Year 1 Issue 2
February 2012
English Messages A Monthly Newsletter by and for teachers in Bahrain
“As with clothing, so with lessons: One size does not fit all” We all know that all our students are different. They all have different needs, different learning styles and different interests. Besides, our students come from different social and even cultural backgrounds that have great effects on their personality, their understanding of life and even their attitudes towards schools and teachers. This definitely forces us to re-think and re-assess our teaching practices if we believe that our main task is to teach the students we have in class - with all the differences they carry with them. Actually, I am sure that most teachers have at some point applied some differentiated techniques and procedures to give their students equal opportunities to learn, grow and excel. However, I know that some of us still have some unanswered questions regarding differentiation. In this article I’m not going to trace back the origins of this educational trend, I’m rather going to be very practical and provide you with clear answers relating to how we can differentiate our teaching. Teachers should strive to differentiate the content, the performance tasks, instructional activities and the assessment tools# For more, go to page four (04)
You read in our second issue • • • • • •
Qualities of Effective Teachers Differentiation techniques Tips to motivate students Authentic Materials A free alphabet poster
Teachers’ Corner: Destination Italy
Kingdom of Bahrain - Ministry of Education - The English Language Unit (Basic Education)
Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8
English Messages
Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Education The English Language Unit (Basic Education)
English Messages
Qualities of Effective Teachers How
do students perceive effective teachers? In a book by James H. Strong, the author compiled research findings on the qualities of effective teachers. Some of these, which we thought might be of interest to you, are described below. •
Research indicates that children want to be nurtured, and they value teachers who are kind, gentle, and encouraging. Particularly for elementary students, gentleness in a teacher is a sign of caring and an important element in perceived effectiveness. (p.14)
and incorporate concepts into their long-term memory. (p. 44) •
Effective teachers continually demonstrate respect and understanding, along with fairness regarding race, cultural background, and gender&the students expect teachers not to allow ethnicity to affect their treatment or expectations of students. (p.16)
Now that you know how students in other countries see their effective teachers, are you interested in knowing whether our students describe effective teachers similarly? You may share the results with us in the next issue of English Messages. To learn more about other qualities, please refer to the book below.
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Effective teachers consistently emphasize their love for children as one key element of their success. Teachers who create a supportive and warm classroom climate tend to be more effective with all students. (p.15)
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The effective teacher truly believes that all students can learn-it is not just a slogan. These teachers also believe that they must know their students, their subject, and themselves, while continuing to account for the fact that students learn differently. Through differentiation of instruction, effective teachers reach their students& (p. 19)
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Effective teachers stress the importance of higher mental processes, such as problemsolving techniques, analytical thinking skills and creativity. These skills enable students to relate their learning to real life situations
Page 3
Reference: Qualities of Effective Teachers, by James H. Stronge,2002, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), USA
English Messages
“As with clothing, so with lessons: One size does not fit all” Differentiating Content
Differentiating Assessment Tools
One way to differentiate is to provide different content to meet the varying needs of students. Therefore, the resources we need to teach any information should be carefully and strategically selected .This is implemented by:
It is the responsibility of the teacher to continuously try to know who he/she is teaching. it is important to assess knowledge and interests before, during and after the teaching process. This assessment could be done through diagnostic tests, face-to-face interviews, meetings with parents, previous school records, classroom observation, formative tests or summative exams. Understanding what students know, desire and prefer is essential to planning high-quality learning experiences and ensure that “no child is left behind.” Just remember that “as in clothing, one size doesn’t fit all,” so in classrooms, too, be sure that one way is not the only way.
Using different genres of resources (Audios, videos, realia, visuals, written texts#) Levelling/Adapting materials in terms of length, difficulty, complexity and familiarity. Using a variety of teaching materials that take into consideration students’ interests, preferences, age, sex, culture and needs. providing choice as it is often reported that students enjoy working on materials they enjoy and prefer.
Differentiating Performance Tasks Students demonstrate their knowledge in many different ways. Provide various opportunities and choices for learners to show what they know. For example, students can choose how to demonstrate their knowledge by writing an article, giving an oral report, or engaging in a role-play. As well as that, encouraging them to work, interact and explore in different cooperative settings will certainly brush up their performance as they gain more knowledge, autonomy and confidence.
Differentiating Instructional Strategies When teachers vary their teaching strategies and activities, for example, in terms of difficulty and complexity, more students learn the targeted content and develop the necessary skills. Instead of asking w/h questions, teachers could provide weaker students with multiple choice questions or gap-filling activities as they are less challenging than direct questions. Besides, varying the number of words students have to write in a productive task could also be considered as good differentiating strategy. In addition to that, varying the time needed to finish those tasks by considering students’ weaknesses and strengths will help them develop steadily and more confidently. Page 4
“Our task is to provide an education for the kinds of kids we have, not the kinds of kids we used to have, or want to have, or the kids that exist in our dreams.”
By Mr. Emad Abdulla Al-Sediri Curriculum Specialist
Year 1 Issue 2
General tips on how to motivate students Fundamental aspects we have to consider Student motivation is influenced by both internal and external factors that can start, sustain, intensify, or discourage behavior (Reeve, 1996). Internal factors include the individual characteristics or dispositions that students bring to their learning, such as their interests, responsibility for learning, effort, values and perceived ability (Ainley, 2004). It is also important to understand the external factors, which schools can affect--the variables in learning conditions and environment that trigger, support, or change student motivation. Certain types of schooling practices may promote or hinder motivation, such as features of the classrooms, peer groups, tasks, and instructional practices (Ainley, 2004). Herein the teacher’s role emerges as one of the most fundamental factors which not only helps motivate learners, but also reach the optimal motivation degrees which could be ever targeted.
What should be done to motivate learners? •
Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students' beliefs that they can do well.
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Ensure opportunities for students' success by assigning tasks that are neither too easy nor too difficult.
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Help students find personal meaning and value in the material.
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Create an atmosphere that is open and positive.
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Help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community.
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Incorporating instructional behaviors to motivate students First, hold high but realistic expectations for your students. Research has shown that a teacher's expectations have a powerful effect on a student's performance. If you act as though you expect your students to be motivated, hardworking, and interested in the course, they are more likely to be so. Set realistic expectations for students when you make assignments, give presentations, conduct discussions, and grade examinations. Second, help students set achievable goals for themselves. Failure to attain unrealistic goals can disappoint and frustrate students. Encourage students to focus on their on-going improvement, not just on their grade on any test or assignment. Help students evaluate their progress by encouraging them to critique their own work, analyze their strengths, and work on their weaknesses. Third, tell students what they need to do to succeed in your course. Don't let your students struggle to figure out what is expected of them. Reassure students that they can do well in your course, and tell them exactly what they must do to succeed. Fourth, strengthen students' self-motivation. Avoid messages that reinforce your power as an instructor. Instead of saying, "I require," "you must," or "you should," stress "I think you will find. . . " or "I will be interested in your reaction." (Source: Lowman, 1990) Fifth, be enthusiastic about your subject. A teacher's enthusiasm is a crucial factor in student motivation. If you become bored or apathetic, students will too.
FAMOUS SAYINGS 1- “A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.” Patricia Neal 2-“Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain By Mr. Imad Mansoor Belaanes Religious Institute , Al-Jufair, Manama
English Messages
Authenticity" is all about being real. Genuine, not an imitation If we would like our students to develop and be able to use language more autonomously and effectively, we have to expose them to as many authentic materials as possible. Authentic texts are “…real-life texts, not written for pedagogic purposes” (Wallace 1992:145)
They are “…materials that have been produced to fulfill some social purpose in the language community.” (Peacock (1997) .
TV programs, movies, songs and literature. One of the most useful is the Internet where everything is continuously updated.
The language in non-authentic texts, however, is often artificial and far away from being realistic. It lacks in consistency and often fails to convey messages or ideas authentically.
Remember to use authentic materials
Where can you find authentic texts? They are therefore written by The sources of authentic materials and for native speakers. Such that can be used in the classroom texts contain what so many lin- are infinite, but the most common guists call “real” language. ones are newspapers, magazines,
while teaching and even for testing purposes. The more you expose your students to authentic materials such as reading texts, listening passages and TV films, the more likely they are to learn that language and be able to master it.
“Classroom activities should parallel the ‘real world’ as closely as possible. Since language is a tool of communication, methods and materials should concentrate on the message and not the medium. The purposes of reading should be the same in class as they are in real life.” Clarke and Silbertstein (1977:51)
“The sources of authentic materials are infinite” Page 6
Year 1 Issue 2
Page 7
English Messages
1- Put the verbs in brackets in the right tense.
Last year we (go)###.. to Italy for our holidays. First, we (travel)###.. to Rome. We (spend)#####.. three days there. We went to the Italian National Museum, the Coliseum and the old markets. They (be)####. all wonderful. After Rome, we (take)######.. the train down to Naples. From there we went to Pompei where we (visit)#####.. the famous Roman city that was destroyed by a volcano. It was amazing. Then, we (pick)####. up a car and drove around to the South of Italy for a week. Finally, we (get)##### the train back to Rome and flew back home. 2- Now read and answer the following questions
Why did they go to Italy? ################## How long did they stay in Rome? ################## Where did they go in Rome? ################## How did they go to Naples? ################## What happened to the Roman city? ##################
Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Education Directorate of Curricula English Language Unit (Basic Education)
curriculabh@yahoo.com Tel +973 17 27 86 16 Fax +973 17 24 34 72
“Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.� Johann Gottfried Von Herder
Editorial Team Dr. Nawal Al-Khaja Mr. Emad Al-Sediri