, that was the challenge we should face.

Having assigned with the evaluation day, did not mean that we were free from teaching. During the day which was not our evaluation day, we still continue our teaching practice with different topic. We were asked by our supervisor to teach about Problem Solution Essay (the topic that we were assigned in the evaluation). The days with one period of English subject, we filled it with explanation of problem solution basic and examples of problem and solution. Therefore, we had to teach the students how to write an essay. Regarding with teaching writing, surely the students need much time and intensive learning. Writing was not an easy skill to be learned, the students have to know how to form thesis statements, how to write introductory paragraph that contained hook to gain readers’ attention, how to write a structural body paragraph and lastly the conclusion. Moreover, they were required to write about Problem and Solution Essay. Thus, the students have to be smart in finding solution to solve the problem.

In line with this, our school supervisor helped us in preparing the teaching material and the teaching media. We used Matthayom 6 students’ work of problem solution essay to show the students of the result they had to create at the end of the lesson. We also had outline form of problem and solution essay for the students in order to have them outlining the points, problems and solutions they wanted to provide in their essay later. For the learning activities this week, our supervisors also provided the example of problem solution materials which could be explained to the students. We then prepared our own material of Problem Solution Essay and improve the media using several videos and pictures.

On Monday, we had 5 classes to teach and each of the class had one period of English subject (50 minutes). Knowing that we did not have much time, we used it wisely by explained the basic understanding of Problem Solution Essay through the power point slide. We also take turns in explaining the topic. I got to explain the thesis statement. I also explained the fundamental of problem solution essay, in which they had to think about any problem that they thought worth to be solved. I could not deny that learning about concept of writing was a little bit boring because the class would be full of explanation and serious discussion. However, the students had to deal with it because at the end of the semester they had to write their own essay and submit it as their final examination. Mostly, the students followed the class like usual, they were listening to the explanation and asked if they did not understand about any part of our explanation. When the bell rang, we went to another class until all five classes done. After all classes done, we went back to the office and prepare our self for the evaluation. Mostly, my friend named Afifah who prepared because she would be evaluated first. 

The next day, the first class we attended was 5/1. This was the class where Afifah would be evaluated. She was evaluated by Teacher Preauw, our School mentor. Meanwhile, we as the team teaching helped Afifah in recording and taking her picture when she did the evaluation. Afifah started with repeating the explanation we had explained yesterday to the students. It was easier for them to answer the question because the material was still new in their mind. That was why she did not has any obstacle in explaining the concept of problem solution essay to the students. Next, time for practicing. As a part of learning writing, the students have to outline their essay first. Before that, Afifah had divided them into 6 groups consist of 3 – 4 students. They chose their number and they got their topic based on the number they chose. We helped her to spread the outline form to the students. Even though they work in group, they had to have their own outline about the topic chosen. Then, time given was 30 minutes knowing that it was not easy for the students to directly write the outline of the topic they just got. Along with the time, we helped Afifah on checking around the class whether the students have any obstacle or not. Turned out, the students seemed focus on their work. Sometimes they only asked about the meaning of word that they did not understand. They also asked about the pattern of the outline form. We explained the detail for them and they continue in doing the outline. 30 minutes finished, it was the time to submit the outline form. Having submitted the outline form, the students paid their attention to Afifah’s explanation about what they have to do next. Lastly, the students have to create their own Problem Solution Essay per group creatively and submitted it later in the final examination. 

Wednesday was the time for the other member of the team teaching, Isti, to have the Evaluation. She was evaluated by teacher Palin, also our school mentor and one of English teacher in the school. The evaluation was in the 5/2 class in the second period of the day. After morning assembly, three of us taught 5/3 class. As usual, we divided the responsibility in explaining the materials. I got the part in explaining the example of a good Problem Solution Essay. Finished with that, we then spread the outline form for them to be filled based on the topic they got. The topic used was still the same with the topic Afifah gave to 5/1 class yesterday. They were also divided into 6 groups consist of 3 – 4 students. When the students finished doing their outline in group, they submitted their outline and the class was over. Bell rang and it was the time for Isti to face her evaluation that day. We headed to 5/2 class and not long after we arrived, teacher Palin arrived as well. Isti began the lesson by greeting the students and asked about what they have learned last meeting. Some of the students answer Problem and Solution Essay and some of the students prefer to stay silent. Isti responded to the students’ answer by giving them feedback. Continued with explanation of Problem Solution Essay briefly by her and dividing the students into 6 groups. They counted 1 – 6 and then repeat until the last student in the class. The number they got determined their topic number. The first group got the first topic, and so on until the 6^th group. Just like previous class, Isti gave 30 minutes to fill in their outline form and when they finished, they submitted it to us. Having finished the outline, Isti then explained the follow up activity to them. In which they have to create their own Problem and Solution Essay per group creatively then submitted it later for their final examination. With that, Isti’s evaluation was over and we came back to the office. Isti then got a little advice from teacher Palin about her Power Point, teacher Palin thought that it was not too convenient because the letter size in the Power Point was so small and several little comments. Nothing major because teacher Palin was quiet satisfied with Isti’s teaching.

Next day, Thursday, was my own Evaluation day. As it was assigned, I was preparing my Evaluation for Matthayom 5/4 class. Before the teaching, surely I made my lesson plan, materials presentation and prepared myself to teach the students. In making the lesson plan I needed to be focus on their curriculum and school system. As for information, the curriculum system of the school is mostly focused on Mathematics and Science through the science project and independent research activities. The emphasis is also on a solid foundation of social sciences, world languages and fine arts. English language is compulsory with one of other languages: Japanese, Chinese, etc., particularly, ASEAN languages, etc. Thus, I provided a lesson with “not too complicated” way to make sure at the end of the class the students successfully achieve the learning objectives which was writing a Problem Solution Essay. Unfortunately, on the very day of my Evaluation, the 90% of Matthayom 5 were going out of the school to have Science activities. To say I was disappointed was an understatement, I was way beyond disappointed because of this. Why? Because in fact I did not see this coming. Moreover there was no any information from the school about this. We just found it out by ourselves when we walked to school and saw many vans and busses were taking the students out of the school. We then asked the teacher and she apologize that she did not inform us about this. Turned out, we did not have any class and my evaluation was rearranged. 

Friday, was the day of my Evaluation. To make it clear, it was not purely my own Evaluation since all the advisor from the University came to evaluate us that day. Therefore, three of us were required to teach the class in order to be evaluated by the supervisors from the university. However, Isti and Afifah did not evaluated by their school mentor anymore because they had passed it on Tuesday and Wednesday. At 12 am, three supervisors from University arrived. There were Ajarn Pichy and Ajarn Sasithorn who responsible to evaluate three of us. The other supervisor was Ajarn Apichat, who was assigned to evaluate our friend majoring Chemistry. The evaluation was in Matthayom 2/2 class, at 1 pm. After preparing meals for the supervisors, we headed to the class together and began the evaluation. My school mentor’s name was Teacher El, the head of Foreign Language Department. She, together with Ajarn Pichy and Ajarn Sasithorn observe our teaching and gave several comments on the evaluation form. The teaching began with me greeting the class and brainstorming about the lesson today. Material that we were going to teach was about Passive voice. I used pictures of people doing action to brainstorm the students. I asked students about the picture, I admit that their English was quiet good. They answer my question about the picture without no hesitation and the answer was correct. I also provided the correct sentence beside the picture to show whether their answer was correct or not. It was all about the brainstorming. Then, I asked them about the type of sentence they just answered. With all confidence, they answered that the sentences were all active sentence. By that, they guess by themselves that the lesson was about active and passive voice. Having their answer, I clarified that I would teach Passive Voice. In line with that, I present them a video explanation of Passive Voice. A typical video with music to attract their attention and make them easier to gain the information. Next, entering the core of the teaching, we divided whilst activities into three parts so that, Afifah, Isti and I could get the same opportunity in teaching. First, Afifah took the part to explain the structure of Passive voice, Isti took the part in giving example and differences between Passive voice in present and past tense, then the last, I got the part to instruct the students in doing the task that I have prepared. The task consisted of two part, Passive voice for Present tense and Passive Voice for Past Tense. While the students were focusing on their task, three of us checked around the class to help the students who found any difficulties in finishing the task. Finished, we then discuss the answer together to check the correct answer. Like the smart students they are, all the answers were correct and they were all looked very satisfy with their own work. Not stop there, the activity still continue with games and to make sure the students understand the material clearly. It was race games, the students divided into groups and given passive sentences. When the game started, each of the member ran to the board and write one word of the sentence and then the second will continue by writing another word and then the third until the all five sentences written in the board. It was a very fun games, where they stood up and cheer up for their friends and tried their best to write a correct sentence. The time was over and we decided the winner by the fastest group and the group with all correct answers. Turned out the first group was the fastest group and fourth group had all the correct answer. By the end of the game, our meeting with Matthayom 2/2 class was over too. We feel very happy to be evaluated in this class because they were attractive and smart in English. After concluding the lesson that day, together with the supervisors and the teacher mentor, we left the class and headed back to the office. Ajarn Pichy gave us several advises regarding our teaching. Fortunately, she was satisfied by our teaching and give us a very nice feedback. 

After the evaluation done, we directly went back to the university. We spent the next 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) at the university finishing our presentation for the post training and following university activity. In which, on Sunday all of the SEA Teacher were taken to Cha Am Beach and Amphawa Floating Market to fill the day off. The trip was started at 07.00 am – 08.00 pm. We were having a happy time both in the beach and in the floating market and every second of it was worth it.