Moya Daly » heuristic approach

Ok Ok so it’s finally over-the Dreaded Presentation has been delivered, and you have no idea how relieved I m feeling! Well, if you’ve been reading this,then perhaps you will be able to imagine the relief at least. I’d love to be able to say that it was worth all the stress and hard work………..but I’m sorry, it wasn’t! Not that it didn’t go well, because it did(thanks to the combined effort of our group, not least H, who designed the powerpoint stuff, and M, who operated the changes of page throughout this nerve-racking ordeal) I have no idea if that is actually a verb….to page-change??? It seemed to be quite successful. A couple of overlapping points, one part where I prayed no-one would ask a question because I had totally forgotten what a phrase meant, and one amusing point where I reverted into teacher mode and started the elicitation process ‘…..can anyone tell me………?’ Went down well, however: I acknowledged how as teachers we seem to do this naturally, and laughed it off.
Secretly we thought ours was the best….well, we would, wouldn’t we? However I still can’t accept that it was worth the sleepless nights-my older daughter remarked, ‘I always hated presentations at Uni;I still maintain it was the tutors way of getting the students to give the lesson instead, thus saving them work.’ Now,I did not say that, remember, SHE did!!! I have to say at this point that this course deals quite strongly with the famous student-centred/student-led lesson theory. I have really enjoyed the input sessions on the various views on methodology, and have managed to read quite a lot of the famous Geoff Petty.Much of it is very interesting, and I can see why things have veered away from the dated and traditional methods. I must say, however, that regardless of the million and one surveys and investigations,I have yet to be converted to the theory that lessons should be completely student-centred. Peer correction can never be 100% effective, despite being productive in that it promotes L2 speaking. Students, regardless of age and background,will nearly always expect their ‘two penn’orth’-i.e. teacher direction and teacher correction. Uh-oh!! I said the C word-a very dirty word in this very enlightened era! Heuristic is the buzz word. They must DISCOVER things for themselves!!! However, as one student was so quick to point out to me (when I applied my taught methods of self correction and smugly asked,’Now, what do you think is wrong with this here?’ ,rather than telling him)……….’You are teacher-you tell me what is wrong!’You have to laugh, don’t you?
So,presentaton over, and all that remains is….well, the rest of the course basically, which includes this assignment INCLUDING the b****y grid, the next 9, the 6 observations, the 5ILPs,the portfolio in all its glory and probably the loss of my sanity. Hallelujah! Oh, by the way, I have another (unassessed) mini presentation to research for next week-this time on audiolingual teaching-so interesting at least-AND my first observed lesson will be on Friday 23rd March, so watch this space-I now have something new to stress about. March is a very busy month for me-Piano Festival with youngest daughter, trip to Suffolk to see my Mum on Mother’s Day-of course,my very first Sikh wedding on 25th,and an overdue visit to Northampton to see my younger son. Easter cannot come soon enough for me!!!!!!!!