A V3 Grammar Lesson (Review plus some new vocabulary)

Teaching grammar to students in a second language is maybe the hardest thing about being an ESL teacher. I've always found that V3 (present perfect) is easy to teach structurally, but hard for students to grasp in terms of its colloquial usage -- we use V3 very often as native English speakers when talking about the past. With this class, we are returning to V3 for the third time, and I'm still working with them to understand how it should be used when speaking. It takes lots of demonstrations and lots of different activities -- and on top of that, they still need to learn new irregular verbs. Here's a video of the class:

My PBL Class

PBL is a tricky beast! Making a lesson that can be fully contained in a single video is even trickier. But I think I managed to do so with my recording for the TeachNow program. The students responded well to the slides and had enough understanding of the material to jump into the research.

The trick with doing something like this with an ESL class is to very carefully select the new vocabulary, so that it's just difficult enough for the students. If you give them language that's too basic they'll sigh and lose interest. If it's much too difficult, they'll feel overwhelmed, and then lose interest. I think this was the key to the success of this lesson -- relying on vocabulary they already knew as a building block for some interesting new science words.

Unfortunately I could not record the research portion, poster creation or presentations, but here is the presentation introducing students to the topics and assignments.

Learning Environment Management Plan

This was one of the more immersive portions of the TeachNow teacher training program that I'm finishing up. We had to look at our classroom management from a number of angles and describe different methods and apps for effective practices. I think it's a good summary of the classroom environment I'm also working to create -- positive, organized, engaging, with clear rules and expectations that are repeated and rewarded throughout each and every class.

Reflections on Behavior Management in the Classroom

 There are two areas I really considered improving during this unit. Number one is in parent communications. I’ve always felt this is an essential part of working with students, because you need to have a good sense of what their life outside the classroom is like in order to understand how to reach them in the classroom. Frequent parent communication is something a number of other teachers in the cohort emphasized -- for both good and bad news -- and that is something I will put into practice when I start at an international school.

Number two is in the use of data tools to track the progress of my students. There are a number of programs out there, like TeacherKit, that can help with this, but I think using a journal or class log to track qualitative data is just as important. Keeping track of things like how a problem student might be feeling, what triggered an emotional outburst, what specifically the student is struggling with. These sorts of things are harder to keep track of from day to day, but they are really essential for keeping track of the big picture with what’s happening in a class. This qualitative approach would be really effective if used in tandem with data tools that can closely track quantitative outcomes -- homework and test scores, attendance. That way you can see clearly when a certain practice is having a positive impact, or when it’s having a negligible or even negative impact.

One area where I felt more convinced that I’m on the right track is the use of a BMS that focuses on rewarding positive behaviors. I try to infuse my lessons with a reward system that rewards the class as a whole for putting in an effort and for participating meaningfully in the activities we do. This gets everyone involved, and ultimately gets everyone working through the class material. It does not guarantee everyone will improve, but it is definitely the first step, and I feel more strongly about that after reviewing all the materials in this unit.

I would add to my approach here by focusing more on clearly articulating the behaviors I expect from students, and the behaviors I don’t want to see. I think this is something I’ve glossed over in the past, simply going over a list of rules and expecting that students will connect those rules to specific behaviors in the classroom. But it might be better to take it a step further and demonstrate good and bad behaviors for students at the start of a new term.

Reflections on Formative Assessments

 I've been asked to reflect on the formative assessments I use in my classroom and consider how I might change them in the future. There are two areas I want to focus on when looking for ways to improve my class routine:

1) How I can collect data in real time on the progress of my students.

2) How I can better communicate the progress of my students to my students.

The problem with number one is that my class methods rely a lot on activities and games that use sticky balls, dice, markers and whiteboards, pencil and paper, and flash cards. There's a lot of TPR and physical movement in my classrooms, because I'm teaching young learners and this has always been the best way to get them using the language actively (while keeping them interested in the class). The problem is that such activities do not lend themselves well to any method of automatically collecting data, so that I can track students' progress from class to class. 

One method I use in class is a quick "yes/no" check which I shared with my cohort. First I would say a sentence for the student, and they would give me a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down response, indicating whether or not I used to word or grammar structure correctly. This allows for me to understand in real time whether or not students are grasping the subject matter, and it has been effective in my experience. But again, there's no way for me to collect and track such data.

A possible solution would be to simply add an automated "exit ticket" activity at the end of each class. A program like Google Forms would allow me to automatically aggregate data on how my students are doing based on this ticket. That way I could track the progress of my students after each class. I will incorporate this into my class routine going forward.

For problem number 2, the biggest hurdle is the language barrier. Keeping a dialogue about more complicated topics is manageable for my strongest students, but I can't really expect young learners to be able to follow their own progress in a second language that they're still struggling to use correctly. What I'm considering is using a simple check-list system that I would show students at the beginning of a term. This would show, line by line, each skill I want them to attain by the end of a term (ex: using present continuous correctly; using contractions for "we are, they are" correctly). Each column could be a grade for that skill (needs improvement, good, excellent).

Students could be shown this at the beginning of the term and then made to understand (possibly with the help of translation from a teaching assistant) that this would be used throughout the term. It's simple, and most importantly it's visual. I could also use a simple Google Doc to track this, though it would require manual entry from me.

The ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)

For my Moreland University studies, we were required to discuss an education law and how it affects learning outcomes. We were permitted to choose any country or district, but I decided to go with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the most comprehensive federal education law in the United States.

Here's a video of my brief analysis of the law, its strengths and weaknesses, and its overall impacts on education.

Test Score Studies and Hattie's Methods

 Another activity from my Moreland University Cohort: Examining test score data using Dr. John Hattie's research about classroom practices that affect student achievement.

We needed to use this data to make an infographic display. While my sample size was small (only six students) I still felt it reflected some of Hattie's findings -- particularly regarding the effects of scaffolding activities, which I do in just about every class.

Here's the infographic!

Differentiation in the Classroom

My Moreland University Cohort were tasked with using Universal Learning Design guidelines to examine our own classes. We had to look at three individual cases of students who required differentiated learning methods and discuss what we did differently.

Here are my three case studies!

Student Diversity and Differentiated Instruction

Three Case Studies

By Kasra Kangarloo

Part A: Questions Regarding Student Diversity and Differentiation in Instruction for ESL Classes (Ages vary from 7 to 12 years old)

1.  What are the students’ cultural / ethnic backgrounds?

2.  How well do the students socialize with others?

3.  How motivated are the students to engage with class material?

4.  How are the students’ core skills? Are there any students that are well advanced or well below the other students in the class?

5.  What are the students’ interests outside of the classroom?

6.  Are there any students with severe behavioral issues such as aggression or consistent disruption of class activities?

7.  Are there any students who would qualify for IEP services in a school that provides those services? What is the specific nature of the students’ needs?

8.  What are the students’ attitudes toward English learning?

9.  What mediums of instruction do the students engage best with?

Implications for Differentiation of Classes from Above Questions

1.  Although I work in Vietnam, which is a very culturally homogenous environment, there are still a number of cultural factors to consider regarding my students. Many of them come from families that prioritize English speaking at home, and some of them live with parents who are mixed nationalities -- a Vietnamese and a foreigner. This has implications for their attitudes toward and familiarity with Western culture and ideas. Students who come from much more traditional Vietnamese homes may have trouble grasping the cultural context of certain topics -- for example, if I show a clip from an American TV show, or want to teach students about American sports or pop culture.

2.  Group learning and group discussion are hugely important for the success of an ESL classroom. Students have to be using English with each other as much as possible, which makes the ability to interact well with others a must for every age group. If certain students cannot work well with others, then solutions must be found for keeping that student engaged in the class and using their English as much as possible.

3.  Overall enthusiasm for the class environment is an important factor for learning success. Again, because it’s an ESL classroom, it’s critical that students are interacting with each other using English and practicing the language points. If a couple students are regularly unmotivated to participate, it can affect the whole class.

4.  With English language speaking, this cuts both ways. Young students are often placed in a lower level due to inadequate writing skills, but oftentimes their speaking abilities will be well advanced for the level. This can affect their enthusiasm and overall interest in the class. Students who are struggling with speaking skills or falling behind the class can also be discouraged from participation or feel inadequate compared to the rest of the class, which can have further negative impacts on their learning. Confidence is hugely important for learning a second language.

5.  Student interests outside the classroom are very important for keeping a class interesting and engaging. For example: Knowing that my kids love Pokemon and Doraemon means that using those visuals related when teaching a new language point will be much more effective and stimulating. By the same token, if there happens to be one student who hates those topics, then I need to be mindful of it and mix in some alternative visuals.

6.  One disruptive student can destroy the learning processes of a class. The nature of the disruption can vary -- they might have a special needs issue that’s not been addressed, or just be extremely bored with the material, or have an emotional disturbance which means they’re easily triggered. But strategies need to be developed both for keeping that student engaged -- without alienating them from the rest of the class -- while also keeping that student controlled, so that the rest of the class can continue learning.

7.  Because I teach in a learning center in Vietnam, there is no program similar to an IEP, or really any structured process for supporting students with special needs. Teachers are just encouraged to do their best. This means I must find ways to accommodate students who would clearly qualify for special needs, while keeping them in the general class environment at all times, and without affecting the learning of other students.

8.  Learning English is considered vital to the future success of many students in Vietnam, particularly those in middle- and upper-income brackets. This means that tremendous pressure is put on students by their families, which can either motivate them to succeed or make them resent being in the class at all. Other students are drawn to English-language cultures and will immerse themselves in cartoons or youtube videos from a young age. This can make for a mix of learning attitudes, foundational skills and overall enthusiasm.

9.  Whether it’s a heavy use of visuals, youtube videos, songs, physical activities, or straight worksheets and textbook learning -- there’s an abundance of options for how to go about teaching ESL, and every student has their own opinion about each one. Some students absolutely hate sticky ball games, others love them. Some students can’t stand singing, others want as many songs as possible. Knowing who hates what and who loves what is crucial to tailoring an effective lesson.

Part B: Three Individual Case Studies

M, Age 11, Upper-level ESL Learner

Profile / Strengths / Weakness: M comes from a Vietnamese household that’s encouraged English learning from a very young age. He’s been watching cartoons in English since he can remember, and while his English is not perfect, he’s able to communicate conversationally with his teachers in English. He’s extremely energetic, highly competitive, and very emotional -- he will either be extremely excited about an activity and want to dominate the whole class, or he will despise an activity and want no part in it. He is also incredibly stubborn, which means that strict instruction from the teacher can often have the opposite effect -- rather than doing as told, he’ll double down and refuse even more strongly. But at the end of the day these are all only behavioral issues -- he’s a highly intelligent student who loves using his English and is excited about learning topics like science and history. His misbehavior is usually attributed to frustration and impatience with how much slower the rest of the class can be.

Differentiated Instruction: Because of M’s fantastic stubbornness, it’s best to take the route of positive reinforcement. This means that, rather than punishing M for misbehaving, other students are rewarded for good behavior while M is very clearly not. His high intelligence and interest in other topics also means that a diversity of classroom materials and topics should be used as much as possible. At the same time, because of his high-speed learning and large foundational knowledge of the language, allowing him to sit out of certain activities should be allowed from time to time, rather than wasting time battling with him to do something he already knows how to do. When he finishes individual assignments quickly, making him a “helper” for struggling students also works very well -- this empowers him and teaches him to be a bit more humble, while also keeping him busy.

C, Age 8, Lower-level ESL Learner

Profile / Strengths / Weakness: C is a Vietnamese student who comes from a middle-income Vietnamese household. He is a student who I right away noted as someone who should have an IEP and lots of extra help outside the classroom. He has a lot of trouble focusing on any one activity for more than a few minutes, and, when he loses interest, will jump out of his seat and start acting like a chicken. This is a highly regular occurrence and, while it provides great amusement for the other 18 seven-year olds in the class, it can derail the entire lesson. The oddly positive side of this is that he is extremely popular with his classmates -- students love sitting with him and are very friendly and accepting of him, despite his odd behavior. But even so, both his learning and that of the other students are disrupted too frequently, and the class is too big for so many minutes to be wasted chasing him around the room. Students also can take cues from him, and get overexcited themselves when C disrupts the class. His English language skills are also well below that of the other students, despite the class’s already being a very low level. He has trouble with writing and spelling and with reproducing the sounds he hears.

Differentiated Instruction: Although my school does not have any IEP services, I was able to secure a second Vietnamese teaching assistant for the class just to aid and help control C. Me and this assistant frequently discuss C’s progress and how he’s getting along in the class. We also pre-plan a number of strategies for keeping him focused (as much as possible) during the lessons. The assistant will sit beside C through the whole lesson and work with him individually with a mini whiteboard and marker -- she uses these to teach him a personal mini-lesson that mirrors my own. Then, when the students are doing a group activity, C is always encouraged to participate. But, if he cannot, the assistant will sit with him again and use the whiteboard and marker to provide another personal mini-activity that mirrors the class activity. This way we keep him engaged as much as possible. Sometimes C, however, simply cannot stay focused on what’s happening around him -- he seems to get overstimulated by the noise in the class and the demands placed on him -- in which case we provide him either some silly puddy, a Rubik’s cube, or crayons and paper. This is really the best we can manage given the resources and time available to us.

H, Age 8, Mid-Level ESL Learner

Profile / Strengths / Weakness: H is a Vietnamese student from a middle-income Vietnamese family that uses English at home as much as possible. But H’s home life is very stressful. It was reported to me by the staff that his mother is physically abusive -- and more specifically, that she abuses H when he makes mistakes with English and falls behind in his studies. H is an overall good English learner with solid foundational knowledge of the language, but he struggles with enthusiasm and engagement, and he has no interest in working with the other students. I can confidently say that I’ve never had a student so averse to working with others -- and I would not call this a special needs case, just a case of someone who truly is not interested in making friends with his classmates. This poses a number of problems for a class that needs to be structured around group work and speaking practice as much as possible.

Differentiated Instruction: Keeping H involved in the class, while allowing him some flexibility in choosing who to work with, requires reliance on two things. 1) A class management system that relies on positive reinforcement and rewards the class as a whole, so that H can still be part of the collective learning environment, and be rewarded for whatever small part he takes in it. 2) Choosing battles. H needs to take part in the class and learn which students he can tolerate working with, because there are times when he simply must engage with other students. This requires mindfulness from the teacher, as well as some trial and error about whom he can tolerate, and whom he absolutely cannot tolerate. But when possible, and when it does not disrupt his or the other students’ learning, exceptions can be made for letting him work alone. Certain projects, for example, could be tailored to work for an individual student, as opposed to a group. This helps keep him more motivated and engaged in the class without making him feel singled out.

Myself and another member in my cohort also recorded a discussion about two of our case studies, then interviewed one another about our differentiated teaching methods.

Here's the discussion!