EID MOUBARAK.
If one wants to learn more about a point, especially in didactics, one doesn't have to expect the official meetings supervised by inspectors, experts or officials. Teachers are the most concerned by what has been said. Yes, they can meet whenever they wish and discuss different issues related to their very hard job.
Many colleagues of mine prefer the meetings supervised by the inspectors for no reasons. Believe me, official meetings are just official and their profit is limited, in general to what the inspector presents. I mean it is somehow a Guided Meeting, while the meeting held by the teachers themselves under the supervision of a chosen experienced and wise teacher is surely more profitable for it is a Free Meeting. You can say whatever you like and share lots of experiences and valuable tips.
That is why I advise my colleagues to keep in touch as soon as possible and set a meeting schedule that may be fortnightly or monthly. Not only the freshly graduated are the concerned but all the teachers because things are changing and we do really need to be up to date.
Some of the important issues to be discussed can be:
- Phonics vs. Phonology for it is a very important task that needs to be mastered.
Many colleagues encounter problems when preparing lessons especially for MSY Book one and Two. There are those who do as follows:
1- They teach Listen and Do first, activity by activity, then move to Practice then to produce. I personally don't understand how they manage to do so. Can the pupils follow? Can the teacher give them the opportunity to learn/practice/produce?
I believe that a cocktail is better: I mean An activity from Listen and do followed by a Practice activity related to The Listening activity then a Practice task in relation with the two. You will have a lesson structured something like this:
A- Listen and do: an activity from this section well prepared and well implemented.
B- Practice: The language point presented must be in relation with the one seen in Listen and Do.
C- Produce: Pupils are expected to reinvest what they have learned in A and B.
For MSY 3 and 4, it can be easier because the file structure is clearer.
http://www.mediafire.com/?mymttun2gqw
There are many effective strategies to follow. This one is optional:
- Study the whole file content to have an idea about what you are going to present (What) then move to the preparation (How).
- Dissect the file and prepare a Unit Plan
- Prepare a specification for each lesson.
- Prepare the whole unit lesson by lesson
- Prepare activities for the search work.
- Prepare a typical question paper for the BEM review
to dowload all these files go to UNITS AND PREPARATIONS at:
http://sheikhnaimi.over-blog.com
When everything is done, you can lead an assessment to take some decisions later.
Good Luck.
Mohamed07