A Short Lesson on Present Simple (Be) Verbs
Lesson Analysis
What may at first appear to be a simple game on present simple (be) verbs is actually a carefully planned lesson with attention to detail. Although this class was a successful immersion program, some of the students were using the incorrect (be) verbs for second and third person pronouns (as can be heard by one of the students in the video). To correct this, I decided to use a game that would focus solely on the conjugation; would maximize student-student interaction, and which would be of great fun for the students.
Classroom Management
Starting with classroom management, I would ask that you first look at the discipline of the students. This class, consisting of seventeen kindergarten students, were not only able to sit with attention, but they were also able to sit next to their classmates without playing or fighting. When I first took over this class, the students were expected to sit on the floor. Some of the students would lay down or roll on the floor (at times instigating fights), while others were simply distracted by their peers. To address this, I began asking the students to bring their chairs during our "circle" lessons. Whenever a student was disruptive, I had them sit on the floor below their peers. As each student did not wish to sit lower than their peers, simply threatening them with the removal their chair became enough to for them to maintain positive focus and behavior in our lessons.
Language Modeling and Student Talk Time
The next aspect of the lesson I would like you to consider, is the multi-layered modeling of the target language. In addition to my verbal review and reinforcement of the verb conjugations, you will notice that I used both color-coding, as well as a simple visual organization to aid the students during the game. When considering the game for my students, I realized that resorting to memory would be difficult for those who are needing remedial practice. As such, I made it a point to create a simple, yet convenient aid for my students to reference while playing.
Along with modeling the appropriate conjugations, you will also see that my modeling served as a transition towards student-to-student interactions. In addition to providing the needed practice for each student, the game allowed those watching to experience a high degree of comprehensible input, while also monitoring the correct use of language in their peers.