Teaching tips for HS

[jamgirl]

Hi everyone. Im new to the teaching scene, new to Japan and new to this forum as well. Given my lack of teaching experience and "short" training I'm running out of ideas relating to covering reading lessons. I'm not sure of the reception the last ALT received but I would like to reach out to students. They will talk outside of the classroom but any attempts to make them participate can be a struggIe. I teach 1st and 2nd year HS and most of the students can be classifed as "low level." I've seen some interesting ideas and plan on using them but how do I encourage the students to join in instead of just repeating what I say?

[jessen100]

One thing that might help you out is speaking so they understand you easily. i dont really know what kids study in HS, but if you limit yourself to just things they have studied.

look at the grammar page

http://jhsenglipediaproject.com/grammar.aspx

It will show you everything they have studied in JHS, so stick with those grammatical structures, and maybe they will understand you better. maybe.

relative pronouns tend to be pretty difficult for most people i come across, so use them carefully.

for example "My biggest problem as a teacher when i had just started was not knowing what the students know."

that being said, grammatically the above sentence doesnt have anything they dont study in JHS, but listening to it would probably be pretty difficult. sice it uses 6 things they learn at very different times.

knowing where to take pauses helps too. Id take small breaks if i spoke this sentences based on the structure like...

My biggest problem/ as a teacher/ when i had just started /was not knowing /what the students know

anyways, figure out what they know and use it. be repetetive with your words at least at first.

[jessen100]

another thing you can try for class participation is numbered cards with their student numbers if they have them. sometimes if i dont get volunteersto do stuff i have a stack of cards from one to 30ish, and have the teacher take one, the corresponding student has to answer. then for the next question the previous student pulls the card. but this wont work if the content is too difficult, nor if the students are intent on not participating, or . might be worth a shot, but im not sure how HS students would take to it.

i realize that this advice ist overly general and not quite what your asking, but it something. I hope is better than nothing.

you could try the above and have them read aloud a sentence at a time.