Journals

1. Trainee’s name: María Cecilia Nievas
Practicum level: Inicial
Group: Sala de 5
Date: 08/05/2015
Lesson number: 1
1. What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
I have set a meaningful context based on their previous lesson and during the entire
lesson I give them immediate feedback. Lessons are designed in short bursts according to
the time that little children can pay attention. Activities are chosen taking into account the
age of the students and giving priority to the fact that they learn while they have fun.
Finally, I always bear in mind to maintain their motivation.
2. What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why / why not?
All the activities are short and students can always participate in an active way because
the lesson is student-centered. Furthermore, they can collaborate with their peers who
share the same desk. I have also considered choosing different kind of activities trying to
satisfy all the learning styles.
3. How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials? How
did they react to the lesson?
They reacted very well to my teaching as they quickly paid attention to me and they
followed my instructions. During the oral activity of mentioning and recognizing the
shapes they did not participate a lot but I believe the reason was that it was the first time
they saw those shapes. They really liked the materials and they always wanted to touch
everything. They reacted perfectly to the activity order and the different seatting
arrangements.
Comentario [1]: What approaches,
methods and theories of learning
supported your teaching, Cecilia?
Here you described what you did rather
than pedagogical principles.
Comentario [2]: Remember that
collaborative work implies more than
sharing physical space. Were SS able
to fulfill a task together?
Comentario [3]: Great!

2. 4. What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
I saw that they love to dance and to mime. They love colours and painting, too. They were
very motivated with the pasting activity as they can see their production and they felt
happy about helping each other during the development of the activity. There was no
problem about sharing the shapes and the glue.
5. What aspects of the lesson require change / improvement?
I believe that using glue in activities inside the book was not a good idea as some dirt was
generated. At the end of the lesson I had to modify the song to keep them sitting on the
floor and being calmer than during the rest of the lesson. I will keep this new version of
the song for the rest of the lessons. They found a bit difficult to copy the “hand shapes”
but I am sure that this challenge helped them to develop their motor skills.
6. What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
I would like to add a review of the new vocabulary at the end of the class where we can
also share their productions. I won’t change the hello-song because they like it and they
need more time to learn it and sing it.
7. Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
I was really scared at the beginning but I felt more relaxed when I had finished preparing
all the material. I believe there was enough time for them to develop all the activities. I
found that recording the lesson is great to improve some details that we miss while we are
concentrated teaching.
Trainee’s name: María Cecilia Nievas
Practicum level: Inicial
Group: Sala de 5
Date: 15/05/2015
Comentario [4]: How did they help
each other? What guidance did you
provide?
Comentario [5]: Being able to adapt
your plan and make decisions on the
spur of the moment is an essential skill
every teacher must develop. :)
Comentario [6]: Did you do any
research about this?
Comentario [7]: Good thinking,
Cecilia!

3. Lesson number: 2
1. What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
The lesson was delivered according what we have learnt the previous class (shapes) and I
used them to work with new colours and to introduce our first toy. We made short
activities, using songs, mimes, painting and oral practice; all these activities develop
students’ skills. I let them participate and I always provide them with encouraging
feedback.
2. What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why / why not?
This lesson was student-centered, too, to allow their participation and encourage their
motivation. I used different kind of activities to foster an easier learning process.
3. How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials? How
did they react to the lesson?
The students’ reaction was even better than the previous one: they were calmer and they
were used to asking their doubts to me. During oral activities they participated a lot
providing answers (some were right and some were wrong), singing, miming and
dancing. They loved painting the robot and they were all proud about their productions.
4. What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
I noticed that they loved to paint the robot. They find it interesting to guess what the
poster was about, this fostered their participation during the second oral activity. During
this lesson they followed my instructions faster than during the first lesson. The activities
were enough for them to revise old colours and shapes and to learn the new ones, only
some students had doubts when I asked them about some colours and shapes.
Furthermore, they did not get confused with the new flashcards and we were able to
dance the good-bye song as they were calmer than during the previous lesson.
5. What aspects of the lesson require change / improvement?
Comentario [8]: Same comment as
entry 1. What pedagogical principles
did you consider?
Comentario [9]: What strategies
made this lesson 'student centred'?
Comentario [10]: This description is
too general. Did you model, show,
exemplify, mime, etc,?
Comentario [11]: This means you
were able to establish rapport with
them. Well done!
Comentario [12]: Excellent! They
adapted quickly to your teaching style!

4. I believe that we should work more with some colours as brown and grey because most of
the students were not able to identify and pronounce them at the end of the class. In
addition, it would be easier for them if I would have provided like a guide to paint with
the shape and the expected colour of it (instead of saying it orally) because they forgot the
instructions and they had to ask a lot of times.
6. What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
The aspects that I mentioned on the previous items are useful to take into account when I
design the next lesson. Also, I would include another activity where they can participate
working as a whole class because I realized that they really like that kind of activities.
7. Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
Today I felt more confident from the beginning and I felt very surprised when I listen to
many students answering the name of the shapes, because I was afraid that they would
not remember them.
Trainee’s name: María Cecilia Nievas
Practicum level: Inicial
Group: Sala de 5
Date: 29/05/2015
Lesson number: 3
1. What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
The lesson was delivered using a short story created according to the topic that we had to
learn (the family) and using the robot from the previous class. I read the story pointing to
Comentario [13]: This is not clear.
Why didn't the oral instructions work?
What kind of guide would have been
more effective?
Comentario [14]: What type of
activity? Oral interaction?
Comentario [15]: Why wouldn't they?
Don't underestimate their potential. :)

5. the pictures in it and using mimic. Furthermore, I developed the communicative skills
when children told me which members appeared on their drawings. They were allowed
to participate and they always receive positive feedback so maintain their motivation.
2. What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why / why not?
This lesson was student-centered, too, different kind of activities were developed to foster
the development of the learning process according to the different learning styles. I gave
whole group instructions and then I helped those small groups that did not understand
the first explanation. Finally, the participation during the entire lesson is always used to
allow students to express themselves.
3. How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials? How
did they react to the lesson?
Students’ reaction to the material was great; they really like the big house and the family
members. Furthermore, they like the activities and they participate a lot during the oral
activities. When they finished their drawings they gave them to me. Finally, they liked the
story and the way I told it because they participated a lot sharing their opinions and
interpretations.
4. What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
I noticed that today they participated a lot in the different stages of the lesson. In addition,
I discovered that encouraging them to participate describing their family pictures
individually while they draw it, was a good idea because all of them were able to
participate, including the shy students. Furthermore, they really understood the story and
they liked it because it has a happy ending, they were patient while I read and they
focused on the story.
5. What aspects of the lesson require change / improvement?
I noticed that sometimes students get very excited when there are pictures and some of
them change the place where they are sitting and the rest of the students are not able to
Comentario [16]: All these
procedures are sustained by what
principles?
Comentario [17]: was encouraged?

6. see the pictures properly, so I always try to keep children in their first place and to put
pictures where every student can see it.
6. What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
First of all, next time they draw, I will sit next to each student and foster the development
of their communicative skills providing some questions so they feel free to participate.
Second, as I have already seen in the previous lessons, they love colours, drawing and
dancing so I will include it again next class (our last class) so they have fun again.
7. Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
I love that problems never arise while they work in groups, sharing the material or while
they help their classmates. I believe that now they are more comfortable with me because
they participate a lot and they behave properly during the entire lesson.
Trainee’s name: María Cecilia Nievas
Practicum level: Inicial
Group: Sala de 5
Date: 05/06/2015
Lesson number: 4
1. What pedagogical principles supported the planning and delivery of this lesson?
The lesson was delivered using two characters from the short story we read the previous
class and some information about them. We practice the age using the context from a
birthday party. I use mime and several examples to help students understand we were
talking about age. Then we practice orally with each student in a relaxed way while they
develop the last activity with the cake.
Comentario [18]: This must always
be accompanied by didactic purposes.
Activities just for fun are not enough in
the EFL lesson...
Comentario [19]: Great experience,
Cecilia!

7. 2. What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why / why not?
This lesson was also student-centered. Different kinds of activities were developed as the
rest of the lesson, the topic was presented orally with different examples and them we
used pictures of cakes and candles to set the context about Sara’s birthday. Then they
created their own cake painting it with different colours that I told them to use,
furthermore I helped them to remember the colours using different objects from the
classroom. Finally, they were able to participate sharing their information.
3. How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials? How
did they react to the lesson?
Today they were over excited, even though they were motivated to work, during the oral
activities they talked a lot and played between them. Furthermore, they all wanted to go to
the bathroom. When they went back to their places, they completed the activity in a
successful way. They had a good reaction as they understood all the activities that I took to
the class.
4. What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful?
During this lesson I applied what I learnt in the previous one, while they were working
with their cakes, I sat next to each children and I asked them “How old are you? / Are you
5 or 4?” while I use my fingers to help them and the flashcards. I also asked them about
their names using “I am Cecilia, and you? / What’s your name?” Again, I noticed it is a
great way to work with the students as they are all able to have an opportunity to answer
and participate.
5. What aspects of the lesson require change / improvement?
Today I had to shorten the oral part because the whole group was overexcited so we made
some examples and they started to work alone. In spite of the advantages of working
alone, I need to improve class management in order to develop all the activities, written
and oral ones.
6. What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?
Comentario [20]: Well done!
Comentario [21]: Yes!
Comentario [22]: What are the
advantages of individual work?
Comentario [23]: How are you
planning to work on this?

8. Next lessons will be with older students but I learnt a lot about working with kids instead
of adolescents. The amount of time they are able to concentrate is much shorter than it is
for adolescents. Furthermore, they love games and they always want to participate, sing,
dance and work.
7. Any comments or observations you would like to share may be added here.
This last class was the one that I enjoyed most; regardless of the fact that they did not
behave as well as during the previous classes. As it was the last class, I focused on having
fun with children.
Comentario [24]: Different ages,
different characteristics and needs.