Saturday, June 16, 2018

Conventions... auf Deutsch




A teacher is always a teacher, no matter what they teach.  Although I teach more in the English language nowadays, my first degree is on German literature and language (or better teaching German as a foreign language - DaF)
I have to admit that when you teach English, there are various seminars, presentations, conferences all year round, while in German, this is not the case.
Especially in my hometown, which is not the capital, you can't always keep learning.
Goethe Institut, Aristoteles University and some publishers do organise seminars and book presentations and I never miss the chance to go, since using the German language is not that common (if you don't work with tourists that is)
So, today was the day of the conference held by the Aristoteles University. I love conventions and conferences. My only problem is that German methodology seminars are mostly about theory and less practice. 
As a very kinaesthetic person, I am finding it very hard to concentrate when it's all talk and no play.
To my surprise today, I saw more practice, enthusiastic professors and brad new ideas for the primary classroom.
According to Dr. Rudolf Bartsch, Children learn fast but they forget equally fast, so they have to keep learning until they reach adulthood. 
Dr. Legutke mentioned that learning is an active process and students AND teachers have to be there with their "heads, hearts, hands and feet".
So some ideas for the lesson that impressed me
  1. Bring a fairytale to life. Children mime the characters (people and animals), the things (houses, trees etc) and act the story out.
  2. Bring objects into life. Have children make an object with their bodies (for example a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner) and repeat vocabulary. Then categorise this vocabulary (for example group kitchen appliances, furniture etc)
  3. Use objects to make a presentation (for example a fashion show)
  4. Create a monster and write a story or a diary about it
  5. Act out as their favourite famous person (an have the others guess who it is)
  6. Make a poem
  7. Eat together and practise food vocabulary
  8. Interview guests


I really enjoyed today's lectures. It was definitely a pleasant change. 






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