Day 29 and 30- Overall Impression and Learnings

I am blessed for this opportunity to apply my learning in teaching preschool at Phetphadungwengchai school. It is beneficial for me to be exposed to a school to teach young learners to the very best that I can give. 

I am truly grateful for all the people behind this program to let students from different countries gain learnings and experiences from each other. 

Through this SEA Teacher Program, I experienced to be exposed in the real world situation of teaching young learners.


I learned to expand my ideas and creativity in making strategies for lesson enrichment. I need to adopt more especially of the language so I can understand the needs of the students. 

Khap-Khun Ka! ( Thank you!)

Day 28- Personal Insights

The Purpose of Practicum

1. Exposure of future teachers to the actual situation of teaching preschool students.

2. The language barrier is a challenge, not a problem.

3. Applying the teaching-learning process into practice. 

4. Build self-confidence and character towards the student and co-teachers. 

5. Teaching strategies differ according to the needs of the learners. 

The Procedures of Practicum

1. The first week- Observation to the classes from Kinder 1 to 3 and lesson plan preparations

2. The second week- Teaching proper to Kinder 2 and 3 about English Phonics.

3.Third week- Continuation of teaching about English Phonics ( Short and long vowels).

4. Last week- Final teaching week, teaching demo( evaluation)


The Outcomes of Practicum 

I learned that making plans for your teaching is important. You go to your class well prepared.

I am able to make adjustments from my written out lesson plans because unexpected circumstances might happen.

Become more a dynamic teacher. Enhance the volume of my voice.

Go to the class with full energy and enthusiast. Students will be motivated to learn if the teacher shows that she is also excited to teach. 

Involve as much as possible all the learners in the activity. Make your topic manipulative and interesting. 

Always wear a smile. :) 



 Challenges of Practicum


1. Language Barrier- most of the students cannot communicate by speaking English. 

I deal with this challenge by learning basic greetings and graces and asking for assistance from the teachers so that I can still communicate to them. 

 2. Literacy/ Writing names- since their age range from 4-6 years old, some of them cannot write their English name or even write the alphabet letters properly. 

I deal with this challenge by allowing the students to write their Thai names if they cannot write their English names. 

3.  Children that need special attention/ different pace of learning than the majority- some prefer to sit in one area instead of joining other students and listen. 

I deal with this challenge by conducting activities that all students will involve such as manipulative and interactive game and activities. 

4. Classroom Management- speaking to them to keep still and quiet is not effective, it is better to talk to them in their mother tongue is quietly effective. 

I deal with this challenge by being a proactive teacher as I enter the classroom and teach the students with dynamic and modulated voice. 

Day 27- Encountering Challenges

                                              

                                         Problem Solving

Here are some challenges that I’ve encountered in teaching.

1.Familiarity- New face, new adjustments for the students. For some students are being shy to participate because they are not comfortable with a new teacher teaching in front.

But what I did is during observation of those classes, I mingled with them by assisting them in answering their evaluation activity and stay on the whole duration for English class. 

2. Students that need special attention

Activities such as group interaction are beneficiary to all students. Manipulative learning is one way also to involve ALL kinds of students whether the fast or slow learner. I make the lessons turn into a game, and for the paper and pen activity, the teachers assist me to help them to answer the activity. 

                                 Classroom Management

For the classroom daily routine and schedule, this is the format that I did to follow for daily teaching plan. 

My schedule for my Mep 3 class

Time: 1:00-2:00 pm

1:00-1:05- Time for toilet or just to make the children are settling down.

1:05-1:10- Greetings and Exercise

1:10-1:20- Icebreaker or game

1:20-1:40- Presentation of lesson

1:40-1:45- application

1:45-2:00- Evaluation/ activity time 

The young learners need a firm authority from the teachers. Since their age range from 4-6 years of age( my handled classes), they are easy to get bored, lose interest after few minutes, get unfocused and easily get distracted.

A well-modulated voice is a powerful tool for the kindergarten students.

Firm eye-contact, and be well prepared for the sequence of your activities for each class. The transition of one to next action is needed.

Daily routines should be altered from time to time depending on the needs of the students. 

Day 26- Me becoming a Teacher

                              Procedures in Teaching

I started making a one-week lesson plan and consulted it to my mentor followed by preparing instructional materials( printed out pictures or real objects) and reproducing the activity worksheets for each lesson. 

For the daily schedule of my teaching, I started with some greetings and exercises especially if it is in the afternoon class. We do some singing or dancing and then followed by the presentation and discussion of the lesson. 

For the application of the lesson, we do some activities such as matching the words to the picture or fill in the blanks or by encircling the sound words. 

And the last is the evaluation activity by answering the worksheets using a pencil and colors. 

Day 25- Measurement and Evaluation

Paper and Pen activity. At the end of the lesson, the teacher distributes worksheet to the students and answer the activity. 

For the summative evaluation, a test is given before the semester ends. The students perform to answer the tests to all their subjects. 

Home works are also given to the students as part of the evaluation.

Day 24- Teacher's In Action

Teachers are the authority inside the classroom, with their modulated voice, students are able to listen when the teacher is discussing a lesson.

Interactive participation. The teacher is allowing students to make interaction by answering questions orally and written or through the form of performance. 

A 3-year-old student is performing the lesson by sitting, standing and raising his hand in Chinese. 

Motivation is part of the day to day activity in the form of singing, dancing, exercise or even game. 

Day 23- Preparing Lessons and Materials

The teachers make a lesson plan for 5 months as an advance preparation and guide for one-semester teaching. Each lesson plan includes the topic, learning objectives, materials to use, procedures of teaching, the process of application and the evaluation activity. 

The teacher goes to the class prepared together with their instructional materials, worksheets activity and sometimes a laptop and speaker for singing, dancing and watching purposes.

Teachers prepare the lessons by providing worksheets, produce photocopies enough for each class, arranged the Instructional materials ( flashcards), study ahead of time the lesson plans they made to achieve the learning objectives for each subject, plans activities throughout the class for a more interactive learning such as games, quiz or contests.  

Day 22- Teaching Plan in the English Program

For the English classes in Phetphadungweingchai school, the format of their English lesson plan is similar to the Philippines curriculum. It includes the topic, lesson objectives, materials and procedures, application and evaluation. 

The Lesson plan format for Preschool

I.Topic

II.Objectives

III.Materials

IV.Procedures

V.Application

VI.Evaluation 

Day 21- The Teaching Plan

                                                                      The Curriculum 

According to the Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. (A.D. 2008).

The Learning Key competencies:
1. Communication capacity
2. Thinking capacity
3. Problem-solving capacity
4. Capacity for applying life skills
5. Capacity for technological application. 

Alongside with this curriculum in education, the school aims desirable attributes in the learning of the students which are to become a patriotic monk, honest, disciplined, pursuing learning, be sufficient, committed to work, love Thai people and have a public mind. 

II. Teaching plan related to your major

At Phetphadungweingchai School, the school uses textbooks as the guide to their curriculum, since it is a private school, they don't use the textbooks coming from the government instead they use other textbooks. In the morning, they perform everyday flag ceremony to instill to the students the patriotism. Next, is they go to their respective classes and have their classes. They have some exercise in the classroom, and then, proceed to their subjects. there are allotted time for the English and Chinese class hour. The foreign teachers are teaching English and Chinese subjects. The school also conduct examinations as a form of assessment. They also lend a day as playground time, and after the lunch break, all students take their at least an hour of sleep or long nap time, so that they will be ready for their afternoon classes.

The school time for the students is from 8:00 in the morning up to 3:00 in the afternoon. Each class has usually 5-6 classes every day including the regular subjects, English and Chinese language subjects.

They start the day with a flag ceremony and pledges followed by morning songs and exercises. 

Day 20- Pedagogical Content

I. Teaching Methods


 The teachers in Phetphadungweingchai School are using the variety of teaching methods and strategies for the Kindergarten to engage the students in learning. Here are some of the strategies that they are using, the first one is the "Lecture and Discussion Method" where the teacher tells, explains, describes the information or lesson through listening and understanding.

 But since the Kindergarten has a short attention span according to their age and level, the teachers do improvisation in teaching by applying the " Demonstration Method". In here, the teacher presents the lesson step by step, so that students are able to follow the instruction, they make the lesson manipulative to catch the students attention and interest, they create activities to apply the lesson in it, since each classroom has the range of 30-35 students, it is quite a big number of students, so the teacher prepares activities to cater all the students and their needs.

 Next is the "Interactive/Participative Methods", It is done through an active learning; teachers give attention to the ability of the students such as the freedom to talk, listen, read and write.

 And lastly, the Integrated Learning, though the school is using a particular curriculum, the teachers make a way to make the lesson easy to understand, various materials are being used to make the lesson more creative and effective. One is the use of technology, the teachers give certain time to introduce to them the technology, most of the classroom has television and speakers, it is used for watching stories that have moral values and educational as well as it is used for warm-ups activities such as singing and dancing.

II. Learning Materials and Innovation

The Phetphadungwengchai School provides every material they can give to the students for the sake of learning. Learning materials such as workbook and textbooks for every subject, pencils, block center ( lego, toys), language and reading center ( educational stories, alphabet books), art center (safety scissors, assorted art supplies, and assorted craft and collage materials). A conducive classroom is one of the highlights of this school. Well-spaced classrooms, educational learning posters and pocket charts, blackboard, television and speakers, air-condition, pigeon-hole for the blankets of the students, a toilet for each classroom, reading area, playground in the school and the ICT room.

III. Sources of Learning and Technology

The audio-visual technology of the school helps the students to learn beyond the discussion setting. The school has an ICT( Information and Communication Technology) classroom, sets of computers with headphones and one white screen. It is under the supervision and under the programming system of the school for the safety of opening the websites. The students are able to learn the basic use of computers. Each classroom also has a television and speakers for educational watching and learning.

IV. Authentic Assessment


The school uses various assessments for the students learning evaluation. The Summative Assessment, where they give examinations depending on the teacher's discretion whether to give it quarterly or after the semester to evaluate the student's performance and progress in academics. But aside from that, the school conduct such activities like science competitions, sports, and other school programs to evaluate the progress of the child aside from academics. And for daily evaluation, the teachers give performance task assessment and paper-pencil assessment.

Day17- Teaching Plan ( Preschool)

At Phetphadungweingchai School, the school uses textbooks as a guide to their curriculum, since it is a private school, they don't use the textbooks coming from the government instead they use other textbooks. In the morning, they perform everyday flag ceremony to instill to the students the patriotism. Next, is they go to their respective classes and have their classes. They have some exercise in the classroom, and then, proceed to their subjects. there are allotted time for the English and Chinese class hour. The foreign teachers are teaching English and Chinese subjects.

This is my references for the following teaching opportunities. For this month, their focus is on the Short and Long vowels. 

The teachers of the English program also prepared a One(1)term of Lesson plans as a guide for this terms' teaching. 

Each book has already the evaluation activity suggestion for each lesson. It is on the teacher's discretion whether to use the evaluation worksheet or to make a new one, depending on the needs and ability of the students if they are can answer the worksheet or not. 

For my experience in teaching, there are times that I revised some of the worksheets of the student's activity. It is on the situation of the student's learning and comprehension. If it seems hard for them to answer, the next day of teaching, I make a revised or make a simpler activity worksheet for them. 

The school also conduct examinations as a form of assessment. They also lend a day as playground time, and after the lunch break, all students take their at least an hour of sleep or long nap time, so that they will be ready for their afternoon classes.

After the lunch break, the students have their nap time for at least 30 mins or an hour. Each one of them has a blanket and use it every day for their sleeping time.

The school time for the students is from 8:00 in the morning up to 3:00 in the afternoon. Each class has usually 5-6 classes every day including the regular subjects, English and Chinese language subjects.

Day 16- The School Curriculum

Based on the Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008), The Basic Education

The curriculum is aimed at enhancing the capacity of all learners, who constitute the major the force of the country, so as to attain a balanced development in all respects- physical strength, knowledge, and morality. They will fully realize their commitment and responsibilities as Thai citizens and members of the world community. Adhering to a democratic form of government under a constitutional monarchy, they will be endowed with basic knowledge and essential skills and favorable attitude towards further education, livelihood, and lifelong learning. The learner-centered approach is therefore strongly advocated, based on the conviction that all are capable of learning and self-development to their highest potentiality.

The Basic Education Curriculum is targeting to achieve the following Learning key competencies.

1. Communication capacity

2. Thinking capacity

3. Problem-solving capacity

4. Capacity for applying life skills

5. Capacity for technological application

Alongside with this curriculum in education, the school aims desirable attributes in the learning of the students which are to become a patriotic monk, honesty, have discipline, pursuing learning, be sufficient, committed to work, love Thai, and have a public mind. 

For more details about the Thailand Basic Education Core Curriculum, you may open this file.
http://www.act.ac.th/document/1741.pdf

For the Phetphadungwengchai School, they based the English Program on this objectives: