Hi!
Welcome back to the teaching practice 2021 series!
In this post, I would like to talk to you about different ways of giving instructions and how my mentor teacher was doing it during practice. Today I will answer a few questions to show you what instructions I noticed while observing the 1st grade lesson.
1. Does the teacher take the register? What does she say?
The teacher looks at the list on the computer and calls students using MS Teams to remind them about the lesson.
2. How do the students reply?
They simply say who is probably missing.
3. How does the teacher signal the beginning of a new activity?
She tells students what is going to happen. She says "Let's start our lesson" and the class begins.
4. What instructions does the teacher give at the beginning of each activity?
The teacher explains what they are going to do and how. She always says what to prepare for the task and then "Put your hands up on Teams if you are ready".
5. How does the teacher stop the activity?
The teacher says that this activity/task is finished and we can move on. Usually, if it is a task - she checks the answers with students. Then she explains a new one.
6. Does the teacher use mime/gesture/demonstration in her instructions? If so, how? What does she say?
The teacher uses facial expressions and does gestures with her hands. It happens when kids are very close to a good answer and she tries to help them come up with the best idea.
7. Are the instructions clear? Does the teacher keep the instruction simple?
The teacher uses simple words to describe the activity/task. She always makes sure that it is clear for the students what do they have to do.
8. Do pupils understand what they have to do?
In my opinion, pupils do understand what the teacher asks them to do. They also ask additional questions if something seems unclear to them.
9. How does the teacher check if pupils understand instructions?
The teacher asks helpful questions to make sure the students understand. She also asks sometimes to put their hands up on Teams if they know what to do. Thanks to this kids who did not put their hands up can receive the teacher's help.
10. How do the pupils respond to the instructions?
They immediately start working or ask questions if they need additional help.
Thanks to those questions you can see how my mentor teacher was giving instructions in her classroom. I think that giving proper instructions can save a lot of time during lesson and make it more effective and beneficial for pupils. The teacher was also asking a lot of helpful questions like "Did we manage to listen?", "Can you tell me what are you supposed to do?". If it is necessary she also says a few words in Polish - it is the 1st grade and they are still adjusting to the new school situation. She has a lot of empathy for her learners and treats them with respect.
Do you give instructions to your students in their first language too?
Zuzanna
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