In the classroom

Delivered by Ruth Joynes

Mind your Language!

Think of all the different ways we use the word “Mind” or “Tense”.   What about “cell” and “sell”?  

There are LOTS of different meanings for one word in English – be aware of them. Speak and write clearly. Check in with students and adjust on the hoof.

How teachers can support EAL students:   (On the students’ Individual Student Alerts)

• be a role model of understanding, friendship and respect that other students can follow;
• talk in good clear English;
• have clear and modified expectations of their learning in class And homework
• provide and demonstrate the meanings of key words. (This supports all students.)
• Encourage and praise independent use of Blue Word Books
• include the students in every activity;
• use objects, props, visuals, graphs, charts etc;
• show them (or help other students to show them) how to do a task, and talk it through as they do it;
• encourage the use of the iPad for translations and allow students’ literate in another language to write in that language in their books; (subtly –our students realise they are in a significant minority and don’t want to stand out).
• Encourage and support the development of friendships, and acknowledge students who make the effort to get alongside them
• If you have more than one EAL student in your lesson it may be beneficial to separate them and sit them beside an English speaking student.

 

Further Ideas and Resources

J Drive 04 Academic Additional Needs- EAL- EAL Intervention Resources

https://ealresources.bell-foundation.org.uk/   

https://ealresources.bell-foundation.org.uk/resources/balanced-diet

https://acceal.org.uk/teaching-advanced-eal-learners/

https://wsh.wokingham.gov.uk/learning-and-teaching/mea/eal/arabic-resources/subject-keywords/ – excellent resource for finding subject specific concepts translated into Arabic

 

 

Delivered by Roisin McKeever

I came across the idea of weekly reviews in ‘The A level Mindset’ by Steve Oakes and Martin Griffin. The idea of a weekly review is to help students manage their learning so that they don’t cram or binge on learning. Students do significantly better if they are doing their revision little and often. When I ask students if they have looked at their notes since last lesson they usually say no, so I decided to give them some help.

I introduce the idea of a weekly review at the end of the first full week back in September. I give the students five minutes to make sure they have all of their notes and then I give them 10 minutes to read through them. Once this is done I give them the weekly review template:

(This is a template for A level Economics).

I work through this with them, modelling how I would fill it in. This is an important step in the process as it gives students an indication of what it is they are expected to do each week. This is then set as homework at the end of each week – I will set additional work on top of this as the week’s progress. The students know that I will be testing them in some way at the start of Monday’s lesson to encourage them to complete the reviews and to read over them.

I tell the students to keep the weekly reviews in a separate part of their folder and to read through them on a regular basis to keep on top of their revision. I give students access to the template but I encourage them to adapt it to suit what they are recording that week.

I also suggest this idea to my sixth form tutor group – they need to set aside an hour on a Friday to do this, spending 15 minutes per subject condensing their notes for the week.

You can find a copy of the weekly review template in Staff Academic – CPD – 15 minute forums – 2019/20