JOURNAL 5

     The class was expected to be very active as the topic was the one that we had seen last week. Children seemed very interested in that. This time I wanted them to tell me about their favorite places in the city and then we would ask and answer questions about how to get somewhere in the city. I showed them the same map that we used last class and I gave them a review of the topic giving some examples. Both courses participated actively and they really cared about this exercise.
     I think that this class was really meaningful for my students as I gave real situations and examples which made them be more focused and some of them, excited with the idea of visiting the United States. They really learned the commands to give directions as at the end of the class most of them showed good results in the exercises that they did. I would not do anything different.
    Different from the last classes, I can say that this week students were well behaved and that makes me glad. I started loving some of my students as they have shown that they love my class. It was also my cooperation teacher’s birthday and the other teachers brought a cake to celebrate. That spreading was great because I interacted with teachers from other areas and they told me some tips to keep children quiet. That’s good to be able to learn from them.

JOURNAL 4

     I felt really good at implementing the lesson plan this week. Students from both grades (604 and 605) made some gift cards for Mom’s day, they decorated them and wrote beautiful and creative messages for their moms. Students from 604 were rarely well behaved and concentrated. Besides, most of them were excited about the reaction that their mother will have when they received the cards. In the end, most of the students had finished their work and they went home happily. Next day, they told me that their mom was glad and excited because of the surprise.         
     Unfortunately, students from 605 were not the same. Despite the fact that I did the same activity and we were in a comfortable classroom with air conditioning, students did not stop talking and some of them started running around the classroom damaging their classmates’ work. Others didn’t have the cardboard, scissors or markers that they had brought because another classmate had stolen them. I got mad and took them back to their usual classroom and there, they worked kind of well. They are very rude and most of them do not care about anything. These students are repeating the course for the second or third time, so they are older than other students from 6^th grade.
     After this lesson, I found out that some students need someone who talks to them in a sweet way, with love, while others need someone strict and firm who reminds them of the rules. Students from 605 definitively work better when I turn to a rigorous teacher, however, I feel that I can’t take this attitude every day.

JOURNAL 3

     Unfortunately, there is a lack of motivation in students from 605. Despite the fact that I plan active and dynamic classes for them, they do not participate, they have a burlesque attitude and they are very impolite with each other. I call their attention each time they use nicknames or rude words, the other teacher threat them calling their parents and making a written observation but it seems that they don’t care about anything.  I think that the time of the class plays a very essential role in the student’s attitude as we have class at last hours after the break. 
    On the other hand, 604 is still a very active and talkative group. Despite the teacher says that as it were a bad attitude, I think that I can’t force them to be quiet or silent all the time because they are in that age.  What I try to do is to find ways to take advantage of that habit to teach then in an appropriated way. They really care about the English class and I can realize that they want to learn.       In regards to my insides this week, I always end up very tired after classes but with satisfaction because I know that children learned at least one thing in my class. Teaching them a song has been very meaningful because I feel that most of them enjoy that part of the class. In fact, I have heard some students humming the song after class. This week there was a pre-report and the teacher talked to student’s parents about their accomplishments and weaknesses, I hope that students improve after that meeting.

JOURNAL 2

     This week I felt good in regards to the discipline. Students have improved a lot in that aspect. The cooperation teacher does not make many interventions lately and I feel that children feel certain confidence as some of them have approached to tell me how they feel. I think that they see me as a teacher more than before as they used to tell the cooperation teacher their accomplishments or problems even if I was there in the classroom, but now they call me for whatever they need. That makes me feel good.
   In the procedure of the class, I got frustrated because the projector didn’t work at the time of teaching the song and we lost a lot of time giving a solution to that problem. Fortunately, we could and children seemed to be really caught by the video. Although the time was not enough to teach them the first part of the song, they got the homework to gain time. They have to listen carefully to the song and write the lyrics in their notebooks at home. Next class, we are going to continue with the task.  
   Finally, I have realized that the correct way to control students is calling their attention with kindness. Some of them are used to listen to everybody shouting at them and I think that it is not good. Sometimes they need someone who treats them with love and respect and it could make a big difference in their life.

JOURNAL 1

     This week I had the opportunity to experiment with something new in the school. I helped the cooperation teacher to give parents their children’s reports. It was great to talk to students’ parents as most of them showed interest in their children’s behavior and attitude in the school. Some of them really care about the suggestions and advice from the teacher and I find it excellent to know that there is cooperation between parents and teachers in the hard work of educating children.
      Despite the fact that some of the students have improved their behavior in class, discipline is still a problem. I have been closer to some students and I have talked to them as a friend in regards to their attitude in class. Some of them have opened themselves and I have learned a lot from them. I know they will improve even more. 
      Finally, I have some ideas for the Spelling B contest. The teacher and I have been planning some activities and I am very enthusiastic about what children will be able to show that day.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER?

       As I have discussed with some classmates and teachers, we have agreed that being a good teacher implies many aspects. Firstly, when we describe a good teacher we tend to focus more on humanity and the way to treat people. A teacher should be aware that they are guides and facilitators but not dictators in the classroom. In fact, teachers should be aware that they do not only teach subjects but they teach values and how to be a good human being.      

        Secondly, a teacher should give themselves the opportunity to know their students to plan their classes. We do not knot what difficulties they may have in regards not only to their learning style but also in regards to their familiar lives, socio-economical situation and other factors that may affect their learning process.

      Thirdly, a good teacher is a full-time researcher. They should research about each factor that may affect the teaching-learning process but especially a good teacher should study themselves. They should analyze their own classes, their attitudes, their command of the language and the environment in which they are teaching. The self-evaluation and analysis is an essential factor in the teaching field as teachers should look at their own job in a critical way to improve each day, otherwise, they could get used to their mistakes and never realize that they are not teaching in a good way. In that case, the main affected would be the students.