a short reflection of my kindergarten period

1. INSTITUTO DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE CONTINUA
LENGUAS VIVAS BARILOCHE (A-052)
Profesorado de Inglés – Opción pedagógica a distancia.
MATERIA: Taller de Práctica Docente
Nombre del alumno: .Nadya Rutherford
Tutor: Aurelia Velazquez
FINAL REFLECTION – KINDERGARTEN PRACTICUM
THINKING BACK
The original aim of this experience was to be able to teach a group of kindergarten
students and to use all the strategies and methodologies we have been learning
throughout this teaching course.
I believe it was a very beneficial experience for the learners as I could speak English
all the time and, although they were not used to it, they did not have any problems
for understanding the tasks and they even repeated most of the words I said during
the warm-up and presentation stages.
I needed a lot of patience to teach 5-year-old children because they are extremely
active and tend to lose concentration very easily. Nevertheless, I learned that they
are lovely, honest, joyful and enthusiastic. They love singing, playing games and
they learn really fast if they are involved in the class. I also learned that children have
good and bad days, like every person does but they tend to express their feelings
very easily and loudly. In one class, one of the boys was not concentrated and he
was a bit mean with the other students. At the end of the class, his mum asked us
how he had behaved, because he had had ´a bad day´, and she said that they are
having problems at home.
THINKING FORWARD
If I had the opportunity to develop this practice again, I would consider the timing
better when planning, because Lessons 2, 3 and 4 were five minutes longer than
expected.
Now, I know what it is like to teach kindergarten children and I feel capable for doing
it, despite the fact that I thought it was going to be a lot more complicated before this
experience.

2. THINKING INWARD
This project was meaningful because I had the opportunity to confirm the theories
and methodologies I have learned during this course of studies. Now I understand
the Natural Approach proposed by Stephen Krashen, for instance, and I could prove
that children cannot be forced to repeat English words but they do it naturally. I could
also reflect on James Asher´s Total Physical Response Theory. Children learn from
imitating what we do, they love activities that imply body movement like singing and
dancing.
Although I felt really anxious the first lessons, I believe having this experience is
essential to get my teaching degree because I must be prepared to teach children of
kindergarten, primary and secondary levels. In addition, as time went by, I felt more
confident and I started enjoying the classes very much, and I am truly satisfied and
thankful for having had the opportunity to get to know that remarkable group of five-
year-old children.
THINKING OUTWARD
Personally, I think English teachers should speak English all the time in class for the
reason that the learners understand the tasks very well, do not complain or have
problems with the language. Moreover, the children are constantly searching for the
teacher´s approval, so they try to repeat the words in exchange of praising. Children
also tend to find some English words funny, so they repeat them for fun.
I told the teacher that I was surprised about the fact that the students understood
everything I said and I spoke in English the whole class, hoping that she will think
about it and, maybe, start to do it in future lessons.
Regarding public kindergarten institutions, here in Santa Cruz the children do not
have access to English as a subject. I believe this is due to the difficult situation the
province is going through at the moment, as well as the lack of English teachers in
Puerto San Julián and many other cities in Santa Cruz.