“Wait, what are we doing?”

Improving Instructions to Maximize Student Production

Casey M. BarnesProfessor, Kyung Hee UniversityEPIK/ GEPIK Teacher TrainerKOTESOL Presenter

Who am I?

6 years as a sailing instructor

2 years in a middle school

Masters degree in secondary English Education and ESOL

High school English and Creative Writing (US public school)

2 years at a High school in Seoul

NSET/ Korean English teacher trainer for EPIK / GEPIK

Professor at Kyung Hee University, Seoul

Effective Delivery of InstructionsPersonal Experience

Steps and Scaffolding

How it can be done!

Tips to make it even better!

Talk to your neighbor…Can you think of a time you were

given instructions that were unclear? How did you feel?

How do you feel when you know exactly what is expected of you?

What do you think is the most crucial element for giving effective instructions?

Talk to a different colleague…What do you think the benefits of clear instructions are for students and teachers?

What do you think the challenges are for students and teachers?

My ExperienceSlow growthIneffective, gradually became more effectiveNow, I use routines.

Why Provide Clear Instructions?

“Effective teachers deliver effective instructions.” ~ H.

WongWrong Right

“Okay, everybody, listen, we are gonna move into our next activity. So, I’m gonna tell you what we are going to do next. I want you to get with your partner. Stand up and find a partner.”

Find your partner from yesterday.

Talk to your team.Share your thoughts.Talk to your partner.Go to your ‘away’ team.

Valuable versus Detrimental

Instructions as a Process:1) Plan – Language and time2) Get attention – no exceptions3) Deliver simply and concisely4) Model5) Repeat instructions (change phrasing?)6) ICQ or CCQ7) Trigger

8) Repeat to scaffold for more complex/staged activities.

Practice Time:Arrange your students into two lines facing

each other. You want them arrange themselves by birthday, shoe size, or height, etc. This will be a telephone whisper activity.

Practice Time:Your students will be given a

handout/worksheet to complete.

Practice Time:You will play hot seat with your students.

Practice Time:Your students will be conducting an

interview/information gathering mingle activity. The students need to provide their own unique answers to their classmates questions.

Practice Time:You are going to give your students four

different stories in their teams. Students should go to a team in which they all have the same story. They should read it, check their comprehension, practice telling in their own words. The activity will culminate students return to their groups as experts on their stories and share their stories in their own words with their group.

Tips for success:Teacher Attention Language Students

Uses one position, always

All students Is real language

Have time restrictions

Provides completed examples

Attention grabber

Routine Have a Visible Checklist

Models Triggers Economical Respond to CCQ/ICQ

Use CCQ/ICQ Anchors TPR approaches

Circulates

•Choose a place you always give instruction

•Always use that place

Uses one position

•Show the student a finished product

•Sometimes use a not so good one, sometimes use the best example you can

Provides completed examples

•Other session

Model

•Other session

CCQ / ICQ

•Walk around during activities

•Help kids you know need help

Circulates

The Teacher

Tips for success:Teacher Attention Language Students

Uses one position, always

All students Is real language

Have time restrictions

Provides completed examples

Attention grabber

Routine Have a Visible Checklist

Models Triggers Economical Respond to CCQ/ICQ

Use CCQ/ICQ Anchors TPR approaches

Circulates

•Everyone stops, everyone listens

•No exceptions

•Patience, politeness, perseverance

All students

•Use one you like

•Use one that works

•Use only one!

Attention Grabber

•Do… when I say “go”

•When I say go, stand up.

Triggers

•Useful for multi-step activities

•When the students finish they do something physical

•Make it fun – High five the teacher

Anchors

Attention

Tips for success:Teacher Attention Language Students

Uses one position, always

All students Is real language

Have time restrictions

Provides completed examples

Attention grabber

Routine Have a Visible Checklist

Models Triggers Economical Respond to CCQ/ICQ

Use CCQ/ICQ Anchors 4:5 TPR approaches

Circulates

•Keep it simple but don’t make it incorrect

•Must be comprehensible

•Is often more complex than the target language

Is real language

•Use expression they know

•Teach expressions if necessary

•Use the same expressions consistently

Routine

•Short

•Sweet

•Polite

Is Concise

•No more than 4 instructions (?)

•No more than 5 words each (?)

4:5

Language

Tips for success:Teacher Attention Language Students

Uses one position, always

All students Is real language

Have time restrictions

Provides completed examples

Attention grabber

Routine Have a Visible Checklist

Models Triggers Economical Respond to CCQ/ICQ

Use CCQ/ICQ Anchors TPR approaches

Circulates

•Set a time restriction

•Stick to it

•Give ample notice of time running out

Have time restrictions

•Very useful

•Not always easy to produce

Have a check list

•Other session

Respond to CCQ/ICQ

•Whenever possible

•Example, 1-2-3-4, 1’s raise your hand, 2’s raise hands…

Use TPR

Students

Reminder:Instructional Language is often MUCH more

complex than the actual target language.

Teacher talking time should be at a minimum in a student centered classroom; this is also true for instruction.

If you only do one thing in your lesson plan, figure out how to give instructions.

Create your own…Can you think of an activity you have had

trouble giving instruction for? What would you do differently now?

Questions?

Project Based LearningA Practical Approach to Incorporating

PBL into your Classroom.

Casey M. BarnesFB: Casey Barnes Email: caseyengteacher@yahoo.comWeb: caseyengteacher.wordpress.com