Differentiating Classroom Lessons for Students with ADHD and various readiness levels.

For this particular blog, I will be discussing ways to differentiate instruction and lessons in the classroom for students in 2 areas of disability/difficulty. The first area is a disability; ADHD. The second area focuses on various readiness levels. I teach ESL to Korean students with varying levels of fluency. I will focusing on how I differentiate instruction and assignments for different levels of ability in the same class. Most conversational English classes in my school are divided into two levels: level A (advanced) and level B (lower level). However, due to student grade size, I have a few classes where the students are all grouped together in the same class regardless English language ability. 

ADHD 

As someone who personally knows the struggles of ADHD (formerly known as ADD); I have chosen to write today's blog on differentiating instructions and lessons for students with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). 

First things first, what is ADHD?According to the American Psychiatry Association; ADD is...

one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. ADHD also affects many adults. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought).

An estimated 5 percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults have ADHD. ADHD is often first identified in school-aged children when it leads to disruption in the classroom or problems with schoolwork. It can also affect adults. It is more common among boys than girls.

My school and classroom background.

JMS is all boy's private school in Yeosu, Jeollanamdo Province. Although it is a private school; there is no tuition fees because middle school is compulsory in South Korea. Students gain admission to the school through high standardized test scores. JMS is well known in Yeosu for high academic achievement and admission is competitive! The student population is 460 with 0 diagnosed disabilities. JMS is not equipped to handle disabilities (both physical and mental). Yeosu City has a special school (grades k-12) that is specifically for students with learning disabilities, difficulties, and/or physical and metal disabilities. 

Off the record, as could be the case anywhere, there are students who have difficulties (and/or disabilities) but have never formally been diagnosed. There is a big stigma in Korea with mental health and disabilities; they are usually not acknowledged or they are swept "under the rug." The same stigma applies to students who may have ADHD, as well.  



Unfortunately, with varying levels of students in the same class, it is easy for students with ADHD to get lost in my class. Not so much because of my teaching style (I hope); but because it is a different language all together. My classes are mostly taught in English. If a lower level student has ADHD; it is easier for him to get lost in the instruction or lesson presentation if there is not a Korean co-teacher present to translate. There are not always co-teachers available; that is where differentiated instruction comes to fruition. I'm fortunate that my English classrooms are equipped with LCD touch smart boards! They are "lifesavers" for presenting materials and giving instructions. Usually, I have the lesson on the front screen. I always use lots of HD pictures and as few words as possible (unless the grammar requires it). My mantra is "less is more!" If there are too many words or pictures, ADHD students could be "lost" and not know where or when to focus. I explain in simple English how I want my students to do the task. I then have an example shown on the front screen. Then I choose 2 students and have them demonstrate. I call on a student to explain back to me what we should do. I have found this works well for my classroom. If I explain something and ask my students if they understand; they will all reply "yes, teacher" even if they don't understand. Pictures, audio, and demonstrations not only help ADHD students, but all students. 

 
(These are screenshots of some of the lessons that I have used for differentiating instructions. The task was for students to make 3 questions in regards to weekend plans). 

Now that we have an understanding of what ADHD is and how I try to incorporate methods of differentiated instruction, let's talk specifically about methods that I use in the classroom:

• Shortening my instruction. This can be quite difficult sometimes as I am a talker! In fact, I have asked my co-teacher to signal me when I am talking to much because I don't want my students to be lost or bored. They don't enjoy textbook lessons though it is part of the official curriculum. If I see that I am "boring" the students, I switch it up and have a student come to the front to be the "teacher" and direct the class on what needs to be done. If the class doesn't understand after that, I allow the student to use some Korean to explain. Once students have started their tasks, my co teacher and I walk around the room stopping at each group to observe and "probe" students to make them think harder and be more creative. 
• Structure in a "brain break." Learning a new language is overwhelming! Imagine how overwhelming it can be for someone with ADHD. I "feel" for my students and I relate to them and the pressure they feel to learn the language and succeed. After an explanation or introduction of a new topic, I allow for a 2 minute "brain break." I usually do this by stepping away from the book and asking fun questions that I know my students will be able to answer. I take the material that we just learned about and "slyly" camouflage it as fun questions. I'm sure some of my students have "caught on" to this technique but it's fun engage the students with questions that understand and are able to answer passionately. Another "brain break" space that I fit into the lesson is when students retreat to their group white boards (usually to formulate at least three sentences), I tell them that they can talk or stretch quietly after they finish the task. 
• Is the material, itself, engaging? This is very important and can be overlooked frequently, I think, as teachers become "bogged down" with lesson planning. I always use vivid colors in my presentation slides as well as big HD pictures that the students can look at to form a story or conclusion in their minds. I also try to keep current as possible with student trends (I discuss this further below). I try and use material that is familiar to my students like popular TV shows, girl groups, etc... English grammar lessons can be quite dull and appear overwhelmingly complicated to my Korean students (and trust me, I understand how they feel). It is my job to make the lesson content appear as "lively" as possible. The question that I ask myself during lesson planning is "what will grasp them and keep them interested?" If the material or lesson isn't engaging them, then I stop. We take a "brain break" to clear our minds and come back with a "clear head." From there, I usually grab my tennis ball, and we play the "never ending" question game to make them think about what they have learned thus far. 

To the right, is a flow chart that I use with lessons in my class when differentiating and introducing new topics and instruction to my class. 

Various readiness levels

My other focus of this blog is discussing various levels of readiness in the classroom. As an ESL teacher that teachers English to Korean students; it is easy for them to feel overwhelmed or for lessons to be "lost in translation.' Also, in a few of my classes I am faced with the task of having students with various levels of English ability. I have on third grade and one second grade class where students are not separated into A and B level classes (standard in the Korean public school system). For these classes, getting all students to the "starting line" can be a difficult task. Many students excel and finish lessons earlier than the rest and other students struggle to write their names in English. Some days are "smooth sailing" and well, some days are quite "trying" and require a lot of patience and require the "teacher face" (the "everything is okay" look). 

I want to look at some methods that I use in my classroom to "level the playing field" and try to create a successful lesson for all.

• Familiarity: Making the task more familiar based on the proficiency of the learners' experiences or skills for the task. I have a few examples of this. In unit 4 we discussed how to ask and give directions in English. This was an opportunity for me to really focus on something familiar for students. We played a fun game and completed a worksheet together. The game was so much fun that my students didn't want to leave when the bell rang. I am fortunate to have an LCD touch smart board at the front of my class room, I pulled up Naver maps on the screen (Naver is Korea's "Google."). I chose 5 sites that are familiar to my students: McDonalds, the PC Room (computer gaming room), a Hot Dog Shop, Super Mario Singing (karaoke) room and the bus stop a few blocks from our school. Students had to come to the front board, zoom in on the location by touching the screen, and tell our class how to get from point A to point B. In order to do this, I presented the simple phrases (with accompanying HD pictures) on the front board. I repeated these and the students repeated them back. The students seemed to grasp the lesson quickly! I think familiarizing the content and relating it to the students makes for a successful lesson. What happens if they still don't understand the material? I let them specifically choose the location of their choice and I focus on the words of direction as opposed to complete students (for example saying "turn right" instead of "turn right after the next block." I wish that I had more time to really focus on the material, however, I am limited to a timeline determined by my school and the Ministry of Education.
• Varying direct instruction by small group need. This technique is used frequently, if not daily, by me. All 3 of my English classrooms are arranged by six tables of five students. The seating is not random; seating assignments are determined by how well the students are doing academically. Seating arrangements change frequently as students progress, they are bumped into high groups. This allows for easier instruction for me after I have introduced the main lesson. Once I assign a task, I then walk around the room starting with group 6. Group 6 usually requires the most instruction. I will bend down next to them and ask them probing questions. Once they understand, I move on. Usually, groups 1, 2, and 3 don't require additional probing, but if needed; I am happy to engage them. I make sure they understand the material before I move forward. Usually, I will have my co-teacher focus on the more advanced groups and I (as the native English speaker) will continue probing or demonstrating what I want them to do. I think my lower students learn more when I (the native teacher) probes them because they won't rely on my co-teacher's Korean instruction. 
• Showing students how the subjects taught connect with their particular interests (dating, phone numbers, etc...). My students are all boys and they talk about dating frequently along with who their favorite girl singers and bands are. That being said, I try and relate content to the students. I usually know who my students favorite singers and bands are (IU, Twice, GFriend), and I incorporate that into the lesson. I like to "sprinkle" pictures of them throughout the lessons which captures everyone's attention. I taught a lesson on phone etiquette which also included how to ask for phone numbers. I put slides on the front board which included pictures of their favorite singers and they had to ask for their phone number. We did a contest for the most realistic phrasing (asking for a phone number). For my students with lower English abilities, I practiced reciting phone numbers with them. For them, it can be difficult for them to hear the number and then translate it to Korean in their heads. I made a contest where I would recite the phone number. I started fast for my more advanced students and each time I would repeat the number, I would slow it down considerably. When the material relates to students; it is easier to teach them and they enjoy learning. However, for some of the more "dry" lessons of the book; it can be a struggle. It's my responsibility as their teacher to try and make the lessons as relatable as possible!

A flowchart for readiness levels in my classroom:

References

Child Development Center. (n.d). In the Classroom: Ideas and Strategies for Kids with ADD and Learning Disabilities. Retrieved June 20, 2017 from: 
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/learning_disabilities/teacher/#.WVSEPpJ96Uk

Differentiating according to readiness, interests, learning profiles. (2015).  State of New South Wales, Australia, Department of Education and Communities. Retrieved June 29, 2017 from: http://www.ssgt.nsw.edu.au/documents/4_readiness_profile.pdf
Parekh, R., (2015, October). What is ADHD? Retrieved June 29, 2017 from:
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd

Performance Assessment in the classroom

As an English as a second language (ESL) instructor, it is a necessity to assess my students' learning often. In fact, a large portion of time is assessing students (both informally and formally). I do not choose when my students takes tests, testing dates are determined by the Ministry of Education. Being in the public school system; our school must comply. Usually, there are tests administered throughout the school year: midterms and finals. Most of the student assessment done by me is informal; I usually gauge students abilities by speaking and writing. 

Formative vs. Summative

How do I assess my students? There are two main ways: Formative and summative. Summative is the assessment that most of us are familiar with. Think back to your school days when you were a middle or high school student. Remember studying (or "cramming") for an upcoming test? You studied and studied and studied up until test time. The test itself was usually multiple choice with many options to choose from. Those tests determined how "well" we were doing as students. In my case, those test determined if I would have accelerated math or English classes; those classes were referred to as advanced placement (AP) classes. Looking back, I feel that assessing students only by test performance doesn't paint the "whole picture." What about those of us who have test anxiety? We know the material, we study, study, and study more...only to go "blank" on test day! I think there are other methods just as effective and put less stress on students. I will discuss those below. First, let's discuss the two methods of assessment: formative and summative. According to Carnegie Mellon University, formative assessment monitors students' learning by providing instant and ongoing feedback. Summative feedback evaluates students' learning usually at the end of a unit. For example, a quarterly or final exam. Formative is considered "low stakes" and is giving during instruction. It's referred to as "low stakes" because it does not have any bearing towards the student's grade. Summative is "high stakes" because it directly calculates students' grades. When students take an exam; they are scored accordingly. 





  Performance Assessment in my classroom.

The most important standard that I adhere to in my classroom set by the TESOL International Association is:

"Implementing the 4 language domains (speaking, reading, writing, & listening) into most or every lesson."

Usually, every one of my lessons contains at least 3 of the 4 domains. It is hard to exclude a specific domain as they are all entwined with one another. Reading naturally leads to listening; the same goes for speaking. 

Actual lesson title page.

Unit and Textbook focus

I will be teaching Unit 7: "Let's go to the Movies" from the ESL textbook (referenced in previous assignments). The focus of the unit is to teach students how to compare and contrast movies along with being able to choose a movie and ask about its show times. 

Formative Assessment:

For the formative assessment in this unit I will focus on objective #5:

Students will create a movie poster of a recent movie (or their favorite movie) that includes a persuasive synopsis along with movie show times by the end of the unit."

Examples of templates students will follow:
                           

Usage of these templates allows me to see how well my students write in English. Grammar is important, however, I feel being able to express one's self is just as important. This activity allows me to assess whether or not my students can express their opinions and feelings in English. 

Most of the time, I engage my students in group or pair work. However, for this activity, it will be individual work as I can have a better sense of each student's comprehension of the lesson. My students LOVE competition and they thrive in a competitive atmosphere. Because of that, there will be a contest where the class votes on the top 3 movie posters according to how persuasive and interesting it is (and of course, the artwork too)! Students will not be able to see who made the poster. The posters will be read aloud without any indication of who wrote them (to avoid work only being chosen because of a student's "popularity"). While students are working on their posters, my co-Teacher and I constant walk the room between the tables checking on students work and helping them. Usually when my students have questions on grammar and spelling; we solve it together. I give them leading clues; from there, they can usually solve their problem pretty quickly!

After students have completed their posters; they hand it to me and I put it in a pile. Once all posters are complete, I post the posters for everyone to see.  I have magnets that I use to post the posters to the front board. Student's come up in their groups to choose the best poster/essay.  Once we have selected them, we read each other together sentence by sentence. (The essays are usually no longer than 7-8 sentences as Korean and English are so different and my kids are still grasping how to write in English). When we have corrected the errors together as a class, we move to the next essay and discuss it. I hang all of my students' work on the back board; not just the top 3. This gives them a chance to feel proud of their work and that they have accomplished something. 

Additional formative assessment method:
One of my favorite ways to break the ice and engage students i conversation is a game called "Sudden Death Tennis!" My students love this game; we can play it forever! However I usually stop the game once most students have had the opportunity to speak. I tell all the students to stand up. I walk to the center of the room. We briefly review the dialogue that we learned. I ask a question, then I toss the tennis ball to the student. The ball is not supposed to stop. After the student catches the ball, he has 5 seconds to answer the question and make a question or statement then he has to throw the ball to another student. This keeps my students "on their toes" and it allows them to think and process language more quickly. Student's aren't as self conscious because every student is involved. Because I am standing in the center of the room, I can interject and pose questions at any time in case the game reaches a stalling point. This method allows me to be directly involved in assessing students speaking (pronunciation, intonation, and feeling). It is a fun method and my students and I enjoy it! In fact, my students do not realize that I am assessing them! 


Summative Assessment:

I am not allowed to test my students during the lesson. The Korean Ministry of Education and our school sets the testing dates in advance. Students will be tested over this material in October via midterm exams. I will submit 10 questions to my co-teacher; 5 essay and 5 multiple choice. 

References

Classroom Assessment Guidelines. (2015, May 16). Republic of the Philippines Department of Education. Retrieved June 22, 2017 from: http://www.deped.gov.ph/infographics/classroom-assessment-guidelines


Hilliard, P. (2015, December 7). Performance based assessment: reviewing the basics. Edutopia. Retrieved June 22, 2017 from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/performance-based-assessment-reviewing-basics-patricia-hilliard

What is the difference between formative and summative assessment? (n.d). Carnegie Mellon University, Eberly Center. Retrieved June 22, 2017 from: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html

M5U1A3 Understanding and Applying Standards: My thoughts on Unit 1.

Learning about standards this past week has probably been the most difficult unit for me thus far. I am still trying to "wrap my head around it." Growing up and attending school in the western world versus teaching in the eastern world sometimes complicates my outlook on the lessons that we are studying in Teach-Now. In my head, I have all of these ideas on the kind of teacher that I aspire to be. However, when I sit down and watch the unit's videos and read the lesson material, I wonder If I am "worthy" of being a teacher. Sometimes, I struggle when it comes to relating the material to my Korean ESL classroom. Perhaps, it's "cold feet" on my part? I constantly question if I am a good teacher to my students and if I am "bringing something to the table" to enrich my students lives? This week brought these questions back to the surface. I believe that I will need to "read up" on this week's lessons again. I will try my best to assess what I've learned. This week I learned that backwards mapping is starting with the end desired result and creating lessons from there. That is where I am confused! I thought that teachers already did when creating unit lessons. When I sit down and plan, I always ask myself "what are the main things that I want my students to learn?" From there, I create a mind map and plan accordingly. I assumed everyone planned with the end result in mind. However, when I read this weeks reading, this was defined as backwards mapping. 


As indicated above, backwards Mapping is what sticks out the most to me this past week. Backwards mapping is when teachers lesson plan with the "end in mind." According to Edutopia article “Common Core Big Idea 4: Map Backward from Intended Results," his strategy was introduced more than sixty five years ago by Ralph Tyler (McTighe, 2012). We are approaching the middle of the school year with finals in two weeks. The school year resumes mid-August with lesson 7. Starting with lesson 7, I will attempt backwards mapping in my lesson planning by using the following template: 

From Understanding by Design (McTighe)

I like how the "big idea" is at the top and the "focus" of the lesson plan map. I have been using a traditional template that I created in Microsoft Word, but I like the simplicity of this design and I think it will help me see the "bigger picture" and help focus on what my desired end results are.

My final thoughts and feelings.

As a teacher only in my second year of teaching, I am still "perfecting" my lesson planning. I constantly "tweak" how I lesson plan. Usually, I plan my lessons about a month in advance according to where we are in the text book (so usually pretty straight forward). However, I think backwards mapping is a technique that I will try with my lesson planning. To sum up how I feel this week:

How I feel after this week's unit 1 in module 5!

As an ESL teacher in Korea, we are given the textbook and told to plan accordingly. I like and respect my co-teachers and they always answer my questions accordingly. However, my first two years of teaching have been a 'thrown into the wolves" kind of experience. Not being fluent in Korean makes understanding my school's standards difficult. I rely heavily on TESOL standards that I learned about in my TEFL certification course. (TESOL.org). Those standards (which I have previously talked about in assignment 1) are my "go to's" in planning. They focus on the bringing the 4 language domains (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) into the classroom. I can be a more successful teacher when I have a better understanding of my school's standards and how I can implement them into my lessons. 

Backwards Mapping

Good evening everyone! Welcome back to my blog, it's been a short while, eh? Right now it's a cool 70 degree evening in Yeosu. It's early June, so the dog days of extreme humidity haven't hit us yet. I wanted to take advantage of the great weather, so I am sitting outside at one of my favorite coffee shops typing away!  

My after school English club posing for "selfies."

For those of you who are new to my blog, I just renewed for my third year as an English (ESL) teacher at an all boy's middle school in Yeosu, South Korea. I teach ESL to grades 7, 8, and 9. I love teaching at my school and I love teaching my students. They are a good bunch of "kids." I teach 21 hours a week to 460 students. I also have an after school English club that meets three times a week!  Teaching full time, conducting an after school English club, and doing TEACH-NOW keeps my plate full. I forgot what it's like to have free time! 

Now on to business, today's blog topic: Backwards mapping (lesson planning turned upside down, starting with the objectives, then creating lessons and activities for students). As far as the standards that I am using for my classes, I am implementing 2 standards from TESOL.org.  I am teacher in the Korean public school system and all standards created by the Ministry of Education are printed in the Korean Language. Because all South Korean ESL teachers are required to be TESOL/TEFL certified, I chose TESOL.org's standards as their standards are the general "go to" for ESL teachers around the world. South Korea hosts its own chapter of the TESOL association called KOTESOL; my provincial chapter meets monthly in the city of Gwangju.

I didn't choose these two particular standards just for this unit's assignments, I chose them because I use them EVERYDAY and as an ESL teacher, I live by them. Almost every single lesson that I teach implements these 2 standards in some way. The 2 standards are as follows:

• Usage of the four language domains: Speaking, listening, reading, and writing. 
• English language learners communicate for social, intercultural, and instructional purposes within the school setting.

                                        

Proficiencies 

Proficiency 1: Increase writing opportunities

Goal: Students will engage in a weekly writing activity that will focus on         developing a certain skill such as creative vocabulary use, the correct               format of a sentence or the peer evaluation (through group work).

Activity: Mind mapping! We usually do at least two short writing activities within that time. I assign a topic and shout "go," and students have five minutes with their peers to write their response or group essay. Mind mapping has become a favorite activity with my students. Mind mapping has expanded my students' vocabulary knowledge by "light years!" It is a fun way for them to associate and remember English words. Mind mapping, I have found is a better way for them to remember and retain newly learned vocabulary. 

In lesson 4 we learned about boat schools in Cambodia!

Assessment(s): Direct observation by teacher (me) and peer observation (group critique). When students contribute to a group writing project (always on the dry erase white boards) and present the group answer or response to the class, students are less likely to feel "judged" individually. It's the group answer/written response that is being critiqued which gives them a sense of anonymity (this is very important to Korean students as classroom culture is Confucian collectivism as opposed to individuality). After each group presents their white board answer to the class, we "deconstruct" the sentence together as a class for us to "improve together." I have found that my Korean ESL students are more open to being critiqued when it is done in this manner rather than with a red "x" on their work which is the way Korean teachers I want to focus less on mechanics and more on the message. I always tell my students that grammar is important, but expressing you how feel is even more important!

Proficiency 2: Increase speaking opportunities (to foster confidence)

Goal: I cannot overstate how important this proficiency is. It is my "mission," if you will! My goal is to have every student speak at least twice every single class. There is a huge gap in my classes in speaking ability. The students that attend hagwon (private academy) speak well and can carry a conversation. The students who do not attend after school hogwans struggle with responding to "how are you?"

The Korean school system teaches students to memorize grammar for testing. The average Korean student's grammar is probably much better than the average American. However, they cannot speak the language. Many Korean students take the TOEIC exam to assess their English knowledge and they score high. A high school is desired for admission to a prestigous university or job interview. However, if you ask them where the bathroom is, they stumble and are unable to speak. This is real problem and the Ministry of Education is fixing this problem by bringing native English teachers to Korea to teach conversational classes (me!). In my class we do a lot of "ping ponging."

Activity: Ping Pong warm up! This is an awesome activity and assessment rolled into one! I choose one student, that student stands up. I ask the student a question (usually over what is being studied in that particular lesson or unit), the student answers me, then they get to choose their friend, and the friend stands up....and so on, so on. It takes pressure off the students, because it is not me, the teacher, that is calling them out to speak. It's their peers/classmates, and it works well. My students smile and have a good time with that because I give points. I keep a running tally on the front board. If students ask the question without emotion or sound like a robot, they get a "minus one" point. If they read well with good pronounciation, then their team get's a point. If they have speak loudly, clearly, and with good intonation and pitch (along with emotion), they get 2 points. This has increased their speaking confidence tremendously. When a student is choosing who they will select to speak with, all of the students are raising their hands, saying "me, me, choose me!" It is music to my ears! I don't correct them either while they are speaking. I never single out a student. After the exercise is over, I usually say to them, "hey guys, I noticed we were saying that, but we should be saying this! I like

Proficiency 3: Increase cultural awareness

Goal: To raise my student's cultural awareness by doing a group project in EVERY. SINGLE. UNIT. My students, though I love them, aren't exactly the most culturally aware students. In fact, many times they say things that come across as racially insensitive. They don't mean to, but they live in one of the most homogeneous societies in the world. When I showed them a video on South Africa, they were shocked! They think Africa is all huts, lions, and giraffes. They have many preconceptions on Americans, especially with our food and clothing preferences. I challenge my students and make them "think outside the box." I tell them to "throw out" everything they think they know about other cultures and start fresh. I find the ABSOLUTE BEST WAY to make my students think or "teach them a lesson" is to put them in someone's shoes and make them think about what that person experiences. My goal is to teach students at least one slang and cultural "tidbit" in every single lesson. The textbook English is stiff and at times, odd sounding. I tell my students that they need to learn the grammar, however, I teach them common slang usage as well. I told my co-teacher from the beginning that not only am I an ESL teacher but I'm also a cultural ambassador. Why fly a teacher over from the USA if you don't take advantage of his cultural background?! I want my students to sound natural and speak confidently when they speak in English. When I explain everyday usage (my students have come to expect this), they ALL pay attention. They like and appreciate this and I've heard them use what they've learned in the hallway. (Insert smiley face here...proud teacher moment)!  

Activity: Choose a country and let's go there! Objective: you are no longer Korean! You are American, Canadian, or any nationality that you choose. You need to convince our class why your country is the best country to travel to. My students love competition, so they get into this. I give them a class period to research tidbits and create a travel poster and come up with a fun "selling point." The next class period; students present there findings and poster. We do cultural activities like this often, because in ESL, culture is just as important as grammar, I think. I think it is important to know some cultural background before attempting to speak that country's language. 

Assessment: Teacher observation (from me and my co-teacher). We interact with students during their presentation and ask questions. I call this "probing," I will ask my students many questions to assess their knowledge of what they are presenting. They do a really good job with this and impress me quiet often! 

References

Standards. (n.d). TESOL International Organization. Retrieved June 17, 2017 from: http://www.tesol.org/advance-the-field/standards