I work in a small eikaiwa, mainly teaching adult students who are at a conversational level. The beginner classes are usually taught by the native Japanese speakers. My school has a prospective customer, a family actually, two kids and their parents who want a trial lesson, and I’ve been assigned to teach it. We don’t have any kid/adult hybrid classes so I’d be the first one doing this.
I’m pretty nervous about it because I don’t have much experience with kids to begin with, my Japanese isn’t at a level where I can explain much in Japanese, and I don’t know how to plan or navigate a lesson with beginners. I don’t know how low their level is and worry about bringing something too advanced or bringing something too easy. I’m just kind of really nervous about it.
I’d love to get some tips or resources for what I could do for this trial lesson of theirs. I assume if they sign up I’ll be the one teaching them.
10 comments
I don’t understand why they’d do kids and adults together, they have entirely separate learning needs and capabilities. You might want to gear this class more towards the children imo.
I did a baby class where the mum came in, and did the same thing up until 4 years old, because after that they came in solo.
This was basically what I did in the 90 minute class, but I also had hour classes.
0. Ask Everyone how are you today? Make sure you incorporate the children even if they are 6 months old and can’t even sit still yet. The parents will answer for them.
1. 20 minutes of play time with the kids. I would play with hand puppets and have the puppets interact with the children.
Ex. Hi Seri, Hi (other puppet), Hi Rino. Hi Seri, Hi (first puppet), Hi Rino. Seri that block is red, this block is blue. Rino this ketchup is red, that mayonnaise is white.
2. For 10 minutes,The kids play while you chat with the moms. I wrote 4-5 questions and half answers on the board.
Ex. What is your favorite ice cream?
My favorite ice cream is ____________
My favorite flavor is ____________
I don’t like ice cream
(I would ask mom 1, mom 1 would ask mom 2, mom 2 would ask mom 3, and mom 3 would ask me)
2.5. Say goodbye to everything (bye red block, bye ketchup, bye puppet name.) Have a container ready to throw things in and then get them to assist you putting the container away.
Initiate by saying 1…2…1…2…1…2 (the parents should understand and show their children or chant ichi…ni…ichi…ni…)
3. Hello song
3.75. Get them to ask for everything and anything that you may need. (Chair please, drink please, crayon please.)
4. They ask for a chair and sit down. I sat on the floor. I read a book to them (potato pals) and I had the parents repeating after me (and I used motions)
Ex. Me: I get up (stretch), Parents: I get up (stretch) Me: I get out of bed (stand up) Parents: I get out of bed (stands up) etc.
5. It’s been 40 minutes, take a break and let them drink. (Let the parents know if there’s no drink that day, that they are encouraged to bring a drink.)
5.75. Get them to say goodbye to everything (bye chair, bye drink, bye book.)
6. We did another song (One Little Finger)
7. Played with bubbles (if you get the manual gun type you can control the bubble size…small bubbles please…medium bubble please…big bubble please.) teach them the word pop and for big bubbles call them by name so they know who’s turn it is so they don’t miss out. And let them try too.
8. ABC Song with maracas and an ABC board
9. We had an ABC board that allowed us to match certain cards so we would give the children a but say (airplane) and then ask where’s (airplane)?
10. 2 more songs (Wheels on the bus) (if you’re happy)
11. Ask for drinks again
12. Ask for a small table and start working in a workbook. (Something easy like coloring in something.)
13. Goodbye song
Give them good job snack and star stickers
If you have enough time, I’d probably try and set up some sort of cooperative game where everyone has to work together or something, or adults have to help the kids.
Do you have any board games or card games?
What is your manager thinking? How can someone possibly teach children and adults in the same class? *This is not serious teaching by any means. If I were you, I’d push back on this. If you don’t, you’re going to get MORE classes just like this one. And when they fail to learn, you’ll be the one to blame instead of your idiot manager.
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*Of course it’s not serious. So play a game with the kids, and let the parent join in. Whooppeee, we be learning.
One mistake a lot of people make with children is speaking Japanese. Children are incredibly receptive to an all English environment as long as it is fun and you speak kid English. Meaning you simplify it and add emphasis to key words.
I’m a little confused about the hybrid class though. Do you mean you will be teaching English the parents and children at the same time or that the parents will observe the children’s English lesson? If it’s teaching both at once…….that’s an odd choice that your establishment allowed. If that’s the case try to make as many of the activities co-operative.
If they are just observing the children’s class, it’s easier. Just spend the time playing with the kids in English. Most of the time the parents just want to see the children have fun and trying to express themselves in English. So as long as the kids get super excited and have fun playing (learning English), most parents will sign up.
If your Eikaiwa has decent kids lessons just do those lessons with the family. Adults can simply learn in the same way as kids and have just as much fun.
If it’s familial, focus on conversational activities that build into their relationships. Its possible to do it because it’s not about teaching English but rather doing activities together with English.
How old are the kids?
I would probably lean towards more child-centered approaches to teaching with the assumption that the parent would be happy to play along with their kids. Exactly what kind of activities, again, depends on the age of the children.
Do the same thing you would do if it were just the kids. I was worried at the beginning that the children and adults were unrelated, but if they’re the parents, they know what they’re getting into, or they should.
It’s primarily for the kids.
Ganbatte 😉
Just smile, play some games and stay positive.