REFLECTION AND EVALUATION

Planning and Learner Progress

Although the lesson mostly went according to plan, there were several changes: I’ve
adapted my lesson plan to emerging student needs by omitting one stage, i.e.
drawing spidergram with ‘hotel’ in order to spent time on the first one without setting
any time limit because it was more important, I also repeated the first listening, which
I feel was a good decision.

I believe that I achieved my aims in this lesson and the learners have now a better
awareness of the term ‘collocations’ and a better understanding of the TL. The
parallel between people to words worked better expected.

Strengths
 Even though the topic and language were challenging, students were active
and engaged throughout the lesson.
 The context of Atlantis hotel activated schemata which contributed to my
learner’s progress in the lesson.
 Students enjoyed drawing spidergrams with the verb ‘book’. Even the weakest
student Hadeel produced a very good spidergram and she enjoyed the activity
although she is often demotivated in class.
 I gave individual feedback while monitoring pair/group work.
 I provided equal opportunities for participation by nominating students during
feedback sessions.
 In lead-in I exploited learners’ language output effectively by boarding
vocabulary (marked stress pattern and part of speech).

Weaknesses
 Time management – although I did my best not to over pack my lesson, I
failed. Also, some stages took longer than expected because I tried to
respond appropriately to learner contribution and emerging needs. I
deliberately spent too long on lead-in to make my stdents feel comfortable and

PLE LSA3 HANNA LOCH

 lower their affective filter (which wouldn’t have happened in a regular (not
observed) lesson). As a result I had to rush through some stages, e.g.
recording vocabulary in 1-5 boxes. Also, my last speaking activity was shorter
than planned, however, most students managed to finish all questions. The
students would have benefited more from a longer feedback at the end of the
lesson.

I should have:

 planned a flexi-stage in my lesson plan

 spent more time on feedback after drawing spidergrams with ‘book’ (I did a lot
individually while monitoring) to drill and focus on linking
 asked CCQs to checked the meaning of ‘book’ (I think students already new it
so it wasn’t a problem) and again check understanding of all collocations (TL)
 put Hadeel (the weakest student) in a pair instead of a group of three (with
Dilber and Yusr) to give her more opportunity to speak (last activity).
 replaced the last activity with a simpler one, i.e. students asking each other
questions about their life experience based on the spidergrams. It would have
saved some time and give students more control over the activity.

Consolidation and follow –up

Now students should be better able to cope with a role-play ‘at a travel agent’s’, so I
will use it to recycle the TL and build on it on Sunday. Also students will produce
spidergrams/5-1 boxes posters while learning career/education collocations next
week.

Word Count 495

(Word 2013)

PLE LSA3 HANNA LOCH