I.

Introduction

The aim of this report is to present the experience of the first teaching practicum of the semester.
Through different aspects such as the context in which the school was involved, the experiences
regarding the ELT curriculum and my personal reflections about the practicum, it would be seen
how it was and what have changed in me as a pre-service teacher during this process.

II. School Contextualization

The Thomas Jefferson school is located in Hualpn, specifically in 912 Finlandia street. It is
surrounded by two schools, Hellen Keller at its left and the educational evangelic center at its right.
It is a one-floor and small building with 14 classrooms, which are shared between the ones attending
in the morning and the ones attending in the afternoon including the pre-school (kinder). Most of
the students have been in the school since they were in kinder, thus most of them know each other
and share during breaks with students from different levels and letters. They all seem to be very
similar regarding their families. Most of the students arrived at school accompanied by one of their
parents and a few group of them arrived by private transport. In general students in the morning,
the one I could see during my visits, preferred to play during their breaks instead of being in their
cellphones, although just a few ones had one. Most of the students were playing different games or
would be eating in the dinner room. This impacts on the teaching-learning context in the way
students are seen by teachers and how parents are worried about their childrens future. There is a
great attendance to the school, even though they arrive late most of the time, parents are worried
about sending them to it.

Vision of the school: Anhelamos ser una comunidad educativa medioambientalista, inclusiva e
integradora con logros acadmicos y valricos, contando con un equipo comprometido en la
formacin de nuestros estudiantes, influyendo positivamente en su desarrollo como personas con
compromiso social.

Mission of the school: Somos una Escuela Pblica de Educacin General Bsica orientada hacia la
formacin social y al cuidado del medio ambiente, comprometida con el desarrollo personal,
acadmico y valrico de nuestros estudiantes, con un equipo directivo, docente y administrativo,
dedicado y capacitado en la labor educativa, que permita el fortalecimiento personal, familiar y
comunitario.

In general, the school has a lot of useful tools for students to learn. Besides they are not aware of
how these tools would help them, there is a big effort from the head teacher and the teachers to
involve students in different activities that would them to learn. For example, the school has put a
big effort on its program about caring the environment and the group participating in it has done
different recyclable things to improve the school and to learn how to plant and harvest vegetables.
Also, every classroom has its own projector, tweeters and a computer assigned to it, which is very
helpful to use another devices and sources to teach them new things during classes.

III. Teaching Experiences regarding ELT Curriculum.

A. ELT curriculum:
As a pre-service teacher during my visits at school the ELT curriculum used during the classes was
grammar-based and Classical humanism. A mixture between the two, because when the teacher
introduced a new grammar topic she would made a lot of exercises on the new grammar aspect.
In addition to the grammar-based, the classes were focused on students being able to memorize
some aspects of English and to learn how to classify the information through tables to review the
learning. The classes were structured the same way in 5th and 8th grade. The teacher started with a
review of the last class and then more exercises about it through different worksheets and a few
times through the course book.

B. Collaboration tasks:

During my visits to the school I collaborated with the teacher helping her with the creation of
worksheets and some small presentations about a topic depending on which class we were going to
hand it out (5th grade or 8th grade). For most of the worksheets, the teacher told me what type of
activity she wanted me to create so it was not difficult to make them, but others she just told me to
create one about a topic and I had to create it by myself; then she would help me and give me
different advices regarding my worksheets or my presentations. Outside the classroom, I helped the
teacher to check some tests and graded works from the two levels, and to check if she has upload
the marks in an online program from the DAEM. Inside the classroom students could ask me if they
had any doubt and I helped them, at the beginning they were not confident to ask me but through
the days I spent with them they were asking me as well as the teacher. This interchanges with the
students and the teacher contributed to me in the way of how I see myself as a teacher now. After
this, almost, three years of being at the university I had faced the reality of being in the classroom
with different types of students. I do not feel confident enough already, but now I have the security
to be in front of a class, even though I feel that I must continue developing my confidence. Through
these six weeks at the school students were very receptive of my help, but they did not see me as
an authority. Every time I entered the classroom if the teacher did not introduce me, they did not
bother to say good morning, even though I said it to them first. Besides that, now I feel secure of
both my confidence in the classroom and my knowledge of English and how to create material for
a topic.

IV. Reflexiones de la experiencia de insercin

A. Curriculum en la enseanza de ingls como idioma extranjero.

El estar dentro de una sala de clases realmente me sirvi para enfrentar la realidad. Como he
mencionado anteriormente, luego de casi tres aos en la universidad por fin he podido estar en lo
que podra ser mi futuro como profesora, ya que an nada es claro para m. El estar en frente de 30
alumnos fue totalmente distinto a como me imaginaba, en un principio cre que me sera mucho
ms difcil, pero fue todo lo contrario. A pesar de que a veces sent un poco de ansiedad y
nerviosismo respecto a cmo tratar a los alumnos y cmo acercarme a ellos, todo eso desapareci
luego de que realmente los enfrent y tuve que ayudarlos cuando tenan alguna duda o no
entendan muy bien las instrucciones de la profesora, aunque la mayora de las veces ella les
explicaba en espaol. Lo que llamo mucho mi atencin es cun difcil es para los estudiantes
aprender ingls, ya que entre los estudiantes de 5 y 8 bsico no haba mucha diferencia en cuanto
a su aprendizaje. Aunque sinceramente yo creo que era por la forma en que la profesora llegaba a
ellos, para m pareca que ms que prestar atencin a las clases los alumnos se quedaban en silencio
para evitar los sermones por su parte. Esto es algo que yo no comparta con la profesora, aunque
nunca le dije nada al respecto, conservando siempre mi postura como observadora, por lo que
pretendo tenerlo en cuenta dentro mi futura carrera. Siento que la actitud de un profesor hacia sus
estudiantes realmente tiene un gran efecto sobre ellos y el cmo hacer las clases de manera ms
interesante tambin es importante.

B. Formacin docente

Esta primera practica ha significado bastante para m, comenzando por el manejo del tiempo. Siento
que, aunque solo iba dos veces a la semana, me faltaba tiempo para poder completar tanto mis
quehaceres acadmicos y lo que la profesora me peda para la semana siguiente (guas, imgenes o
textos), es algo que necesitar seguir trabajando ya que a todos los profesores les pasaba lo mismo,
siempre andaban corriendo en la sala de profesores imprimiendo, pasando cosas desde sus
computadores, entre otras cosas. En general, respecto a mis cualidades, siento que puedo hacer
varias cosas que antes cre que no podra, como el preparar material adecuado, hacer que los
alumnos me presten atencin, llamar su atencin de forma creativa, incluso puedo escribir objetivos
cuando sea necesario. Cosas simples, pero que realmente me hacen sentir ms capaz de ser
profesora. Aunque claramente an hay debilidades, mayormente durante mi tiempo en la escuela
no hubo ningn problema, as que si se me presentara en el futuro alguno no sabra que hacer.
Adems, aun siento que me falta llegar bien a todos los alumnos, ya que todos son distintos y quizs
al hacer por ejemplo las guas, solo me enfoqu en un tipo de alumno en vez de las diferentes
cualidades y percepciones de todos. An veo difcil el cmo tratar a alumnos que no les gusta prestar
atencin en clases o trabajar en ellas, el cmo voy a tratarlos en un futuro o qu herramientas
utilizar para envolverlos en la clase y que realmente puedan aprender algo. Siento que ser uno de
los mayores desafos de ahora en adelante para desarrollarme como docente, ya que cada ao que
pasa los alumnos van cambiando y las actitudes negativas tambin cambian, de manera que quizs
nunca lograr conocerlos al 100% y eso en cierta manera me parece un gran obstculo.

V. Conclusions

To conclude, this experience was satisfactory to me. It was possible to fulfill the objectives of the
teaching practicum without any drawback, I could conclude with positive feelings and attitude
towards the reality of my field as an English Teacher. It was helpful to begin my experience of
teaching in a state school, because it is another reality in which I am very interested to continue
working in. To continue in this long way of experience, I must know it would have ups and downs,
but if I already became a better teacher in some way by looking for opportunities to learn I will do
it again through the next practicums coming.