My portfolio teaching practice 2 training | Page 5

Working with a supervisor or a teacher to whom you are attached In most institutions this person’s role is: To help with lesson preparation, to observe critically, to gibe helpful feedback. You should cooperating with other teachers working in the institution : Try to behave professionally with colleagues from the start: Clean the board when you finish. If you arrange the furniture return the room to the state you found it in. Star and finish lessons on time. Your own attitude We can’t change our personalities but we can alter the impression we give in class: By smiling that doesn’t mean you have to walk around with a fixed grin, but showing a friendly attitude warms the students to you.By responding to what students say as communication ; try to respond naturally, show interest in hat they say. Don’t treat every utterance as a model to be corrected or congratulated upon! By trying to enjoy their company as a group. Feedback on lessons If you need a a checklist, try using the contents listo f this book . Where feedback is predominantly oral many supervisors also give out a copy of their written notes. You may be asked to give your impression of the lesson and this way you could recognize your strengths and weaknesses and are open to suggestions for i mprovement. 2 Managing the class Use of eye contact, gesture and the voice Eye contact Good use of eye contact is crucial in helping to establish rapport. A teacher who never looks students in the eye seems to lack confidence and gives the students a sense of insecurity. You as a teacher needs to look at the studnts to notice their reactions and to be in touch with the mood of the class. ¿Do they understad? ¿Are they enjoying the class? ¿Are they tired? ¿Are they bored? Would it be a good idea to change the direction or the pace of the lesson? Does anyone want to contribute or ask questions? You as a teacher are in a much better position to gauge the reactions and the mood of the class than observers sitting at the back of the room. Be careful, though. It´s not always easy to tell what the students are thinking 3