My final reflection

1. INSTITUTO DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE CONTINUA
LENGUAS VIVAS BARILOCHE (A-052)
Profesorado de Inglés- Opción pedagógica a distancia
FinalReflectionEssay
Tutora:CeciliaA.Zemborain
Alumnopracticante: BárbaraViñolo

2. Año2018
The purpose of this composition is to reflect about my practicum experience at kindergarden, more
specifically in Young Learners level at ISG St George, located in a rural neightbourhood in Centenario (a
village which is 15 minutes from Neuquén city).
This writing is reffering to the four dimentions of Reflective Learning: thinking back, thinking forward,
thinking inward and thinking outward. Making this kind of introspective exercise helps us, as students in
process of becoming EAL teachers, to acquire deeper understanding not only about our performance but
also being aware ofsome essential aspects we should be considered inour future as English teachers.
Thinking back
To start, I had to say that this is the first time I´m involve inteachingenvironment as I´ve never beeninfront
of a class until now!. Also before starting this new adventure I didn´t knew I was capable of being in front of
a class.
The main purpose of start this new adventure was to put into practice allthe theoreticalknowledge we have
gained during this year, regarding to teaching very young learners to realize what is like working with this
kind of group... very young learners, in relation to their needs and also what specific skills we need to
develop as to become the best English teachers we can became as to guide our students duringtheir learning
process.
Moreover, this experience helps me to explore my strengths and weaknesses as a future teacher, so being
aware of those personal aspects (which are personal but sometimes they can influence in my professional
routine) allow me to improve and also to keep working on them. In respect to pedagogical perspective, I felt
that the activities, the objectives proposed and the scaffolding strategies I tried to acquire in the lesson
plannings were well prepared and Icould reachmy aims.

3. I had to deliver three lessons, during their development I realized how significant the use of multimedia and
creative resources is, as children learned effectively vocabulary also simple grammar structures by using
creativity and social interaction inside the classroom with other students and the teacher meanwhile they
feel motivateddoing the activities given.
A great challenge for me was that students were used to hear their teacher using L2 to explain the activities
or telling isolated words and then she used L1 to repeat the exercises instructions. So, I tried to explore and
find which scaffolding strategies were appropriate taking into account students language level (sometimes I
could apply them to the activities without problem, but students usually say ‘I don´t understand, explain it
in Spanish’). Other challenge which I had to face off was thinking of a suitable sequence of activities to give
to them as the class was 90 minutes long and they get distracted most of the time. So, I apply to different
multimedia resources and other strategies learned in Didactics subject as songs, virtual games, storytelling,
applying to visual and colourful resources (flashcards, cut and paste activities, etc) in order to keep students
engaged also motivated during activities development and creating an appropriate base with the topics my
students had toacquire.
As the activities resulted stimulating and motivating for students, I could realize that they were very
significant to them. For instance, with the use of songs, audiovisual stories, (for example, Steve and Maggie
for Wow English Youtube site), oral activities, also by using online games or memory games, among others
helping children to be motivated and interested in learning the vocabulary I introduced with the
multimedia resource mentioned before.
Also, as I have tried to include as much activities related to multiple intelligences as possible, students had
the opportunity to work and also explore different skills (which they have acquired as they grow up)
through different activities and different perspectives. As a result, the development of different activities
which include MI helped them (and also me as their teacher) to work on their strengths and weaknesses
related tolanguage skills.

4. During my practicum practice, I had to reread teaching strategies (multimedia and multimodality, songs
and chants, games, among others), classroom management strategies. Also, the use of transition comments
and chants considering what things students are able to do on their own and in which things theymayneed
teacher´s help ( ZPD and scaffolding strategies), encouraging strategies, the use of suitable L2 level taking
intoaccount students language level and using L1only when it was necessary.
As this is the first time I was at the front of a class as a future Englishteacher, Iwas worriedonthe reactionof
students related to the activities I planned for lessons. Also, I realized how hard is to planlessons as youhave
to take into account many important aspects, in other words, how difficult is toput the knowledge acquired
from theory into practice. Apart from the fact that there are a lot of aspects you have to bear in mind while
you are preparing a lesson, the hardest challenge is to pay attention to all the methods, strategies, principles
and more aspects during lesson development process.
Furthermore, I have learned that problems and contingences would be always presented during lessons, so
it is important to take them into account when you are planning lessons in order to solve the problems that
may awake or on the way indeed. This experience shared me how complex young learners´ learning world
can be and how important is to plan lessons by using creative resources to keep children motivated in the
activities. Also, the opportunity given by practicum period let me realize how challenging teaching children
is, as sometimes you as teacher should bear in mind children´s needs (not only from a teacher´s perspective
but also as an adult)... in other words, teachers should bear in mind that children´s needs are more important
than acquire knowledge effectively as knowledge is effectively acquired when mind, body and spirit work as
a whole.
Thinking Forward
Asthiswasmyfirsttimebeingateacher,IrealizedIneedtokeepworkingondevelopmycreativity
and on my resources selection while I plan my lessons. Even though I felt that I was doing my
practicum lessons on the right path, I know that I have to continue exploring the resources

5. availableforteachers(notonlylookforgames,flashcardsbutalsostorytelling,freeplay,artcrafts,
among others) as to keep children engaged and motivatedduringlessons.Also,Ineedtoworkon
my teaching performance as I felt that I was not self confident giving the lesson and also to find
methodsorstrategiestofosterchildren´simaginationandcreativityasmuchasitcanbepossible,
creatingasuitableandmotivatingclassroomenvironmentforstudents.
During my practicumlessons,Itriedtoincludeasmuchscaffoldingstrategiesaspossibleinorder
to achieve children knowledge effectively and also I tried to use L2 asmuchasIcouldduringthe
lesson in order to encourage students to express themselves using English language (to do so I
made questions about the vocabulary seen in a Youtube video, about a task they were doing
meanwhile they were painting, or questionsrelatedtofooditems´names,colour,amongothers)
as to explore and bring out activities potential in relation to the useofEnglishlanguageandalso
trying tokeepchildren´sknowledgeofL2 asfreshaspossible.
This new experience was really important not only because it helps me to believe that I might
become an English teacher in the future but also because now I know what to expect and what
aspects I need to improve in order to become the best teacher I can be. Also, practicum period
helped me to reflect on my future goals. Those future aims will be related to search and look
deeper on student´s needs, which things motivate them also their interests, their strengths and
weaknesses building a creative and motivating classroom environment where learning English
would not be seen as “learning another subject” in order to change students point of view
regarding to learning L2 in a creative and funnyenvironmenttomakestudentsfeelthatlearning
second language is wonderful and really important for their future... changingfromatraditional
way of teaching into a creative and motivated environment, teaching applying to multimodality
andmultimediaresources.

6. Regarding to myfuturegoalsasanEnglishteacher,thisexperiencemayinfluencemypedagogical
decisions as I will remember my performance during my practicum period (in relation towhatI
didright, whatIdidwrongandwhataspectIneedtokeepworkingon).Also,Iwillrememberhow
important is the observation period beforeplanninglessonsperiod,theadvantagesofobserving
during teaching performance how students are learning meanwhile they are having fun.
Moreover,IwillworkoneverythingthatIneedtoimproveinordertobecomethekindofteacher
I wanna be, and fulfil students’ main purpose... build their own knowledgeratherthantobetold
whatto thinkandhow.
Thinking Inward
I realized how meaningful this experience was for me, because now I know I am capable of
preparing lessons and be in front of a Group. Also, I have learned what my strengths and
weaknesses are as a future English teacher. Moreover, I have developed myself as a beginner
teacher with young learners, which scared me a lot at the beginning (as I have never believed I
could be able to teach children) but now I know that even though it is difficult and challenging,
there is nothing to e afraid of as children are creative, innocent and they are full of anxiety and
motivationin learningabouteverythingtheyseeandhear).
AsIlearnedfromDidácticaEspecíficaparaelNivelInicialsubject,childrenneedtodevelopshort
activities, designed takingintoaccountdifferentperspectivesandwherestudentswouldhaveto
develop those activities applying to their own acquired abilities or ways, applying to multiple
intelligences ´s integration, enriching student´s creativity and critical thinking, among other
aspects. But as this experience has showed me, having experience is not the same as acquiring
theoryknowledgewithout experientialachievements.

7. Moreover, I used to find difficult toshowed myself firmagainstchildren,andalsoIfeltuncertain
about how to face them when they are misbehaving (although theteacherinchargeofthegroup
gave me some tips for use them to change student´s behaviour). Now, I learned that if- as an
English teacher- I´m not showed me strong or withafirmdecisiontakenwithoutletthemrefuse
about it, students will turn the classroom atmosphere into a mess (turning the classroom space
unabletolearnandteach).Thisfactletmerealizedhowimportantissettingbehaviourcommands
by teacher´s example, as if we showed to children a respectful way of communication and
behaviour with students, parents, other teachers, etc as a result, children may repeat the
behaviour pattern showed by the teacher (in this way teachersmayhelptochangehowchildren
behaveagainstothers).
During this adventure, my feelings were positive as I felt supported and guided during this new
learning process. Also I felt challenged, but this was an expected feeling as I was starting a new
adventureforme.Beforestartingpracticumperiod,Ifeltscaredandanxiousasthiswasanewstep
on my learning process to become a teacher, but then I felt really happy as I could reach my
objectives.
Also as the practicum period finished, I realized how children can leave a mark on teachers as
during my practicum lessons they allowed me to interact with them and theteacherinchargeof
the group letting know them. Also, this experience let me realized that notonlyteachersareable
to changestudent´smoodandattitudewithsharingasmile,ahugorletstudentsbefunwhilethey
are learning,butalsostudentscanchangeteachersexpectationsandemotionswithjustasmileor
acommentabouthow theyfeelinourlessons.

8. Thinking Outward
Generally speaking, in the three lessons I had developed, students showed good behaviour and
they were anxious before the lessons started,butsometimestheywereeasilydistractedandthey
started shouting in ordertocallteacher´sattentionsoasaresult,classroomatmospherechanged
into amessyshoutingone.
So, in order to turn the lesson atmosphere into a peaceful one I tried to show my point of view
about their behaviour (showing myself angryorunsatisfied) inaproperway: clappingmyhands,
raisingthetoneofmy voice,andalsochangingmyfacefeaturestomakethembequietandalsoask
themaskthemwhy theywerescreamingorexplainingwhatwaswrongwhenitwasnecessary.
I believe that everything is related to attitude, meaning that everythingyoufaceoffisamatterof
attitude: if you are able to show what you expect or what you want to happend with the tone of
yourvoice,yourbody andyourface,itwillbeeasiertogettheresultsyouexpected.
Conclusion
To conclude, this experience has been really challenging and productive to me as I have learned
through practice, failing and succeeding in a real context, my strengths and weaknesses in
teaching environment. Also, this experience let me realized what aspects I need to workonasto
improvemydevelopmentasafutureteacher.
As I said before, this was my first time being atthefrontofagroupsowithoutallthesupportand
the knowledge I have gained in othersubjectsduringthisyear,thedevelopmentofmypracticum
periodwouldn´thavebeenpossible.
In other future experiences, I will bearinmindalltheknowledge Ihavegained,theaspectsIneed
to improveinrelationtomyteachingdevelopment,andtheweaknessesIhavetoworkon.

9. Being aware of my strengths helped me to be motivated and to keep moving, looking for new
adventures to overcome. Moreover, sharing this practicum period with Young Learners was
challenging and amazing at the same time, and also it helped me to be sure why I´m studying to
becomeateacherandalsowhatittakestobecomethebestEnglishteacherIcanbe.