Teaching Across Ages: Daydreamers (PART2)

Welcome back!

If you're reading this, chances are you’ve already indulged in the first part of this journal discussing the joys of teaching young learners. As previously mentioned, teaching kids is not all sunshines and rainbows, so let's start with the first challenge (again, IMHO):

Teaching Daydreamers

You might remember Anne Shirley, the queen of daydreaming. She could get lost in her thoughts for hours. Yes I know… not all children are professional dreamers like her, but you can bet their minds are big enough to get lost in. They're like little Alices in their wonderlands, chasing rabbits left and right. Now imagine how hard it is to bring these wandering minds back to the class.

Young learners are easily distracted and have short attention spans; it is a fact of life that we have to come to terms with. I remember having to knock hard on the board, yell, and shout their names, going all out until I got them back and could continue teaching, but all in vain. Once, while I was bellowing at the top of my lungs, a brave student told me, 'Teacher, we are exhausted.' I suddenly paused, feeling like I was starring in my own drama titled 'The Story of the Most Miserable Teacher in the World Whom Her Students Hated and Never Appreciated Her Efforts.' In a moment of self-doubt, I wondered if my teaching was as thrilling as filling out a German tax declaration. Then, I decided to consult them: 'What do you like to do, my beloved ones?' Each said something totally unrelated. One even suggested sleeping. I immediately regretted what I did and remembered a sentence once said by Churchill:

'Democracy is the worst form of government.'

Then I found myself desperately listening to them and trying to play the role of a nice, patient teacher.

But I had no energy left and could not continue. Back home, I thought there should be a way. Then I had my 'aha' moment.

Next time in class, I allocated some time to discuss their favorite singers and songs. Then, together, we decided to choose a song and prepare it until the end of the course. They found it interesting. So, I created the Karaoke Routine for my classroom. From that time on, whenever I spotted their attention flying away like a bird, I would pause the lesson and start doing some karaoke with their favorite songs. This worked! And I must admit they had really good taste. This became my secret formula for the other classes as well, ( not that secret though, because the intoxicating singing voices were echoing throughout the whole institution); It was like we had our own concert. Our routine was to choose a song at the beginning of the course and play it every session. At the end of the course, I would make a video of them singing passionately and show it to their parents to see their progress and, yeah, to impress them and make them admit what a cool teacher their child has.

*A word to the wise: Get used to this_ the moment you walk into the classroom and plunk your stuff down on the desk, the next thing you know, they'll all be calling out to you with their begging voices and making cute faces, want to start singing before the lesson even begins.

In their book "Teaching Young Learners", Joan Kang Shin and Jo Ann Crandall (which, by the way, is one of my teaching bibles) talk about how easily distracted children can be, and the real challenge lies in keeping them focused. Thankfully, they don't just leave us in the dark; they offer some useful strategies to keep them engaged in English lessons.

As you probably know, keeping our lessons fun and exciting is key to igniting those curious minds and expanding their attention span. This means incorporating games and activities, which can enhance their eagerness to learn. Include some elements like songs, videos, and colorful pictures- you name it, in your lesson plans. These can work like spells, hypnotizing them and keeping them engaged for a while.

Also here's a tip from yours faithfully: Break lessons into shorter activities, especially for younger children with shorter attention spans. Let me tell you why:

One interesting fact I learned from the book is that for students aged 5-7, activities should ideally last between 5 and 10 minutes. So make those activities as quick as a flash. And for older students aged 8-10, activities can be extended to 10 to 15 minutes (I guess that's enough time to go wild and get silly with them like a clown in a birthday party, so enjoy!)

Keep these tips in mind as you craft your lessons and the results will speak for themselves. But of course, we should remember that every class is different, and it's essential to make decisions for our classes based on our students' needs.

As we reach the end, I want to express my sincere thanks for joining me on my teaching journey. I hope it brought a smile to your face, even for a second.

??? I invite you to:

• Share your thoughts in the comments:Your own perspectives and experiences on this topics.The rewarding aspects of teaching teengers (upcoming article).

• Check out the first part discussing the joys of teaching young learners.