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| The daily Banagram group! |
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My Ultras Redside Chicago Fire
Soccer Team scarf and my old
Chicago Magic soccer jersey!
Litte things proved to be incredibly
useful with my students! |
This past year I learned the importance of finding
inspiration and wonder in the small things. The three greatest resources that I
used with my students this year were Banagrams, stickers and pictures! These
three items never failed when it came to entertaining and encouraging my students to speak English.
Practically everyday, I had a group of six Form 1 boys that
would come to my desk and curiously look around. I always knew what they were
looking for – Banagrams.
“Teacher, where Banagrams?” they would asked.
“Do you want to play?” I would respond.
“Yes!” they shouted in excitement.
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Making dominoes with the letter
pieces! |
For twenty to forty minutes, the boys would crowd around my
small desk and make sentences and words with the little blocks. Little did they
know that while they were constructing the pieces into words and sentences,
they were learning English. Of course, after several weeks of making words with
the pieces, they got a better idea – Banagram dominoes. So, after creating some
words, I would let them form a domino chain around my desk. I am not sure if
the other teachers appreciated that, but for me, it allowed the students to
open up to me. As we played games at my desk, they would magically start
talking without hesitation.
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| A finished Banagram domino sequence! |
In addition to Banagrams, stickers and pictures always
interested my students. In fact, more than a few times, I received generous
care packages from home that contained stickers. I would walk around the school
and hand the stickers out to students who would say, “Hello!” to me or
“Hi, Teacher!” Of course, word would get
around. Before I knew it, students would be running all around the school
trying to find me to say something in English and get a sticker. Sticker days
were some of my most favorite days!
In class, pictures were incredible resources. Pictures
really allowed my students to open up their eyes to my life back home. I would
show them pictures of my family and friends, and I even brought in a picture of
me with my high school soccer team!
“Teacher, you play football?” many of the students would
ask.
“Yes, but in America we call it soccer.” I would explain.
“Oh…” they would comment hesitantly.
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| My students and I with stickers! |
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Part of my sticker collection -
thank you to my family and friends! |
Whether it was pictures of America, my home, my family or my
friends, the pictures allowed them to get to know me. To add, the pictures would bring about many questions, and there
was no way for the students to gain answers to their questions without asking
me in English!
Through my experience teaching, I have learned the
importance of simplicity and creativity when teaching English abroad. Banagrams,
pictures and stickers were so simple, yet so useful!
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| My Form 4 students with some of my special things: high school soccer photo, Chicago Fire scarf, my Singapore 16K running bib and medal. |
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