Reflective Summary -Join me as I reflect on my teaching experiences

In a real sense of the word, my internship as a student teacher was a heartfelt and priceless experience that paved the way for me to understand that teaching is not just about imparting knowledge, it is all about lighting up minds, nurturing souls, and sparking the passion for learning and self-improvement in every student. This internship became the utmost opportunity to apply the knowledge I achieved throughout the degree program. This section will reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the materials and activities used in the lesson, the appropriateness of the teaching methods, students’ responses to the lessons, and the professional growth I gained from the internship.

The strengths and weaknesses of the materials or the activities used in the lesson and  the appropriateness of the teaching methods

In the school, all students were exposed to the English language through the Sri Lankan national curriculum which offers activities and practice for students in the four domains of language (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) along with grammar and vocabulary. In this teaching experience, initially, I realized how important it was to understand the curriculum and teach according to the students’ proficiency level. As there were a variety of materials and activities appealing to learners with different learning styles, the lessons were catered to all the learners making the lessons much more engaging and interactive. As highlighted by Hariyadi and Yanti (2019), “If we fail to gather the needs of the learners, we can never produce the right material”(p.95). All lessons were organized adhering to the proficiency levels of the students, which were assessed through a needs analysis conducted at the very outset of the internship. Moreover, the lessons incorporated various materials and activities to promote creativity, critical thinking, and students’ attention and engagement in the lesson. The teacher in charge and the need analysis that was done before the internship immensely contributed to the design of the lessons and the activities.

The use of multimodality such as visual prompts, picture cards, audio, word cards, horoscopes, sticky notes, and videos, helped to make abstract concepts more concrete and accessible to students, allowing them to better comprehend the lessons. For most of the lessons, I used a stopwatch and this was pivotal in completing the lesson on time as planned. The hands-on activities encouraged students to apply their understanding in a practical context reinforcing their knowledge. It is noteworthy to mention that, all students were eager to join in the classroom discussion since I have incorporated various activities in the stages of the lessons and they were curious to learn them. The activities involved mind mapping, presentations, role-playing, impromptu and prepared speeches, listening tests, blog posting, essay writing, creating posters, composing letters, and debates. When designing lesson plans, I aimed to brainstorm, foster collaboration, gamify learning, and hold a competition focusing on learner-centered education through social constructivism. The students also expressed their liking towards the vocabulary games in the lessons and also the videos watched during the grammar lessons. The horoscope reading activity became very interactive and fun and the students were astonished by the final outcome of the origami ship. The tongue-twisting lesson helped to improve the pronunciation of the students but the class became noisy at the end of the lesson as students practiced tongue-twisting loudly in the classroom. I designed grammar lessons to teach passive voice, conditional sentences, prepositions, reported speech, and adjectives incorporating a variety of materials. For example, for the preposition lesson, I facilitated a box and a ball in the classroom to explain the lesson comprehensively.

Further, as Kawasaki (2021) states, it is conducive to collaborative or group learning which helps learners personalize the lesson content, which leads to effective retention. Hence, employing Task-Based Language Teaching in my lessons helped me to create an engaging learning environment where students could benefit from practicing complex grammar forms effectively. I encouraged students to do more pair and group activities rather than individual work to promote learner friendly environment within the class. Considering the benefits of using authentic materials in language classrooms, I also exploited a myriad of teaching and learning materials in my teaching process. When selecting materials, I considered the objectives of the lesson, the student’s language proficiency level, and the authenticity of the particular material.

During my practicum, I used strategies such as operant conditioning, where I consistently reinforced positive behaviors by praising students and giving affirmations like “Very good!” "Good boy!" "Good girl!" "Good children!" "A Very good class!" for the students who demonstrated their assigned tasks well and actively engaged in class activities, such as participating in discussions, asking insightful questions, and contributing to group activities as I identified that every student loved to be complimented and appreciated by the teacher in front of their peers.  

Yet, our voyage is not without its challenges. Like asteroids hurtling through space, obstacles such as behavioral issues, proficiency differences, and time issues have threatened the learning environment.

Students’ responses to the lessons

The feedback received from the students at the end of each lesson helped me to understand whether I was successful or not in delivering the lesson effectively. This feedback mechanism serves as a valuable tool for understanding the effectiveness of my teaching strategies and materials. According to their words, all lesson materials and activities designed by me were engaging and kept them motivated throughout the lesson.

Furthermore, students have highlighted the significance of collaborative and group work activities incorporated into the lessons. These provided them for peer interaction and knowledge exchange which ultimately led to invaluable learning experiences, allowing students to not only absorb the content but also to deepen their understanding through active discussion and collaboration. I also understood that students were more engaged in doing group work rather than individual activities. The students praised me for the integration of technology into the lesson because these materials not only facilitated understanding but also paved the way for transforming the lesson into vibrant and interactive experiences.

Professional growth I gained from the internship

Participating in this internship is an invaluable experience for my professional growth. It provided me with hands-on opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills I've acquired in my academic studies to real-world scenarios. Throughout the internship, I had the chance to work closely with experienced teachers and found a way to enrich my abilities through time management, lesson planning, classroom management, and extracurricular activities in the school.

Moreover, I learned to adapt to new environments and collaborate effectively with other teachers in the staff. These experiences have enhanced my communication skills, resilience, and ability to thrive in dynamic work settings. Through my internship, I  discovered diverse classroom management skills for different learners, improving my confidence and enhancing my adaptability in delivering effective lessons. 

Furthermore, the feedback and mentorship I received during the internship were instrumental in my development. The positive reinforcement boosted my confidence and motivation while negative comments helped me to correct my own mistakes. I am grateful for the guidance and support I received from my supervisors and colleagues, as it played a pivotal role in shaping my professional life.

Overall, it was a refreshing experience that helped me to gain more insight towards becoming a better teacher.

References

Kawasaki, J. (2023, March 26). What Is Task-Based Learning? A Guide to the Popular Teaching      Method. BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources.  https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/what-is-        task-based-learning/

Hariyadi, A. & Yanti, D. R. (2019). The importance of needs analysis in material development. Jurnal    of Limiah Profesi  Pendidikan, 4(2). 94 – 99.