ESSAY: Report for Practicum (3rd Essay)

Report for Practicum

About Siek Chhun Leang

      On 10^th Saturday, August 2013, Mr. Siek Chhun Leang conducted a teaching practicum in the class at 1:10-1:35 PM because he had to complete the school’s requirement especially for teaching practicum class. He is one of the students majoring in English Literature for Education in Teaching in Room 406 of Phnom Penh International University. It was his second round of teaching performance. He was in charge of teaching listening skill at that time after his first round in the first semester in this academic year. He had an important topic—“Her Success” to teach his students.  Normally, Chhun Leang is a friendly and easy-going classmate. However, he then was a teacher. It was very wonderful since he was able to provide his students with a great introduction to make the class full of enjoy as he conducted his teaching with good understanding for the students.           

       For the first concerning, he wrote date on the left-top corner of the whiteboard. Then he turned face back to ask the students happily about their health and lunch because after lunch the class started again. To add up his lesson, he had a game to ensure his students’ understanding before listening by calling some students to write some vocabulary he gave them on the whiteboard. Then some students read those words with attached meanings. He corrected if any word was incorrect. He praised whoever could provide a suitable definition to any specific word. After that, he got them to listen to the recorder for the first time. Then when the speaker stopped act out the speech, he asked them whether they could catch up the words or not. They responded with uncertain words because most of them did not concentrate on the listening. He told them not to worry about it. Then he went on his teaching process.      

    For the second concerning, he delivered each student printed papers to be their handouts for listening. Suddenly, they made noises in the class. He also took the time to explain them quickly and made them silent to follow up what he was explaining at that moment. They kept quiet and listened to him then. He furthered his objective in lesson to get them understood by letting them fill the gaps. He asked them to answer by guessing what words fitting with the gaps in the paper provided. He wanted some volunteers to answer. They were reluctant then. So, he called the names to answer by completing the missing words. He walked around and controlled the whole class.                

     For the third concerning, he got the students to listen to the speaker. Whilst they were concentrating on listening and filling the following gaps, being smiling, he was walking around with a paper and a marker in his both hands. After listening, he immediately wanted to choose a student to read the text because he supposed that all of them could fill the gaps with the correct answers. But then no one stood up. So, he called Mr. Hen Sodet to read. Sodet was happy to read. Whilst reading he ordered his student—Sodet to read fast, whereas he was also writing the answers on the whiteboard. Sodet sped up his reading, most of other students laughed at him. The class was in a mild situation then. Unfortunately, the bell rang to tell that it was time to end the lesson. He then quickly finished his teaching by telling his students to complete the missing gaps in number 6—Complete the questions about Oprah at home.                                                                                                             

     Indeed, Mr. Siek Chhun Leang had a particular problem since he could not manage his teaching time well as he did not finish it in time. However, he is a funny teacher even though his pronunciation is not clear. The students could catch up the meaning of his teaching. He is self-confident with what he has, according what he acted out. He will be a nice teacher if he tries to change his weak points because the students liked studying with him at that time. He could make a bad situation relievable especially when the students were distracted somehow. He must update his teaching process and techniques if he really wants to be good teacher in the future. Thus, his teaching is not good enough yet. 

Written by Mr. Muong Rithea, PPIU Student    

ESSAY: Report for Practicum (2nd Essay)

Report for Practicum

About Mr. Yem Phally

     The students majoring in English Literature for Education in Teaching in Room 406 of Phnom Penh International University are required to perform their teaching practicum based on the lecturer assigns to work. Basically, they have completed their study in such a compulsory subject for two semesters. This is the last term for them. Mr. Yem Phally amongst those conducted his teaching practicum in the class at 2:15-2:40 PM on 13^th Saturday, July 2013. Exactly, it was the second round of teaching performance but it was his first time to apply his teaching in practice because he was absent in the first teaching practicum process. He was responsible for listening skill at that time. His focused topic—“Getting Better When You Got a Cold” is very interesting because it sends good messages to his audiences to better their schema of getting a cold if they, someday, get a cold since life is not easy these days. He worked hard before he took his practicum class because he had downloaded it from the Internet through VOA’s English Program. Naturally, Phally is an outgoing but serious man, but at the time of teaching, he was so funny since he smiled all times to greet his students in the whole class. He seemed to become a hero for his students then. It was not believable that he could do that.               

     He wrote date on the left-top of whiteboard corner and the word “Listening” in capital letters below it. Then he turned back to say “hello” to all students in the class. His smiling made most of them laugh at him. He also laughed at them to get what their reaction to him. He was very flexible at that moment. He went on one another polite question, “How are you?”. They seemed to be happy with him. “Yes, fine. Thanks and you?” said the students. “Today I’m very well and happy to take your class; ok, do not delay the time, go directly to the listening right now”, he said. They responded, “Ok, let’s go, teacher”. He smiled with a bit laughing and went on to prepare listening task for them. He had two speakers on the desk connected to a used laptop. He scrolled his laptop’s mouse to find his focused listening topic. After finding it and being ready to click on it for them listening, he moved himself to the in front part of the class before them with his paper in one hand  and a marker in one another and explained, “Now you are required to listen to the speaker once without filling the gaps, listen to me! Just listen! Ok, let’s go!”                                                                                                                                 

     After listening, he immediately told the students to listen to the recorder again. This time they had to note down and to fill the gaps with words provided in the box. In fact, there are ten words in the box, which are fitting with ten missing spaces in the paper. He said, “One, two, three, listen!” While they were listening, he monitored his students by walking around the class and his ears also focused on the recorder. After the second listening, he allowed them a few minutes to be ready to answer. It was the time that he checked the answers as the whole class. He said, “Are you ready?” “Yes”, said the students. He furthered, “Are you sure your answers are right?” “Yeah, No, Yes, No…,” they said with uncertain words. He smiled and added, “Do not worry! I help you”.  Then he cooperated with them to go through the listening text. He told them to correct the incorrect answers. It was so funny in the class at that time. He smiled to welcome their responses. They were cooperative with him enjoyably.            

    After checking the answers and twice listening, he told the students to listen again whether they corrected answers were acceptable or not. He and all students listened for the last one before ending the class. After that, he set a piece of homework by letting them to check up the definitions of new words at home and copy them in a piece of paper for him in the next session. He thanked them and said, “Goodbye see you next session!”      

     As we have seen, Mr. Yem Phally was a good teacher at that time even though his pronunciation was a bit difficult to catch up. He did a good job because he could manage his time well. He selected a good listening text for the students. Moreover, he made the class lively with his smiling face and funny words. The students liked him and enjoyed studying with him. He will be a better teacher in the future. 

Written by Mr. Muong Rithea, PPIU Student