Games in the Classroom in Correlation with Teacher’s Personality and Situation
I am a non-native English teacher, currently living and working in China. Honestly, I was hired by my first school, when I had no experience of teaching English. In my first training center, the absolute majority of students were preschoolers or students of a primary school and I also had a part-time job in the kindergarten. At first, it was hard for me to understand what attracts kids to learn English at such an early age and what motivates them to come to our center twice a week and what keeps them interested.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Oleg P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Teacher’s Personality and Choice of Activities
With time, I understood that there are two essential things in teaching preschoolers or very young students – the personality of a teacher and activities that he or she holds in the classroom. At first, it was extremely hard for me, as I did not know any games, which are fun but at the same time are education-oriented, so sometimes my classes were quite boring and I could see that on the face of my students. That was not inspiring at all. Eventually, my colleagues and I started to hold meetings. We found and created quite a lot of different games and activities. Changes came immediately. I found out that the receipt of success in working with young learners is to keep them interested from first until the last second of a class. At the same time, I should admit that I was using games quite chaotically.
Also Read: What is the EPIK program for teaching English in South Korea?
Appropriacy
As I got more experienced, I understood that each type of activity should be used in a suitable situation. For example, if I see that my students look sleepy or tired, I would try to play games that are more active at the beginning of a class to embolden them. E.g. games with soft hammers, ball or “bomb word card”. At the same time, if I see my students overactive I would try to play quite games or use simple worksheets, which include coloring, matching, etc. So, games do not only keep children interested and help to establish a good rapport between teacher and students, but they are also a powerful instrument which helps the teacher to control the flow of a class and students’ mood.
ESA Methodology
After finishing the TEFL course, I have very useful information about the structure of ESA lessons. For instance, now I know that before individual drilling, we must drill together to imbue students with confidence. Therefore, I use certain games for the drilling with the whole class and other games to drill individually and check the pronunciation. And of course, I use certain games and activities for the engage and activate stages as well. Right now, I can say with confidence that my classes are better structured and balanced as I allocate my activities more efficiently.
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I would like to be brief in the conclusion: games and fun activities play an essential part in the teaching of young learners. Correctly chosen and allocated games can not only keep students interested and motivated but also make the process of teaching much more effective and attractive.
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