When I got to class with 3° B, I stayed for a while and saw that the teacher was mostly speaking to the students in English. She asked them to copy a chart that had the title "Second Evaluation", which included the grading scale (exam, participation, project). All students had to copy it so they could be evaluated. She gave them 10 minutes to do so and then spent another 25 minutes having the students tell her how many times they had participated.

After that, she let me administer the diagnostic activity, which was "All About Me."

When I arrived at my first class with 3°B, the students had to take an exam, so I helped the teacher supervise them. The English exam consisted of 5 to 6 sections with different types of questions. The first section was a chart where they had to write about a case of violence and how to resolve it. Then, there were questions about violence, followed by a section where they had to translate words from Spanish to English (vocabulary). The final part required them to translate sentences from English to Spanish in the past tense of the verb to be (e.g., She was tired). They had 50 minutes to complete the exam.

After that, it was recess, and then I moved on to 3°A, where they were asked to copy the same table as 3°B the previous day. Since it was a two-hour class, I had to use the time efficiently to complete all the diagnostic activities. The timing worked well, and they finished quickly. Afterward, the teacher dictated their grades for participation and assignments.

Throughout the day, until my classes started, I spent time helping in the library. When the first class with 3°A began, they had to take an exam, so I assisted the teacher with supervision. The exam was the same as before, and I realized that both groups had to go through a formative and summative evaluation.

For the next class with 3°B, the teacher allowed me to administer the other diagnostic activities since I had already applied the All About Me activity with them on Tuesday. They worked quickly, and whenever they had doubts, I helped them. At the end of the day, we had to accompany the students to the exit door.

At 8:00 AM, I helped my colleague Alex in a classroom where the teacher had to step out for a moment. The students were working on an art project, where they had to draw something related to the book they were reading. The teacher gave them 40 to 45 minutes to complete it. We stayed there for about 10 minutes until the teacher returned.

After that, I went back to the library to continue helping with whatever was needed. Throughout the day, we also carried out our assigned duties, and finally, we wrapped up the day and the week.

April 3rd (1 hour)
In this class, the students were supposed to create their final product, which was the poem and a collage. I noticed that everyone worked well, but most of them didn’t follow the structure, since they misunderstood the instruction. This was my mistake—I didn’t remind them of the poem structure they needed to follow. I had already explained it before and told them their final product had to follow that model, but most students made a longer and different version. Only a few students followed the structure correctly, and it was because they asked me if it was still the same structure. Those who asked got it right. I evaluated their work using a checklist, which was a great strategy because it made grading easier. I collected all the final products to grade them at home, and the process was fast and simple. Although the results weren’t exactly what I had intended, they did more than what I asked for, which was a good thing. Most of them made an effort to write in English. I also noticed that one student had a higher English level, around B1, and she was helping her classmates by explaining things to them. That was great because it meant they had support from one of their peers too.

April 2nd
On this day, I made a modification to the lesson plan and the class itself, which was necessary to be able to complete the final product. Since I had lost a class, I decided to combine both sessions into one. That day, we covered both the presentation and the practice. I could see that the students understood the topic well. Even though I didn’t speak much English in class, everything else (worksheets, instructions, etc.) was in English to make it more appropriate. That day, I also reflected on what I was able to do and what I wasn’t, and why I chose to do certain activities over others. It was because I needed to give them exactly what they would need to complete their final product the next day. In the end, I changed how I checked the students’ work and how I took attendance. I found a more effective way: I walked row by row, checking and recording their work, and used that as the attendance record. If anyone was missing an assignment, I asked them to confirm their presence so I could at least mark them present. It was a very stressful day in which I had to adjust many things and activities because of time constraints and the need to make the structure, topics, and vocabulary clear. However, with their help, we created a list of verbs and adjectives for them to use the following day. In the end, I felt more at ease because they understood the task better than the other group, mostly because I reviewed more thoroughly with this group than I had with Group A.

April 3rd
On this day, students brought their materials to create their final product. I noticed again that they weren’t following the given structure. At the beginning of the class, I handed out a checklist, but I realized that they wouldn’t read it on their own, so we read it together to make everything clearer. The day before, I had asked them to bring images, a magazine, or something they could use to get images from, but some students only brought 4 images, others 2, and some none at all. They assumed it was only for illustration purposes and didn’t fully understand that they were supposed to make a collage. I realized they didn’t pay close attention to me, so they didn’t remember that we were going to work on a collage. In the end, they submitted their poems and their attempts at collages. I collected and graded them at home, and although collecting and grading them wasn’t difficult, the problem came when I had to return them. I had to use class time for that, which took time away from other lessons, because of that, I started looking for new strategies to manage that process more effectively.

April 10th
This was a day I really enjoyed, as we worked with onomatopoeia. In this class, there was more participation, and the atmosphere was less tense—everything flowed nicely. The activities were completed one after another, and they weren’t just the traditional "write and done" type. In these, students had to listen and even act things out. I noticed that these activities really motivated the students. From the moment I played the audio clips, I saw they were paying attention to me, which made it easier to carry out all the activities. Just like in the other group, I had assigned them a task the previous class: to look up what onomatopoeia is and find examples. So, we started with a brainstorming session based on that, and I saw that their attention and motivation increased throughout the class. It was a very enjoyable session. Even though some students didn’t understand everything perfectly, I could tell they were trying hard to participate. In this class, I also walked around to check each student’s work individually and, at the end, we reviewed as a group to ensure everyone had understood what onomatopoeia was. Even though these were the last sessions with both groups, they showed great enthusiasm and respect for the class, and both groups worked very well.

April 9th
On this day, I noticed the students were a bit more restless, mainly because we were close to the vacation break. So there was a lot of movement during class, but they still paid attention to me. I combined both sessions again, so I gave them the concept of personification along with examples, and then handed out a worksheet and exercises for them to complete. There was a lot of noise, some students were standing, etc., but I was patient and corrected their behavior in a calm way. I realized I was much more patient than the main teacher. I understood her side too, since she explained that it was important to be stricter to avoid any accidents. Despite all that, the students worked well and the time was enough to register all their work. I noticed they finished the worksheet very quickly and most of them understood the English content. Some students copied from others, but I also applied peer evaluation (co-evaluation) to grade the worksheet.

April 10th
I consider this day the best of all, as we worked with onomatopoeia, a very fun literary device to use. Throughout the whole class—beginning, middle, and end—the students were more engaged, there were more laughs, and the atmosphere was more relaxed because it wasn’t a traditional type of class. Even though I didn’t follow the original lesson plan strictly (because I thought we wouldn’t have time for everything), it was a class that both the students and I really enjoyed. The worksheet wasn’t just a writing task—it involved acting out sounds, etc. I realized that the class environment and student attitude vary a lot depending on the type of activity you use. So I tried to carry that over into future lessons. That day, I collected all the worksheets and graded them later, and I can say it was one of the most meaningful days for me. I realized that I really enjoy this part of teaching, because I can pay more attention to what they write, and that gives me satisfaction. On most worksheets, I added my signature to validate that they had turned it in on time.

April 30th
This day, due to scheduling and the fact that they had to take their graduation photo, I just handed out their work.
It was on this day, with this group, that everything changed for me—both professionally and personally—because the head teacher, with help from my students, prepared a farewell for me where they expressed their gratitude. As one of the girls said, “This kind of thing changes everything.” They always saw me as their teacher, not just as someone doing teaching practice. Although in Normal School they always remind us about that distinction, it’s moments like this that truly motivate you and help you grow. From my own experience, I can see that what I planned and the attitude I had with everyone was the right one—or at least the most appropriate. It’s true that I still have a lot to improve, but that’s what these practicums are for—to grow with each experience. From this teaching period, I take away many lessons and many things I need to strengthen as a teacher.

Reference:

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Harvard University

Press.