Why You Need to Know Your ESL Students
Why Do I Need to Get to Know My Students on the First Day?
This is our second-to-last portion in our “How to Get to Know Your Students” series. We’ve talked with them a ton, we’ve played the 15 Questions game, and now we’re asking students to fill out the “Get to Know Me” form. But how beneficial is the form anyway?
Cris Tovani, in her book titled So What Do They Really Know? wrote, “In order to teach our students well, we need to know our students well.” I couldn’t agree more.
Getting to know our students personally can help create a constructive classroom environment in which our students can thrive. If we notice students seem a little under the weather, upset, confused, unmotivated, or frustrated, we can give them the extra addition they need to rejoin the class with their usual enthusiasm. If we notice students seem to be having trouble with their partners or group, we can rearrange seating. If students are going through some family or relationship difficulties, we can find ways to be there for them or help them inside or outside class. There are a multitude of outside situations that can affect a student’s ability to learn inside the class.
Outside influences are not the only problems to look out for. A student’s previous learning experiences can shape his future for learning. If he’s failed before in English classes, or if previous teachers or classmates have told him he’s not “good at English,” he can act out or get discouraged enough to give up. If previous teachers have treated him like a teacher’s pet, he might feel too pressured to uphold his reputation. If a student had been made fun of for his pronunciation in the past, he might hesitate to speak out, even though his English is excellent.
These preconceptions or limiting beliefs influence how a student will perform in your class, and how much he will be able to learning. The problem is, however, that collecting and learning all of this information about a student could take weeks. The “Get to Know Me” form is designed to give you, as the teacher, as much information about these previous learning situations as you can.
So what does the “Get to Know Me” form tell me?
First, students will not only write their English name, but they will also write their native name as well. Having this information has SAVED me more than once. When I first started teaching, I called one of my students, “Cassie,” for almost a year before I realized her name was, “Cathy,” and she couldn’t pronounce the “th” sound correctly. That’s a lot of mislabeled feedback forms and exam papers.
Second, you’ll get an insight into who they are as a person. Students will write their hometown, hobbies/interests, and their dream job. Hearing about their dream job not only tells you something about their personality, but also about what type of English they are hoping to learn. If they want to be a flight attendant, travel English will be interesting or exciting for them. If they want to be a business man, learning how to speak politely or write emails would draw them into classes.
Third, you’ll learn about their previous learning experiences and what type of learner they are. Students will answer:
“The hardest part about learning English is:”
“In this class, I want to learn:”
“I like a teacher who is/does:”
“My teacher can help me by:”
“My goal in this class is:”
All of these questions will give you insights into how best to work with each individual student. If a student says, “I like a teacher who is really patient with me,” he might need extra care and might not be too confident with his English. If a student says, “In this class, I want to learn how to write professional emails,” you could pay more attention to helping him improve his grammar. If a student says, “The hardest part about learning English is everything,” that’s a pretty good indication that the student feels overwhelmed or lost with learning English.
Third, you’ll get an idea of what the class needs as a whole. I had one class who overwhelming requested I use videos in class. I would never have known that had I not asked them. Also, if only a third of your students mention that their dream job involves learning English, they might benefit more from a fun learning environment than from a strict one.
Also, by knowing their goals for the class, you can help keep them accountable or be more of a learning mentor for them. Simple questions like, “Hey, how are those vocabulary words coming along?” or “Hey, how far have you read in your novel?’ help students to remember the goals they’ve made, and help them to know that you’re invested in their learning.
If you’d like to download this form to use in your own classes, you can download it here! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-Get-to-Know-Me-Any-Subject-4707515