Sheena Apollonia
- 2010-09-28
Thanks, but thats exactly the problem. As i said, we have a schedule and MUST work with our books. I need to sit with each single kid one at a time and help them write and finish their page in 40 minutes, so thats allows less than 2 minutes teaching per kid per class. there is absolutely NO time for any games, flash cards whatsoever, actually there is not even enough time to welcome them and make them sit on their chairs.
Most of the kids dont even know how to hold a pen and if you just give them one they are only gonna mess up their books with it, because they are too young. Thats why I have to do it one by one. While I am busy with one kid, the others have to sit still on their chairs, since it is a tiny little class room.
In out kindergarten the kids dont play, we dont have a playground or toys. its strictly learning, like in a real school.
I tried to explain it to our manager that the kids are too young and too many in a class with too little time to make a system like that work properly, as they do get bored very very quickly, like you said. Thats the way they want me to "teach" and then they wonder why the kids cant understand or speak English after one year. its frustrating :(
Sanguine
- 2010-09-26
20 kids is nothing, try 70. The truth is with kids that young you have to try and throw in a bit of entertainment. When I first started teaching kindergarteners I found that exaggerated body movements when using flash cards, showing them too fast for the students to see, hiding them and asking for an answer, all these kinds of things worked wonders. Kids this age will not have their attention held with mere talking alone. You have to move a lot, change tone of voice quite a bit, use a lot of visual aids, make what you are doing simple, change activities constantly, and play games with them. Games of course meaning take something educational, and make it into a game. Children that young have very short attention spans, and may only be able to focus on one thing for 3-5 minutes at a time. The older they get, the longer their attention can be held. For children this age, for a 45 minute class, you'll need to plan at least 7 separate activities for each class.
This is one of the reasons why kindergarten teaching jobs are the "least" sought after, and most hated teaching jobs for foreign teachers. The children are a pain in the butt, have little attention span, and can act up quite a bit. I had minimal problems, but I understood these simple little things that can make a huge difference. Change your presentation style, use a lot more body language, and increase the number of "separate" activities in your class. YOU can't keep going in your class from start to finish and move from one thing to the next without doing so in a clear, stark way. Kids get bored easy, and want to move on to new things quickly. If they don't actually "know" there is something new going on, they may not realize it even if something new is going on. That's why, in addition to everything else I mentioned, I am clear in ending one activity, and very clear in letting them know we are moving on to a new one.
You also have to have a firm hand, and can't be afraid to be strict. Not too strict, as they are only 5, but you have to be firm.
Hope this has been of some small help. There is more I could say, but this will hopefully suffice.
Hi,
just found out about this board as I am new to ESl teaching.
I am currently teaching English in a Kuwait ESL kindergarten, where I have 6 classes with each 20 kids from 2 1/2 - 5 years old!
Each class is 45 min and the kids have to sit infront of tables all day just like in an elementary school. Other classes include computer, art, library and montessori.
We also have a strict schedule, my responsiblity is to focus on writing and teaching the alphabet with work books, which leaves no time for games or other ways of teaching.
Now I feel really overextended as I am alone with the little ones and struggle with controling AND teaching all 20 kids at the same time in only 45 min.
I dont think its possible to properly teach them in a class of that size without any assistance. We do however have aids who take the kids without diapers to bathrooms =)
I really hope somebody here can give me some advice on how to deal with the situation.
I will be thankful for your comments and help!
Many thanks,
Sheena