In her final journal entry, the trainee reflects on her last lesson with the secondary school class. She was able to create a friendly atmosphere with the students and they seemed engaged in the CLIL lesson about healthy habits. While classroom management is an area she still wants to improve, the students responded well to her teaching strategies and completed all the activities. This practicum experience has provided useful lessons for planning future classes and recognizing what teaching approaches are most effective.

1. Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Practicum Level: Secondary
Group: 2°A
Date: 9th October
Lesson Number: 1
Journal entry 1: Class 1
Today has been my first lesson in Secondary school and I could see the difference as
regards my own behaviour with previous lessons. I stood from a different perspective. I took
the role of their teacher so I was more confident than in other lessons.
As regards the pedagogical principles, I followed a communicative approach, but students’
English level is low so they have some problems in understanding and communicating using
the language. For instance, after checking the activity in which they had to complete using
the right form of the verbs (past simple) I had thought of an oral discussion about the text (an
e-mail) but as students get distracted too easily, oral work was not going to work so I
decided, at the moment, to write the questions (the ones I was going to ask orally) on the
board for them to work in pairs.
As regards the teaching strategies, I tried to create a friendly atmosphere and to present the
activities throw a real context, for instance I took pictures from my trip to Cordoba, and so
on. Besides, I tried to explain and speak clearly, paraphrasing, exemplifying and miming, for
students to understand me. However, students are too talkative and silent moments lasted a
few minutes. But the teacher told me at the end of the lesson she was happy because for
students to be silent was almost impossible. So, I think that despite I have to improve my
management strategies, little by little I’m doing it.
Students reacted well to my teaching but they didn’t enjoy much oral activities. They liked to
participate but for a few minutes and then, according to what I observed they prefer written
activities or pair work; but not oral work with the whole class.
The aspects of the lesson I consider successful are that I could finish all the activities I’d
thought for students to do and that mostly all of them participated within the lesson.
The aspects of the lesson that need change or improvement have to do with the
management strategies I could apply. However, I think that this aspect will be improved in
following lessons as we will get to know each other better so I’ll have a clear idea about the
way I could make the group behave and work better.
Finally, what I found useful of this lesson that will help me plan the next one is that as I’m
getting to know students, I can think of activities that may engage them so as to work and
learn while enjoying the lesson.
Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Practicum Level: Secondary
Comentario [1]: Did this adaptation
work?
Comentario [2]: This is usually the
case with teenagers. Pair and group
speaking tasks may prove effective.
Then, they may share with the whole
class, or you may visit individual groups
and assess their performance.
Comentario [3]: Yes!
Comentario [4]: Way to go, Cintia!!!

2. Group: 2°A
Date: 16th October
Lesson Number: 2
Journal entry 2: Class 2
Today’s lesson was my second lesson with this group of students and I think it was a fruitful
lesson. The pedagogical principles that supported the planning and delivery of the lesson
were those involved in a communicative approach, so the lesson was developed for students
to use the language to communicate. As regards the teaching strategies, I took pictures to
create a real context and start developing the lesson. I also mimed, exemplifiedy and
paraphrased when speaking in the foreign language for students to understand and also to
engage them use the language meaningfully.
As in the previous lesson, students reacted well to my teaching and to the activities and
materials. Despite it is difficult to make 30 talkative students keep silent for long periods of
time, they listened to my instructions and completed the activities I designed on time.
The aspects of the lesson I consider successful were that they didn’t have problems in
resorting to me when needing help and guidance, and that they were willing to work and
complete the activities.
However, the aspects of the lesson I consider that need change or improvement were that
during the lesson, sometimes I missed some steps or didn’t explain an activity deeply as I
had imagined since silent minutes lasted short periods of time and to avoid boredom or
distraction, I gave a short explanation and made them start working as soon as possible.
Besides, I didn’t make much focus on pronunciation and I made some mistakes. For
instance, I mispronounced “watched” as instead of /wɒtʃt/ I said //wɒtʃid/ (big mistake, I
know)
Finally, what I found useful of this lesson that will help me plan the next one is that little by
little I’m creating a friendly atmosphere and students are more willing to participate and work
than in the observation lessons and my first lesson, so this aspect helps me to think on
different types of activities that will promote this behaviour.
Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Comentario [5]: Good!
Comentario [6]: Well, you are aware
of them. You may have noticed how
useful it is to record the lesson and
watch it afterwards.
Comentario [7]: Great! How are you
managing to do so??

3. Practicum Level: Secondary
Group: 2°A
Date: 30th October
Lesson Number: 3
Journal entry 3: Class 3
Today was my third lesson with this group from secondary school and it was really
enjoyable. We have created a great and friendly atmosphere between me and students, so
working with them is really nice. Besides, they’ve already adopted me as their teacher, and
although next week will be my last lesson with them, they behave as if I were not going to
leave.
Today’s lesson was developed through a CLIL approach through which we worked with the
topic “Superheroes” and students got really involved in the activities proposed to them.
The teaching strategies used were as always demonstrations, the use of visual aids,
mimingic, paraphrasing and exemplifying. Students got used to my teaching method and
strategies so they were more relaxed and less frightened at the time of listening to me when
speaking and using the foreign language. On the contrary, they were more willing to
participate using the second language, too. Besides, they reacted well to the materials and
activities I proposed to them so they didn’t have much problem with them.
So, the aspects that I consider successful are those I’ve just mentioned. The comfortable
atmosphere we’ve been creating, and students involvement and engagement in the
activities.
However, I know for sure that there are many aspects I need to improve. For instance, those
aspects that have to do with classroom management still need improvement. Students,
mostly adolescents, like to do what they want and tend to “rebel” against adults, so I had to
put into practice what we know as “negotiation” as if you don’t put limits to them, they talk,
talk, and talk and do nothing. Today, they talked but also worked.
So, to conclude I left the classroom happy because of all the positive aspects I’ve
mentioned, and as I know them better now, it is easier for me to plan my last lesson plan
including activities that may keep them busy.
Trainee’s name: Cintia Beramendi
Practicum Level: Secondary
Group: 2°A
Comentario [8]: =D
Comentario [9]: What strategies did
you apply?
Comentario [10]: and help them
learn...

4. Date: 6th November
Lesson Number: 4
Journal entry 4: Class 4
Today was my last lesson with this group of students and also, my last lesson of my
practicum periods! At the beginning of the year I thought I couldn't do it but finally I did, and
that is great!
As regards today’s lesson itself, I designed a CLIL lesson plan about healthy habits which
students really enjoyed. They could express their likes and dislikes about different types of
food and activities using the language, so I may say that we fulfilled with the main aim of the
lesson.
As regards the pedagogical strategies, they didn’t vary too much from previous lessons. I
took pictures to help students activate previous knowledge and then, miming, exemplifying
and paraphrasing, I made myself being understood by students.
As in previous lessons, students reacted well to my teaching and the lesson in general.
Maybe when they saw the text they complained a bit, but then, they got engaged in the
activity. However, the activity they enjoyed the most was the class survey.
The aspects of the lesson I consider successful is that students made their best effort to
speak and communicate in the foreign language, and to complete the activities the best they
could. They called me when having doubts and asked me to explain again when they didn’t
understand something. As in previous lessons, I want to highlight the comfortable and
friendly atmosphere we could create in such a few lessons.
Of course there are many aspects that need change or improvement as regards my own
teaching. I’m just starting but little by little I will go on improving or changing what I consider
fruitful or not during my future lessons as a teacher.
To conclude, in today’s lesson as well as previous lessons I found many useful aspects that
I will take into account in future lessons. This experience was really helpful to determine
what aspects are useful or not when teaching a group of adolescents and now, it is easier for
me to recognize what is working or not and how to change or adapt different activities for
instance.
Comentario [11]: Such as...?
Comentario [12]: Well, Cintia, this is
just the beginning. I am glad to learn
that you have found the whole
experience enriching. :)
Congratulations on your work!
Way to go!
Cecilia