Fourth entry

On my fourth Saturday at the Colombo, I had very much in mind the topics discussed in the class we had on Wednesday with the supervisors, which focused on giving instructions. In the first class with the kids, the teacher, Nidia, began by stating the objectives. She usually asks one student to read each objective and then follows with an explanation. I’ve noticed that she selects students to give them opportunities to read, to manage behaviour, and to ensure they pay attention. As she always does this, I can say that she is very clear with her instructions. One thing I found interesting (because I don’t exactly agree with it) is that when I try to help students who seem to be struggling because they didn’t understand the task, she prefers that I don’t give further explanations, as she has already explained the task. According to her, if they didn’t understand, it was because they were not focused. Since it is her class, I did as she said, and eventually, the students figured it out.

For the second class with the pre-teens, the instructions were as clear as in the first class. She started with the rules for the conversation groups, which she often emphasizes when developing activities. She also stated the class objectives before introducing the topic and had a specific student read them. I’ve noticed that even when there are games involved in some activities, she is always very instructional and strict with procedures. I say this based on the students’ responses, as they always seem expectant about what the teacher is going to propose or ask them to do.

Comentarios

  1. Angie Torres18 de agosto de 2025 a las 1:29 p.m.

    Thank you for taking into account the ideas we discussed on instructional performance when analyzing the classes you observed with Teacher Nidia. As you mentioned, asking students to read and ensuring that they truly understand are key aspects of effective instructional performance. I understand your intention to support students, and my proposal is that you carefully analyze whether you agree with the teacher on why this challenge is occurring: is it due to students not paying attention, or could it be that the instructions are not being delivered clearly?

    This reflection is not about judging the teacher, but rather about taking these possibilities into consideration when you are leading activities yourself or teaching the whole class. By doing so, you’ll be better prepared to anticipate potential difficulties and adjust your own instruction to ensure students remain engaged and achieve the objectives.

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