Last class for 2009, but everything did not seem so fine.

Well, I realize now that I need to double-check my lesson plan and materials because today, my students were supposed to have a review quiz. Let me go back to Friday evening when I was preparing. I usually do the same thing in both classes because the textbook is the same and the students are different so there is no risk of repetition. Friday I made sure everything was ready, all materials copied etc, but failed to print and make copies of the quiz. I guess the reason for this was that unlike most weeks, I did not have any extra copies of Friday's quiz (the date of course is different, but at least it reminds me to make Monday's), so as they say, 'Out of sight, out of mind'. Well, Monday I arrive and I am heading to class when I realize that I don't have a quiz for them. However, I think that I in fact did not have a test for Monday because the week after the midterm test, there was no quiz, and I confuse this date with today, so I thought that this was the week after the midterm test for Monday's class when it was not (I hope you're with me so far). Due to lack of time, I decide not to have a test and give them an early Xmas present. However, during class, I checked my folders while the students were working on a task, and I noticed that there actually was a quiz, and that I had completely forgotten about it and then confused that with thinking something else. Honestly, I was going to check before class, but I decided not to because there was no time, and I thought there was no test and that I would have to make one! I am now slapping my forehead and shouting 'Doh!' as in the likes of Homer Simpson. Perhaps another reason for this confusion besides not having the copy with the others is the fact that Friday's class is about one week ahead, so while we did unit 9 today, Friday's class has finished that and the next one and will be doing the third one after the break, so maybe it was only time before this happened, but in any case, it was probably not having the copy that did it. Fortunately, this was the first time, and it will be the last time because from now on, I will check my folders and make sure that everything is in order because every week cannot be Xmas.

As for today's class, other than that slight bump in the road, it went well. Again, I followed Friday's plan starting with the textbook before the pronunciation. Today's topic was apologizing. I also wrote the questions for the listening comprehension on the board again - something that I will do from now on for reasons stated in previous posts. Once we finished that we moved on to the listening part of last week's pronunciation - linking sounds 1. Finally, we did the second linking sounds worksheet, and from my observations, most of them could figure out where the linking sounds were. I also went around checking their answers like in Friday's class before having them go up to the board to write the answers. We practiced the pronunciation, especially the last sentence 'Did you drop Paul off at the airport?' because it has so many linking sounds, and I wished them a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year and let them go.

Since this will be last post for 2009, I will now take the time to wish all of you out there a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year and all the best for 2010!