Wednesday, July 28, 2010

29. Do we properly evaluate our trainee-performance ?

[Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum - KUETEF]

For years, Practice Teaching for BEd course in English in the universities in Kerala State meant “methodology in action”. While observing the classes of trainees, the teacher educator would expect the following from trainees :

•1. Speak English in simple and correct language with facility and within the comprehension (vocabulary and grammar) of pupils.

•2. Write English on the Black board or in teaching aids in legible and good hand writing.

•3. Read aloud with proper intonation , stress, speed and pause.

•4. Recite poems effectively.

•5. Plan lessons well in advance.

Ever since the introduction of the New English Curriculum in Kerala, Constructivist practices have replaced Behaviourist practices. Today, the emphasis is on an activity-based, learner-centred, process oriented curriculum. This had made the teacher educator’s job of observing and assessing trainee performance in the classroom, particularly difficult. For instance, when the trainee gives three to four activities for a particular teaching period of forty minutes duration, how can the teacher educator evaluate the trainee performance for 1 to 5 mentioned above? Yet, we make a sincere effort to do a proper job…

But are we satisfied? I would like to hear from you.

Do post your valuable comments.


C.Praveen
Secretary, KUETEF

28. Placing students first…Well, do we?

[Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum - KUETEF]

“ Place students first was my policy during the last academic year, I continued to do so this year too. Apart from my regular work as a teacher and Head of the department, I was able to contribute to the academic culture of the college by conducting a few programmes…( which includes the Beyond The Syllabus Programme)... I received some degree of gratification for all this work…”

Those are lines from the self appraisal of Mr. P. Vijayakumar, Head of the Department, Government College For Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State.

I think teachers of English ought to read the write-up on Beyond The Syllabus Programme. Please view the following link:

http://www.articlesbase.com/tutoring-articles/the-beyond-the-syllabus-programme-2920335.html


Do offer your comments…


Regards




C.Praveen

Secretary. KUETEF

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

27. The New Course Book for Standard IX

[Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum - KUETEF]

Hello teachers ...

How is the Practice Teaching of your trainees progressing?

Well…, how are they finding the newly introduced Course Book for Standard IX ?
Today I had been to observe a class in Govt. Sanskrit H.S. Chalai, Trivandrum. I found my trainee struggling to teach the poem entitled ‘Women’ which is highly prosaic. There is hardly anything in it to be classified under the genre: ‘Poetry’… Did you find it so?

I would love to hear from you all. Do post your valuable comments.

Please view the following link for the comments offered by my trainees after ten days of teaching the Standard IX Course Book

http://www.articlesbase.com/languages-articles/trainee-comments-on-teaching-the-new-standard-ix-english-course-book-2860461.html

Regards

C.Praveen
Secretary, KUETEF