An Encounter with Lishan Junior High School

    We Group A observed an EGRC, English Gifted Resource Class, in Lishan Junior High School. It is a special class which anticipates nurturing students to conform to EGRC students with enthusiastic, gifted, reflective, and creative. The class pays much attention to diverse wisdom and English teaching. There is a motivated poster on the classroom’s wall and it says:
“Good, Better, Best
 Never let it rest,
 Till Good is Better,
 Better is Best.”

    The teacher, Ms. Hsu, started the class with a brief review. She asked students some questions by using four graphic pictures on the blackboard. Then, Ms. Hsu played the CD of new reading part and students repeated what they heard. After that, the teacher wrote down key points on the blackboard such as “besides=in addition,” “nothing=not anything,” and so forth. All of the students took note hardly. Ms. Hsu explained the content by paraphrasing and explaining the usage of new vocabulary. Before continuing, the teacher asked students to close the books and asked some questions as review the story which had taught before.

    After the class observation, it seemd that I found the teaching process of the teacher:
1. Introduce the story without read the textbook in advance
2. Listen to the CD
3. Ask students to open the textbook
4. Listen again and repeat after the CD
5. Vocabulary teaching
6. Students practice the conversation (role-playing)
7. Answer questions or do exercises on the textbook
8. Give assigment
Ms. Hsu had a good sense of time control and gave clear instruction in every activity. Because of few student, only six students, in the class, Ms. Hsu and the students could have good interaction often.

    For me, it is a very special experience to observe the EGRC class which is too perfect even beyond my imagination. The teacher and students are excellent!
To teach this kind of class, the teacher doubtless has to prepare himself/herself very well or it might be a challenge. As teachers we can’t choose students to teach, so we all have to equip ourselves well and do our best to help students learn. For the reason that learning itself is full of suffering and pressure, and the process of learning is unhappy; the result of learning is happy. 

~ by millyhsu on May 19, 2007.