REFLECTION
This is my story about the experiences in teaching young learners. Every Tuesdays and Thursdays, we teach young learners in Elementary School No.2 Padang Selasa Bukit Besar, Palembang. Actually, this is not my first experience to teach young learners but we have taught some students at course in the last semester. So, we know how to handle and manage some students especially elementary school students because we have some experienced before. It’s very interesting and nice job to teach young learners because we can transfer our knowledge to them directly.
At the first time, when we teach them on Nov 12, 2009, they were very active and attractive to learn English. They were very smart and nice students although there was one student who made the class became crowded but we could handle it well. We taught them about “The Facilities In A Classroom”and we used some colorful pictures as media. We did not translate each picture into Indonesian but we made them try to guess the meaning by looking at the pictures. Surprisingly, they knew and understood it well. Then, we had a game that they had to complete a word by looking at the picture in the carton. At that time, all of them raised their hand to come forward and answer the question but we selected some of them to complete that word one by one. We used colorful words so they would interested in completing that words. And also, we gave them reward as a present so they want to learn more and interested in learning English.
In the next day, on Nov 17, 2009, this is the second time that we have to teach them. We taught them about “Synonyms And Antonyms Through Short Story”. We used fairy tale pop-up book and colorful words that we wrote synonyms and antonyms in a carton as media. When we show to them a fairy tale pop-up book, they were very interested in looking at that book. They listened the story carefully and if there were some difficult words we wrote it on the white board and they wrote it in their own book. Before we read that story which was entitled “Beauty And The Beast” we ask them first about that story. Then, after we read that story, we ask to them to retell that story. Some of them could retell it only a little but it’s ok. After that, we taught to them about “5 synonyms and 5 antonyms”. We did not translate those antonyms and synonyms but they could guess it by using the first word. They also wrote those words on their own book and tried to memorize it well. At the end of this session, we evaluated them to write 5 synonyms and antonyms on a piece of paper. After checking their work at home, there were 2 students who get a high score, some of them were average, and the others were enough.
On Nov 19, 2009, this is a third meeting. We did not know what happened to them, they were very crowded and some of them made a noisy in the classroom. At the beginning, it’s hard for us to manage and handle them but we could manage the classroom well. The strategy was, one person was teaching in front of the class and the others were standing in every sides in that class. So, they could not make crowded and noisy. In this time, we taught to them about “Pet And Wild Animals”. They can follow it well and try to listen all the explanation from a teacher. At the end of this session, we invite them to make some groups. One group consist of four students (2 boys and 2 girls). By doing this activity they can work in a team and share each other about the topic. They have to arrange a picture into a correct picture based on the topic. Finally, they did it well in a short time. After finishing this activity we gave them reward as a present.
On Nov 24, 2009, we taught about a song which entitled “The Way We Clean Our Bodies”. This was a nice experience than before because they were very active to sing a song and listen the rythm and tone from a teacher. We gave them the lyric one by one and sang that song in a classroom together. At first, we sing that song first and after that they repeat it. Then, we invited them to sing a song in front of the class. There was a girl who was interested in singing a song in front of her friends. Next, boys and girls group came forward, they were singing that song in front of the class. They were very happy and glad to sing a song, we promise to teach them another song again in the next session.
After that activity, we tried to evaluate the students and it was the first evaluation for them. We evaluated them to answer some questions based on the topics that we have already given to them. In this case, there are three topics that we are going to evaluate them. They did it well and finish on time although there were some problems but we could manage and handle it. At the end of this session, we sang a song again to make sure that they still remember about that song. We were very happy because they were very active and cooperative especially when we sing a song together in the classroom.
Actually, young learners like to sing a song. So, we have a new strategy, before we teach young leaners we should use a song to make them interested in learning English. By doing this activity, they will get some new words that they haven’t known yet. There are many advantages that they can get from this activity such as they will know how to pronounce some words, know the meaning some words, and the most important thing is that they can practise their tongue to pronounce and read some sentences effectively.
In the next meeting, we taught about “Part Of Bodies”. In this session, we used colorful pictures and words to make them interested in learning English. We used a big body and we explained it one by one. We tried to invite them to touch their own bodies for example “ok now, touch your head” then they touched it by using their hand, and so on. And also we invited two students to come in front of the class then he or she touched his or her own bodies based on teacher’s direction. Sometimes, some students make some mistakes but it’s ok, they still learn about it. In contrast to that activity, a teacher touched her part of bodies then the students tried to say what the teacher have touched for example: a teacher touches her nose then the students guess “nose” and so on. After this activity, the students should match each word into a correct picture in front of the class in a carton. They were very spontaneous to do this activity and it will help them to memorize a word with a picture.
In the sixth meeting, we taught a song which entitled “If You’re Happy” by using three laptops. We showed to them the video about it and they tried to sing a song by watching the video. Each of teacher handled and managed them to practise it in a group. We also gave to them the lyric about that song so they can bring it and repeat it at home. They were very happy when we teach about song because they like to sing a song. The purpose of this activity is to practise their tounge to pronounce some words and sentences and to teach some new words. And I think it is one of a good strategies to teach young learners.
So far, they are very cooperative, smart, and full of attention in a class. Although it’s not easy to teach young learners but this is my time to practise teaching and my challenge how to handle and manage young learners in a classroom. The next meeting, we taught about “Names of Days” and “Names of Months”. Actually, they did not know the names of days in English so it was very useful if we taught about that. We also taught how to spell those things one by one so they will be able and master of alphabets. They were very excited and enthusiatic because they really like learning about that.
The last meeting, we review all materials from the first to the seventh meeting. In fact, they still remember about all topics. Eventhough, there are two students who are troublemakers in the classroom, another student could answer the questions well and we can see from the result that we have given to them. Overall, they were active, excited, and smart students but the problem is only they did not know how to spell and pronounce the words well. To solve this problem, we usually try to spell the topic in every meetings.
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