TELL2 Workshop...WE DID IT!!

The daunting task of creating a presentation in a foreign language and being judged by a room full of your peers combined with having to drag yourself into work on a Saturday after a long week of mid-terms and classes forms a pit in the stomach of anyone. However, on Saturday May 17, 2014 the level one English teachers of Bentong did just that. What’s more? They achieved it with flying colours!

The Brighton Education TELL2 Teachers Workshop, the first of its kind in the district, was designed to share and circulate the ideas being presented in the TELL2 classrooms. The entire workshop was presented at Bentong’s new PPD office. By showing teachers that English can be fun to teach, TELL2 is allowing room for innovation. Classes and activities with adaptable templates can be used to help students at all levels.

Bentong is no stranger to the TELL program, which places native English speaking mentors in Malaysian schools to help create a more learner centered classroom environment for students, and Saturday was a chance for the new TELL2 teachers to demonstrate activities they have been using in their classrooms. Each school in the current program arranged a 20-minute presentation, covering a specific teaching method, to present to the English teachers of the non-TELL2 schools. The schools presenting included SK Bukit Piatu, SK Sulaiman, SJKC Ketari, SK Tuanku Fatimah, SJKC Bukit Tinggi, SK Janda Baik, SJKC Khai Mun Pagi, SK Sungai Marong, SJKC Perting and SJKT Bentong.

"This gives us more ideas," said Tan Beng Tatt an English teacher from SJK(C) Perting—this was very much the overall consensus for the workshop.

The teachers in attendance made for a lively, enthusiastic crowd. They happily volunteered to participate in all activities creating uproarious laughter and an overall positive learning environment.

The TELL2-teachers presented on different methods; ranging from songs in the classroom to language arts, phonics activities and much more. One activity had the teachers playing the roles of a farmer, a herd of sheep and a mama sheep. The farmer’s job was explaining to the herd how to find their mother. The directions needed to be specific or the herd would get lost. From there, the mother and the herd needed to follow directions to the correct shed/coop. Needless to say, the room echoed with the laughter of all in attendance. The confident teachers executing this activity proudly proclaimed, “Our activity is the best!”

Confidence! A key element that any good teacher puts into practice. This workshop not only helped Brighton’s TELL2 teachers with their teaching and presentation abilities, through peer acceptance and approval they also built the confidence that is so important to teaching. It is no secret that many public school English teachers throughout Asia are coy when demonstrating their language abilities, resorting to bland worksheet based lessons and rote memorization. It is exercises like the Brighton Education TELL2 Workshop that give teachers that chance to build self-approval, which they can then take to the classrooms.

Another favorite activity reinforced shapes, adjectives, vocabulary, and the moral value of working as a team. Participants were divided into groups and handed two envelopes filled with shapes of different colors. For the first activity they had to follow the directions given by the presenters, i.e. “paste the big red circle in the middle of your paper.” When finished, the students compare their final picture with the picture the teacher has. The second envelope was a test of creativity. The teacher tells the students to make a person using all the shapes, and the students work together to figure out which shapes should go where. Mustaffa Bin Said of SK Simpang Pelangai said, “I’m going to use [this method] in my class.”

The entire workshop was overseen by Bentong’s ELO Cik Nurmasnita Binti Kamaluddin and Brighton’s Pahang manager Ryan Harb. Nurmasnita has shown great support for Brighton’s TELL2 mentors and teachers, always keeping the lines of communication wide open and motivating the teachers to keep an open mind. Mr. Harb showed equal support and a motivating attitude for all the teachers and mentors.

Brighton’s mentors, Charlotte Lewis, Stephen-Peter Jinks (Jerantut), Michel Demyen (Pekan) and Evan Eames mediated the event. The mentors made sure that all the presentations had smooth transitions. They were also assisting with material creation in the weeks leading up to Saturday’s workshop.

The workshop also gave Brighton’s mentors a chance to display the English fun fair games and activates they have been building over the last two months.

These games will be exchanged between the TELL2 clusters of Pahang and Terengganu throughout the duration of the TELL2 Program. During break time the teachers had a blast trying the activities and various language challenges.

All those involved rose to the occasion and delivered beyond expectations. TELL2 teachers and mentors worked together making the entire event a complete success! 

If you would like to offer feedback, share your opinion or photos of the day please get in touch.  Your input is appreciated and always welcome!

Countdown to the TELL2 Workshop...SJKC Perting!

The TELL2 teachers in Charlotte's cluster have been busy preparing and testing the activities they have chosen to present at the workshop.  This week teachers have been working with their colleagues to perfect their presentation material and to observe the reactions of those taking part.  Pupils were only too happy to help their English teachers improve and develop their materials and strategies.

The English teachers presenting for SJKC Perting were Mdm. Ham Siew Shyan, Mr. Tan Beng Tatt, Mdm, Soo Kui Cheng and Mdm, Yee Lai Charn.


Reading was the topic and the decision was made to move away from the textbook and look towards the classic fairytale 'Cinderella' for inspiration.

The TELL2 teachers of SJKC Perting focused on a 'Run, Read, Remember and Re-tell' activity.  





The activity involved pupils working together to re-tell the story of Cinderella after it being read to them with an emphasis on intonation and pronunciation.


Sections of the story were stuck outside of the classroom.  A 'runner' from each group would go outside, read and remember parts of the story one piece at a time.  This pupil would then race back to his or her group and re-tell what they had just memorised...word for word.

The children really enjoyed this activity and worked hard to remember sections of the story so they could re-tell it to their team mates.

The activity was concluded with true or false statements.  Each team was given two beautifully hand crafted paddles; one emblazoned with a happy star (true) the other with a sad star (false).

The teachers were able to gage pupils' comprehension of the story through this simple, fun form checking understanding.

Needless to say that the activity was a hit both in the classroom and with other English teachers during the workshop!

The lesson plan and materials for this activity are available through Charlotte Lewis so please feel free to get in touch...sharing is caring!


  

Countdown to the TELL2 Workshop...SJKT Bentong!

The teachers from SJKT Bentong performed brilliantly at the workshop and the content of their presentation was received with much enthusiasm!  Mrs.  Yogesveri Tangavellu, Mrs.  Thevagi Govindasamy and Pn.  Siti Jerina Bt Buhari wanted to teach a jazz chant to their Year Three pupils on the subject of farm animals.

The topic of the lesson was introduced with the presentation of a miniature farm. This was a great way to start an interactive, engaging language class. 

 Both the pupils in the classroom and the teachers at the workshop were intrigued by the model; it really was a great was to focus the attention of the class!

The model introduced pupils to the different names of the farm animals, their young and their respective 'homes' on the farm.  

Pupils were divided into groups.  Each group was designated a farm animal.  

The pupils then worked with their peers to create a jazz chant using the vocabulary that had been previously taught.

Laminated illustrations of the different farm animals and their young were attached to lollipop sticks.  They were distributed to the relevant groups and the pupils were able to use them as props in their jazz chant performances.

To review all they had been taught the TELL2 teachers of SJKT Bentong decided on an activity that was both entertaining and original!

Pupils were either given a farm animal, a baby farm animal or an animal 'home' flashcard- one pupil was designated the role of the farmer and was given a stick and a hat.



The pupils with the animal homes stood in the four corners of the classroom.  The animals and their young gathered at the front of the class.  The teacher then directed the farmer in herding the different into their correct homes.  

This lesson plan was very popular both in school during the rehearsal class and at the workshop with the English teachers.  

The effort that the teachers from SJKT Bentong put into making the materials was really appreciated and contributed greatly to a truly interactive and informative English class.

English Funfair Games...

The Bentong mentors have been racking their brains, mobilising their imaginations and utilising their creative skills to create two funfair games that can be part of a travelling English Funfair.  Mentors throughout the state of Pahang have been doing the same thing and together they have built a comprehensive set of language games and activities to be enjoyed by level one pupils throughout the state of Pahang.

Bentong's contribution consisted of a 'Sentence Monster' and a game called 'Save the Sounds'.

The 'Sentence Monster' was quite a large project but well worth all the hard work!

A teacher sits inside the monster while pupils approach the mouth and feed it sentence parts in the correct order.  The monster then responds accordingly...

What's great about this prop is that it can be applied to pupils of different levels and abilities and can be used to practise various language points like spelling, phonics, vocabulary or grammar.  Whoever is sitting inside can have fun too- getting into character and adopting a monstrous voice is sure to have pupils lining up to take on the challenge.

Reports from other districts are that this language game is a huge hit with the pupils and we look forward to its return to the Bentong district!

'Save the Sounds' is a phonics game which involves the player trying to save as many sounds (ping pong balls with level one phonics sounds written on them) as they can while completing a simple obstacle course. The ping pong balls fill bowls which have been attached to shoes. 

Once the obstacle course has been completed pupils have to correctly say the sounds that they have saved.  The more sounds that pupils pronounce correctly...the bigger the prize!

These photos were taken while the game was still in the process of being completed. 

Pupils were eager to try out the shoes and were engaged with the challenge- again we look forward to the finished project coming home to Bentong to challenge our TELL2 teachers and pupils!