too many kids that don't listen

i've been teaching at a senior middle school in china and i'm looking for some advice on how to make 60 kids pay attention and actually listen for a change. their english is poor but they just don't listen to begin with. please help!

[dduck]

I think the first rule of teaching is:

The students are most interested in themselves. 8)

So, find out which topics interest your students e.g. fashion, music, relationships, computers, sports etc. and use this information to interest them in your lessons.

Also, if at all possible, allow the students to interact - if not control the direction of your lessons. According to the first rule, the lesson should be all about them.

Iain

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by jnsummer

i've been teaching at a senior middle school in china and i'm looking for some advice on how to make 60 kids pay attention and actually listen for a change. their english is poor but they just don't listen to begin with. please help!

What audio equipment do you have?

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by jnsummer

i've been teaching at a senior middle school in china and i'm looking for some advice on how to make 60 kids pay attention and actually listen for a change. their english is poor but they just don't listen to begin with. please help!

It might be helpful to use a prop. I used to have a teddy bear that I used sometimes when talking to "my" kids. Also, rhyme might be useful. I have written quite a few rhymes especially for kids, and I also can devise some especially for your purposes.

8)

]
What audio equipment do you have?[/quote]

hi tdol, my audio gear consists of a crappy cassette player and me trying to shout over 60 'kids'. actually these 'kids' are around 18 in chronological years but in china that's around 12.

[Tdol]

Are you trying to get them to develop heir listening skills or just shut up? I'm afraid I teach adults in cosy small classes so I have never really had to deal with people not listening. ;-(

Originally Posted by jnsummer

i've been teaching at a senior middle school in china and i'm looking for some advice on how to make 60 kids pay attention and actually listen for a change. their english is poor but they just don't listen to begin with. please help!

Hi Jamie!

More patience is needed and necessary as a teacher especial teaching foreign language to non-English speakers in my opinion :)
You 'll make it :)

Originally Posted by RonBee

It might be helpful to use a prop. I used to have a teddy bear that I used sometimes when talking to "my" kids. Also, rhyme might be useful. I have written quite a few rhymes especially for kids, and I also can devise some especially for your purposes.

8)

hi Ronbee,

you might have seen my reply to tdol. my 'kids' are big kids but their mental age doesn't reflect their actual years. i think a teddy would probably work in the class room. i had a go at them the other day and told them that until they can learn to listen when they are told i will treat them like little babies. they understood what i meant. it's sad that i have to belittle them and humiliate them but it seems to be working. and they're all behaving much better.

today i said to a student...."now where's your piece of paper, where's your pen?? here's some paper and here's a pen. now take the pen and write on the paper like this......the rest of the class was having a great laugh at his expense . maybe this paints a bit of a picture as to what teaching in china is like.

Hi Jamie!

More patience is needed and necessary as a teacher especial teaching foreign language to non-English speakers in my opinion :)
You 'll make it :)[/quote]

you get to a certain point when you know that further progress won't be made until you instill some serious discipline into the classroom. patience i have, discipline i have. my students seriously lack self discipline and that's what i'm also trying to teach them as well as listening and speaking skills.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by jnsummer

today i said to a student...."now where's your piece of paper, where's your pen?? here's some paper and here's a pen. now take the pen and write on the paper like this......the rest of the class was having a great laugh at his expense . maybe this paints a bit of a picture as to what teaching in china is like.

It's unfortunate that you are having so much trouble getting your students to pay attention. It is difficult to teach somebody who is not paying attention, and they, of course, are not going to learn much. However, it is a bit of a stretch for you to say that your experience is typical. I don't think you know that for sure.

It is certainly clear at this point that I originally thought you were teaching younger students than you are. Of course, that doesn't mean that my ideas are bad ones. You can still use props. (You might not want to use a teddy bear with older "kids", but it probably depends on how you would use it.) Also, rhyme can be an effective teaching tool for any age group, especially as a memory aid.

8)