6Innovative Technologies in Teaching Foreign Languages and Learner Assessment in Online Education
Chirchik State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent region
THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS: RECOMMENDATIONS AND TIPS FOR
ENGLISH TEACHERS
Jamila Sh. Djumabaeva
DSc, Professor, NUUz
ABTRACT
As a teacher, we can give different tips, ideas and recommendations for young teachers in general. We do not pay special attention to the first day class, which is the most important for both, for a teacher and students. The first day can excite students about the class, calm their fears, and set their expectations for the semester.
Keywords: multitasking, accessible, introduction games
INTRDODUCTION
As an experienced teacher can give different tips, ideas and recommendations for young teachers in general. However, we do not pay special attention to the first day class, which is the most important for both, for a teacher and students. The first day can excite students about the class, calm their fears, and set their expectations for the semester. The first day is an opportunity for the teacher to get to know and begin to evaluate students and to express expectations for the semester. Therefore, we would like to discuss some ideas given by specialists and add some more other rules and recommendations.
METHODS AND DISCUSSION
The most important one is "Be Early" - Being early for class, even if only a few minutes, so that you can write on the board what the class is, for instance, "Multitasking. Discussion - vocabulary and working on questions". Being early allows you to arrange the room the way you want to and to make sure all the necessary equipment is there. Write your name on the board. Do you want your students' first impression of you to be one where you run in like a chicken with your head cut off, or one where you appear organized and in control?
The second tip is "Be Accessible". When your students have arrived, introduce yourself. You may use different ways, i.e. pictures that you had prepared beforehand, you may use blackboard like that:
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Innovative Technologies in Teaching Foreign Languages and Learner Assessment in Online Education
Chirchik State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent region
You may ask your students - This picture describes some facts about me; can you guess which number means which fact from my life? They give you their own versions if they cannot find correct answer you will tell them which number means what. For example, 21 means - I visited 21 countries, number 3 means I have published three textbooks etc.
If you use a nickname, or title like Doctor or Professor, explain what it means and why you use it. If you have office hours, tell students when they are and where your office is. Giving your students your pager and office or home telephone numbers allows them to call you when they will not be in class or to find out what work they missed, and makes them feel closer to you. You seem more accessible. Give them your e-mail account and tell them they can practice writing by sending you messages.
The third one is English Nicknames for your students - At this point, you can write students names in your roll book. Encourage students to take English nicknames. Not only will this make remembering them easier for you, it allows shy students a false identity to hide behind when they answer questions or do role-plays. At the same time, they can feel English speaking atmosphere and environment.
Next is Location - Explain the location of rooms and areas in the building. Students need to know where the toilets, smoking areas, and vending machines are. Tell students where the department, assistants, librarians and necessary books and dictionaries, i.e. at which part of the library are. Do not forget to advise the students of procedures in case of emergencies.
One of the important moments and good ideas how to inform your students concerning your rules and habits, principles called - Class Rules - Talk about class rules. Students need to know what the absence and homework policies are. If you do not allow mobile phones or eating in class, it is easier to deal with it on the first day, rather than address it when it occurs. You may have to address it then, as well, but you laid the groundwork on day one. You may even prepare beforehand a list: "Allowed activities" and "Not allowed activities".
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Innovative Technologies in Teaching Foreign Languages and Learner Assessment in Online Education
Chirchik State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent region
What's Happening? - This is significant question. What do we mean by that? - Students should be told about university opportunities. Some universities have English clubs, like Speaking club, Reading club, Movie club etc., or international student associations. Advise students of study areas. University breaks and holidays should also addressed. Asking students what they expect and want from class not only gives your ideas of how to tailor the class to your students' needs, but it starts them talking. Show students the textbooks and tell them where they can buy them. This will ensure they have the right books and reinforce that they are in the correct class. However, if possible, do not jump into the book the first day. Other introductory activities you can use to get students talking to each other.
One good point is Introduction Games - There are a myriad of introduction games to get to know students and to get them talking. Very simple ones, such as introducing yourself and telling an interest, with the next person repeating the information and adding theirs, works well with lower level learners. A variation of this is to toss a ball, or other small object, back and forth, with the person catching providing the information. Interview games are sometimes better for students too shy to speak in front of groups. Prepare a list of questions, such as "Who can play piano?", "Who can say 'good morning' in German?", and "Who has one brother?", and have students walk around and interview each other to gather the information. A variation of this is to put the questions on a Bingo board. If students shyly stand waiting to approach, take them to other students and walk them through an interview. The teacher should also participate. This is a chance for you to get to know you students.
An activity that works well with classes that have been together for several months is Timeline. A timeline is a graph that notes important events, such as birth, school graduations, moving from one town to another, and marriage, and the dates they occurred. Feel free to include less serious moments such as "my first visit to disco". Students enjoy learning special things about the teacher.
Before class, teachers prepare a timeline of their life. Teachers show their example, explain the idea, give the student paper, and have them prepare one. Tell students to list at least five or six events and not to put their names on the timelines. Collect them, when the students finish, number them, and tape the time lines up around the room. Students then need to walk around the room and interview each other to determine which timeline belongs to which classmate. Students can ask either open ended information questions (When were you born?) or yes/no questions
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Innovative Technologies in Teaching Foreign Languages and Learner Assessment in Online Education
Chirchik State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent region
(Did you go to disco for the first time in 1995?), but can not ask the interviewe e's number. After students have determined which timeline belongs to which student, or after a set time, remove the timelines from the walls and ask students who is who.
These introductory tips and exercises work best with a two hour block of time, but can be adjusted for shorter classes. Stretching this into a longer class could become tedious. All the time you are doing the exercises, you should be evaluating the students. Who has a good command of grammar? Who spells well? Who is shy, or outgoing? You can use all of this information during the semester.
This moment is also very important - Thank Students - Finally, thank the student for enrolling in the class. This is a simple thing, but in the first days of class, when a lot is happening, students need to know they are appreciated. This is, certainly, important with private language institutes, but university students need this, too.
Closing Comments. Remember when you were a student starting a new class. You wanted to know who those people next to you were. You wanted to know who the teacher was and what was expected of you. Following this plan, or a similar one, will answer your student's questions and help you to get to know them better and faster.
CONCLUSION
These ten tips or ideas are so important, but we can add some more others like to come to the classroom with some prepared information about students, you may ask your experienced colleagues to give some information. One more important idea is during the lesson you may ask your students about their desire or plan "Why do you learn English?", it may give you some clear picture concerning designing your future lessons. All these ideas and recommendations are very important, that is why they must take into consideration while teaching such kind of subjects like "Teaching methods of foreign languages".
REFERENCES
1. Ames, C. (1992). Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation. J. Educ. Psychol. 84: 261-271.
2. Brookfield, S. D. (1990). The skillful teacher. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
3. Richards, J. C., & Farrell, T. S. C. (2010). Professional development for language teachers. Cambridge: CUP.
4. Djumabaeva J. Teaching methods of special subjects. Tashkent, 2019, P. 46-50.
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