April 15, 2015

Task 5 Teacher
Talk

TP 5 , Page 1

April 15, 2015

Focus: teacher talk instruction-giving

& positive reinforcement

Objective:
To realise how the teacher uses language in the
classroom to give clear instructions and to offer praise and
motivation. Student teachers have looked at how the
teacher manages the classroom, the class and the
learners. This week, they will develop their
understanding of how teachers use their talk to give
clear instructions and to offer positive reinforcement
(praise) to their students.

At the beginning of the day:

- Meet your MST, and learn about his/her daily plan.

- Tell your MST that your focus for today is to notice teacher
talk that (s)he uses in the classroom during the day.
- Tell your MST that you also need to observe ONE or TWO
activities. You need to pay very special attention to the
beginning of Tell him/her that during these moments, you will
not participate. You will sit out and just very quietly look, listen,
complete your task sheet.

TP 5 , Page 2

April 15, 2015

- Ask your MST which lesson, in particular, would be good

for you to observe
- About the lesson: Try to find out what materials will be used;
what the teacher wants the children to do : They were practice
on their role play for the assembly .

During the day:

- Make notes in the 3 tables provided.
- The first table focuses on giving instructions:
- The second table focuses on praise
- The third one is about negative statements that you might
hear.
- Get involved in all of the other activities that are
happening
- Assist your MST in every way requested. Notice things
that you can do without being
told.

TP 5 , Page 3

April 15, 2015

Table1. Giving instructions: Complete the table below about teacher

talk during one whole activity or lesson:

Teacher talk at the beginning of the

activity :
Starting the activity: How does
the teacher get the childrens
attention?

She clapped her hand and

said now its the time to
practice our role play

Giving instructions for the

activity :

The students who involved on

the play please come and set
on this chairs .
We will start now , Mansor I
want you to do good , Saven
set in your chair , lets start .

Teacher talk during the activity :

What does the teacher say?

The teacher acted and sang

with the kids to encourage them
and she rebate the instruction
hop hop , set down , move your
hand , rise your voice

How do the children respond?

Some of the students did what

the teacher asked them to
do ,and the other didnt .

How does the teacher stop the

children during what they are
doing? What does the teacher say?

She stopped the songs and she

said some instructions for the
kids .
The five monkeys pleas hop ,
Hamdan and Mansor move your
hands and rise your voice .

TP 5 , Page 4

April 15, 2015

Misbehaviour :
What was the learner doing? She went from her place while

they are training and took a toy

from the box .

What did the teacher say?

Retain to your place please .

How did the child respond?:

She did what the teacher ask

her to do .

Teacher talk at the end of the activity :

How does the teacher stop
the children during what
they are doing? What does
the teacher say?

How do they respond?

Wow , lets do it again , you did

good job I want you yo do the
same in the assembly .

They felt happy and they did it

again better than the first
time .

TP 5 , Page 5

April 15, 2015

Negative Praise: Write any negative instructions (words with NO, NOT
and DONT) you heard, and then write a more POSITIVE way to state it.

Example: Dont run!

Postive way to say it:

Please walk!

Saven no running please .

Please walk .

No screaming

Please be quiet .

TP 5 , Page 6

April 15, 2015

Table 2 Teacher talk PRAISING the student(s):

Complete the table below with at least 5 examples of praise you
hear during the day (maybe from your teacher, the classroom
assistant, a specials teacher, etc.):

When the
child(ren)....

! The teacher
said....

Type of praise
(public/private
Non-specific/
specific
Conditional/
unconditional)

...put his things

away tidily and
quickly

...Well done,
Ali, you put your
things away very
quickly and
nicely.

Private/Specific/
Unconditional

When the
students were
practice on
their play .

woooow very
good lets do it
again .

public ,
general ,
conditional

when they
were
practicing

Great job
Adeti you act
very well

private ,
specific ,
unconditional

when the
students
tidied up the
class with the
teacher .

  Thank you for

your help

public ,
general ,
unconditional

When they
learnt the
name of the
days

Very good
Alia

Private ,
general ,
unconditional

did the
activities

Nice great job

Zarean you fell
in the word
very well

Private ,
specific ,
unconditional

Example

Look at the
example

TP 5 , Page 7

April 15, 2015

Reflection

This week, you have been focusing on the ways

teachers talk to the children in
the classroom. .
Write your reflection about teacher talk.
Write in paragraph form. Write a minimum of 150 words. Use
good spelling and grammar. Make sure your writing shows that
you are thinking deeply about your answers.

Discuss the importance of teacher talk (giving

clear instructions and using positive praise)
Discuss what will be easy for you and what will
be difficult for you about using positive praise and
giving clear instructions.
Discuss what happens when a teacher does not
give clear, specific, step by step instructions.
Discuss a time when you received negative praise
from someone. How did it make you feel? Did your
behaviour improve?

Discuss a time you got praised for something you did

well. How did it make you feel?

TP 5 , Page 8

April 15, 2015

The teachers words are the most effective way that they can use to encourage
their students to do more and have confident , or to disappoint them , then they will
have less confident to try or to learn anything new . Thats why it is vital for the
teachers to give clear instructions and use positive praise . As a beginner trainee
teacher I knew that its wrong to say no or dont as instructions for the students
made me surprise in the pigging ,because all of my teachers instructions when I was
at school were started with no and don't , so I don't think that I will be very good in
giving positive instructions . However I think that I will be good at giving positive
praise for the student , because I like to give the people around me positive power to
do more and better . Teachers should give clear instructions for their students , so
they can understand the lesson very well , because if they do not give clear ,
specific , step by step instructions the students will feel lost and behind . For
example in my class miss Zainab gave the students very specific instructions , so
they can understand very well , she gave the instructions more than one time before
and during the activities to insure that every one got the concept , and it was
evident to me to saw all the students understood the activities and participated at
the lesson . And the best part for me when I saw miss Zainab praise her students
event if they couldn't answer or draw very well , she rally effect them by her word
when she said very good you are outstanding students , they smiled and felt
happy . In that moment I remembered the first time that I learnt how to write the
letter A in grade 1 , I still remember how did my teacher praised me , she raised my
book and said wonderful Amna I want every one to be like you , I felt proud and
she encouraged me to learn more . Also I remembered when I was at grade four , it
was the worst year in my life , because I had a demanding teacher who not happy
with any things I did even if I worked hard . She destroyed my confident in arabic
writing cause of what she told me you will never get a high mark in you writing
and that was the most negative praise I heard in my life . The consequence of that
negative praise was and still inside me , and till now I can't improve my arabic
writing .
In the end I think teachers should be careful of what they say to their students,
because they are their students hero and the students believe and effect of what their
teachers say even if its write or wrong .

TP 5 , Page 9