Interview - observed lesson help!!

[TauntonBeth]

Hi!
I was wondering if anyone could help me with this - next week I have an interview for a teaching position in an independent school and as part of the interview I have to do a 20 minute observed lesson. However, this is an internal application and I know all the students (they are 3 weeks off taking their I-GCSE English, so at a fairly high level) I am a fairly new ESOL teacher and haven't done an observed lesson for an interview, especially not a complete lesson in 20mins! My question is, therefore, could anyone suggest any small areas of grammar I could do with such a group for the observed 20 min lesson? I was hoping for areas that are quite often confused or things such as the differences between "I will" and "I'm going to".
Any suggestions would be much appreciated,
Cheers in advance!
Beth

[Tdol]

I'd be wary of wil/going to because it could be opening a can of worms in an observed lesson as it's not that simple- I think I'm going to be sick, not will- which raises the issue of evidence now & decision now, in addition to plans, etc. There's also a grey area where both are OK. If you want to do a grammar point, then I'd choose something that is more binary, and therefore less likely to raise problems in the short time you have. However, do yo have any clues about their ethos and what they are expecting? If they are full-on communicative approach people, then grammar might not be the best approach. What do they say in their literature?

[TauntonBeth]

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply, I know who the observing teacher is and she (and the vice principle) both suggested I do grammar as they feel it is a far better way of assessing teaching potential, so I really do need to do grammar. I can see what you mean about the problems with I will/going to...I do need something that wont cause too many problems, but clearly these kids are very high level and so it will be basically a refresher whatever I do, so I want perhaps an area that I can use to clarify common areas of confusion etc. The school itself is very formal, not at all language school, so they dont like langauge school type teaching....

[Tdol]

I looked at an IGCSE paper (I haven't taught the course) and the papaer doesn't seem very gramar oriented, so I was wondering, given that they are three weeks off the exam, l whether a quick fire lesson on latter writing (which is in the exam) or ways to tackle a text, the tricks and traps that UCLES love might not do the trick- it's quite easy to do a dynamic lesson on awareness of how to read an exam and how not to fall into traps. However, if you feel that's moving too far from the remit, how about something on conection and contrast, which would be useful in the 200 word piece they have to write. The alternative, and having looked at the paper, if you want a grammar point could be the will/going to because at this level, and this near the exam, they should know this.

[Hamburg]

Originally Posted by TauntonBeth

Hi!
I was wondering if anyone could help me with this - next week I have an interview for a teaching position in an independent school and as part of the interview I have to do a 20 minute observed lesson. However, this is an internal application and I know all the students (they are 3 weeks off taking their I-GCSE English, so at a fairly high level) I am a fairly new ESOL teacher and haven't done an observed lesson for an interview, especially not a complete lesson in 20mins! My question is, therefore, could anyone suggest any small areas of grammar I could do with such a group for the observed 20 min lesson? I was hoping for areas that are quite often confused or things such as the differences between "I will" and "I'm going to".
Any suggestions would be much appreciated,
Cheers in advance!
Beth

Why don't you just give them something to write, containing 20 different tenses, with a time limit of 20 minutes, then just sit and observe them?
That'll get your observed 20 minute lesson over, and you will have only said about 20 words, at the same time your observers will think what a clever young lady you are.

[rochachat]

Hi Beth

I would give you an example. You can use "I'm going to" when you have something planned. e.g. I'm going to France next month, or I'm going to retire in three months time... etc.
However you can use "will" when you dicide to do something NOW or you take a decision NOW... you didn't have time to 'plan'.
e.g.
Mum: John I'm busy now could you or Tom go to the shop?

Tom: Ok mum, I'll (I will) do that.

Tom in the example had no time to 'plan' to go to the shop, he dicided to go 'now' just before his mum had asked one of them (Tom or John) to go...

I'm going to = used when you have planned (or have been planning) during some time ...
Will = used when you had no time to plan (Or when you dicided/ or take a decision NOW).

lUCY

[rochachat]

Hi Beth

I would give you an example. You can use "I'm going to" when you have something planned. e.g. I'm going to France next month, or I'm going to retire in three months time... etc.
However you can use "will" when you dicide to do something NOW or you take a decision NOW... you didn't have time to 'plan'.
e.g.
Mum: John I'm busy now could you or Tom go to the shop?

Tom: Ok mum, I'll (I will) do that.

Tom in the example had no time to 'plan' to go to the shop, he dicided to go 'now' just before his mum had asked one of them (Tom or John) to go...

I'm going to = used when you have planned (or have been planning) during some time ...
Will = used when you had no time to plan (Or when you dicided/ or take a decision NOW).

GOOD LUCK
lUCY