I have chose only one resource to examine this week to help me develop my ninth and tenth lesson plans. The resource that I chose was published by a website called Busy Teacher. The website contains a blog where authors write about various aspects of teaching and it provides teachers with teaching materials that they can include in their lessons. The resource that I chose is an article that was written by Claudia Pesce called "8 Top tips for giving your ESL class a review lesson they'll love." I chose this article because I wanted to read examples of what other teachers have used in their review lessons. I thought that it might give me ideas for materials that I could use in my final lessons.

This resource helped me to understand review classes from the perspective of students. Review classes can be helpful for students by reminding them of content that was taught earlier in the course that they may have forgotten or remains unclear to them. However, students can become overwhelmed by the amount of content that they are required to know, leading to test anxiety. The tips included in the resource have helped me plan activities that let students practice what they have already learned in different ways without presenting too much at the same time. utilize materials that were taught earlier without. The following paragraphs list the tips that are included in this week's resource and discuss how I might incorporate them into my lesson plans.

1. Don't use long lists of vocabulary

The author says not to use long lists of vocabulary during review classes because courses contain a lot of new words and can be intimidating to students if they are presented all at once. This can also lead to problems like test anxiety because students are shown everything that they have to know. They may underestimate what they do know and not know what to focus on when they are studying. The author suggests that teachers and instructors organize the materials into shorter, more digestible lists. Fortunately, the vocabulary taught in the reading course is already broken up into short lists in each chapter of the class textbook. As such, both my sponsor teacher and myself can direct students to the most important lists that students should focus on. There is less of a focus on vocabulary in the cultural conversational class, so this tip is less applicable to it.

2. Don't use long lists of grammar structures

The author also says not to use long lists of grammar structures during review classes because learning verb tenses and sentence forms is a very difficult task for many English language learners. Having long lists can be overwhelming for students because they feel like they have to know everything for the test or exam. In reality, some of the grammar structures may have been used to extend the material taught to meet course objectives. They may have also been presented in lessons to appeal to student interests and and may not be required knowledge. As such, it is important to go over what is essential to do well on the test or exam and to distinguish it from information that is not required. Fortunately, neither of the classes focuses much on grammar. The only thing that students must know for the exam in the reading class is how to use forms of vocabulary words correctly in sentences with different structures and verb tenses.

3. Play games

The author suggests that teachers use games in review classes because they help to reduce tension for upcoming tests and exams. Using games helps the teacher to review essential language that students must know for the exam in ways that are less likely to overwhelm students. There is a huge assortment of games that teachers can use for reviewing course content. In the article, the author lists the following games:

a) "Wh- question grammar game" - This game allows students to practice using question words and formulating questions based on answers provided by the teacher.
b) "Present Simple wh- questions game" - This game allows students to practice formulating questions based on different activities and contexts.
c) "Grammar revision board game" - This game allows teachers to customize game boards with grammar structures that students must know for the test or exam. The example given has several statements that students must use to identify the tenses and appropriate words for the blank spaces.
d) "Yes and no picture game" - This game shows students a part of a picture and they must guess what is in it using clues. However, they can only ask questions that have a yes or no answer to obtain clues.
e) Worksheet database - This is resource with a huge variety of worksheets that teachers can use for their classes. Some are meant as general worksheets and others are designed for reviewing course content. Teachers can choose worksheets that suit the levels of their students and teaching context.

Most of the games listed by the author do not fit my teaching context because they focus on grammar. However, I like the 'Present simple wh- questions game" best out of all of the grammar games. It is too simple for students in my practicum placement but I think it would be fun to use in a high-beginner LINC classroom to practice forming questions and reviewing simple vocabulary. In addition, the worksheets in the database are not directly applicable for my final two lessons but I will definitely use them to search for worksheets in my future teaching.

4. Variety

The author states that teachers should use a variety of activities in their review classes. This means not focusing extensively on a video or relying on too many games, worksheets, or speaking activities in the review class. Teachers should focus instead on using a variety of teaching materials and strategies to help students practice and review different skills that were developed throughout the course. These activities should reflect the skill levels of the students. The author suggests doing crafts with younger and/or beginner students and plays with more advanced students. I think that this is an important point to consider when reviewing the cultural conversational class. I have mostly used dialogues in my lesson plans for that class and I don't want to just do more of the same. I have discussed possibilities for review class activities with my sponsor teacher and I hope to use some of her ideas in my final lesson plans.

5. Surprise the students

The author states that teachers should avoid falling back on routines in their review classes. Long review classes focused on going over a breadth of content from the course can lower energy level of students and make the class too boring. Similarly, repeating activities that were used frequently throughout the course can be boring for students if they are not fond of them. As such, review classes give teachers an opportunity to be creative and surprise students with a new game. The author suggests doing a Jeopardy review game to go over materials that will be on the test or exam. My sponsor teacher has also suggested that I do a Jeopardy game as the main activity for reviewing the reading class materials. She said that students will do a few questions about different topics covered in class and that it will help them identify which content they need to focus their studying on.

6. Student questions

The author suggests that teachers take questions from the students in their classes because it allows students to revisit material that they have forgotten, missed, or don't understand. This is a useful activity if students are willing to participate in the classroom and admit that they need a word or concept explained. In this situation, teachers may not need to take time to assess what their students know and don't know. However, the students in my classes often hesitate to speak up if they don't understand something because they don't want to lose face. This is frustrating because teachers don't know that students need help unless they say so. Student questions also allow teachers to teach on previously covered material and explain concepts in different ways to help students understand. Sometimes multiple students will have the same questions so everyone benefits. This works best with adult students and when students have time to write down questions before the review class. My sponsor teacher and I have decided to dedicate time in the cultural conversational class to answering questions about Canadian culture that were not covered in the course. I will also be sure to listen for student questions in the review activities for the reading class.

7. Let students teach

Another suggestion that the author has is to let students teach each other. Some students may have difficulty remembering information or be confused about something that was covered in the course. Other students might understand that content and be able to explain words and concepts to the students who are having difficulty in a more effective way than the teacher. This already takes place in my practicum classes. Students often sit beside classmates who are from the same country as they are and talk amongst each other if there is something they don't understand. While this activity is something to keep in mind, I don't think it would be particularly useful for the review class. However, I might be able to adapt it so that students in the cultural conversational class can teach other about the similarities and differences between the customs of their own countries.

8. Introduce something new

The author also states that teachers should introduce new games into the review lesson. Teachers often use games in their lessons throughout the length of the course. Some of these games may be favourites of the students while students may be tired of other games. Either way, students usually grow tired of repetition and may want to do something new. Introducing new activities allows students to use the course content in different ways and has the potential to be more engaging than other activities that the teacher reuses over the length of the course. This was my goal when I did the Kahoot! game last week. I hope that students will be engaged in my review activities and appreciate the Jeopardy game that I have created for them.

Overall, this resource has helped me think of interesting activities that I can include in the final lessons for my practicum and in my future teaching. After reading this resource, I feel like I understand the needs of students a bit better. There is a lot of material that we need to go through for the courses that I taught in for my practicum. This could be overwhelming for many of the students even though the length of the courses is relatively short. I feel more prepared to teach in the review classes and I appreciate the ideas that this resource has provided.



References

Pesce, C. (2013, January 10). 8 Top tips for giving your ESL class a review lesson they'll love [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://busyteacher.org/14406-how-to-teach-review-lesson-esl-class-8-top-tips.html