Coping with Stage Fright and How to Speak in Public

After two interesting, meaningful and funny workshops at the Art and Culture Departament, I really learned important things I consider important for future teaching practice.

During the workshops we did different activities. For example, Instructor Geovany asked us to walk around the classroom in order to cover all the spaces available in it. At the beginning of this acivity I did not undertand what was the purpose of it; however, I learned that it is important that teachers walk and cover all the spaces in the classroom in order to interact with all children,and not only stand at the same place.
As well, Geovany explained us that when working with children, it is important that we become children too. As we already know children do not have shame to do funny things either they have prejudice about other people.  I think that we have to be funny in our classes  in order to motivate our students. An interesting detail I learned is that if we ask our students to sit on the floor to perform a task or activity, we also have to do it for the reason that we are a model for students and they will see teacher as a friend rather that a person with authority giving instructions.

 

 Moreover, in these workshops we did some activities in order to learn how to modulate our voices in the classroom. Why is it important for teacher to know how to modulate the voice into the classroom? I learned that it is important modulate the voice according to what is being expressed. The tone of the voice can get student’s attention. It is also essential to modulate the voice in order all our students listen what we are saying, explaining, etc.

Something important I learned in the second workshop is how important is avoiding the use of "fillers" (and, but, so, and some others). Fillers make our speech repetitive and disgusting. To be honest, I know I have a good tone of voice; however, I aware that I have to modulate it in order to give some better intonation. In addition,we were working in some funny and really interesting activities. The purpose of those activities was to know how to solve different situations inmediately not only in teaching field but for everyday life. Instructor Geovany suggested us that we have to be ready and sure as possible to answer students questions, doubts and to solve problems that can arise in the classroom.

 

 

What I really like about the two workshop we has these 2 weeks was to pass to the front to tell stories in order to control our nerves, modulate our voices when standing in front of the class. I learnd from my classmates’ strengths and weknesses. Weaknesses and mistakes make us learn in order to improve and be better for life and furute teaching practice.  Finally, even thought I learned important things to put them in practice not only for teaching practice but for everyday life, I enjoyed every single activity we did in the workshops. It was a great experience, I share with my classmates, we forgot for  a while our routines, we had fun and we learned at the same time.

To summarize, it is important that we interact with our students, specially children in order to motivate them and  make them feel in an interactive environment where they can develop their language knowledges. As well, we have to take into account the importance of the way we modulate our voices according to different situations, instructions or explanations. Taking control about our nerves will also contribute to take control over our students. We do not have to forget to be a child when we work with them.

“If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn.” - unknown