Advice for a tough TY class, calling all language teachers!

NoelleTh

Haigh,

Tá cuidiú de dhíth le bhur dtoil!! Níor mhúin mé an IB roimh seo agus ní raibh IB sa scoil roimhe seo fresin, tá an rang gnáthleibhéal agam agus tá siad an lag agus iontach cainteach agus callánach agus is fuath leo an Ghaeilge!:(

Tá an scéim le scríobh agam agus níl clú dá laghad agam cad a dhéanfaidh mé leo, tá an leabhar Make the Transition acu ach sílim go mbeadh sé ró-dheacair doibh. Tá mé i bhfoirgneamh nua tógtha faoi láthair agus níl clár bán nó rud ar bith agam!

Bhéinn fíor buíoch as aon comhairle a bhfuil agaibh!

Hi,
Help needed!! I've never had TYs before and this is the schools first year with them too! I have the ordinary level and it consists of 15 lads , who are the dreaded class of the school! They hate Irish and reckon TY is going to be a doss but the school want it to be very academic.

I have to write the scheme and I'm struggling with it, I have the book make the Transition but judging by the standard I have seen so far it is going to be far too difficult for them. To make matters worse I am in a new prefab that hasn't got a whiteboard or teachers desk at the minute and won't for the next 3 weeks!!

Any advice or ideas would be great!

I wrote this in Irish and English because other language teachers might have some ideas!

bearhugs

Do you have access to the Internet at all? Would it be possible to use a laptop or iPhone and speakers to play raidio rira, www.rrr.ie, they do pop nuacht and sports news that can b played aloud, they also provide a transcript which you can print and use as a cloze test. You could bribe them with that maybe if they worked well all week? Or met certain targets? Sometimes with TY project work can be great, could you get them to do a project in an aspect of Irish culture? That way it could be something they are more interested in. Showing the projects somewhere when they are done can motivate them more. The NCCA used to give Irish teachers a DVD of short films, were great. Clare sa Speir and caca milis are on it along with a few more. Can make question sheets on them and again, good for a bribe!

RealJohn

Más fuath leo an Gaeilge agus tá siad san IB, caith an leabhar amach. An sprioc atá agat ná an droch íomhá atá acu a athrú.

Lig dóibh an rang a stiúrú. Lig dóibh ábhar na ceachta a phiocadh, rud atá suim acu ann agus an ceacht ná a bheith ag labhairt faoi an ábhar sin. Mínigh dóibh má tá siad sásta é sin a dhéanamh, ní bheidh orthu ranganna Gaeilge a chaitheamh ag scríobh agus ag foghlaim faoi rudaí nach bhfuil suim acu ann ach mura comhoibríonn siad go mbeidh ort gnáth ranganna a dhéanamh dóibh.

Ní múinteoir Gaeilge mé ach sin a dhéanfainn.

Google Translate wrote:

If they hate the Irish and taking IB, throw the book out. Your goal is to change their bad image.

Let them conduct the class. Let them pick the lesson content, which is interested in and the lesson is to talk about this topic. Explain to them if they are willing to do so, will not have classes to spend writing and learn about things that interested but if they collaborate they need to make normal classes.

I only Irish teacher would do that.

Toto Wolfcastle

You are more than welcome to post in Irish but please post a translation in English also. This goes for all languages. Thanks.

RealJohn

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

You are more than welcome to post in Irish but please post a translation in English also. This goes for all languages. Thanks.

With all due respect, this is an Irish board and the topic was posed by an Irish teacher. I realise that boards.ie is not a democracy but Irish is our national language and being asked to post a translation is little better than the behaviour of those who actively tried to kill the language in the first place. If people have to post translations of everything they post in Irish, people simply won't post in Irish because it will be too much trouble to do so.

It would be different if I'd posted in a language that only a minority of people has studied or in Irish in a topic that had nothing to do with the subject but under these circumstances, I think it's a bit much.

Toto Wolfcastle

It's a long standing Boards convention. If you wish to discuss this further take it to PM rather than posting in this thread again. Thanks.

bearhugs

Bit much. Im posting in English because I'm using my iPhone and the autocorrect is a nightmare. Didn't think the OP seemed to mind what language posters answered in. In fairness, there is an Irish language section of boards that the OP did not choose to post in, preferring to ask many teachers instead of just Irish teachers.

Toto Wolfcastle

Please read this post by the Boards.ie Community Manager.

Any more off-topic posting will result in infractions being handed out.

Thanks.

rainbowtrout

RealJohn wrote: »

With all due respect, this is an Irish board and the topic was posed by an Irish teacher. I realise that boards.ie is not a democracy but Irish is our national language and being asked to post a translation is little better than the behaviour of those who actively tried to kill the language in the first place. If people have to post translations of everything they post in Irish, people simply won't post in Irish because it will be too much trouble to do so.

It would be different if I'd posted in a language that only a minority of people has studied or in Irish in a topic that had nothing to do with the subject but under these circumstances, I think it's a bit much.

Other teachers who don't teach Irish or have a great command of it may have ideas suitable for this TY group but won't be able to post if the thread is in Irish and they don't understand it properly.

OP, there was a thread about things to do with an Irish group about a week or two ago on here, so if you go back through the threads you are sure to find it. There were a number of ideas on that you might be able to use.

whiteandlight

I'm not an Irish teacher so I won't abuse the language by attempting to translate this into Irish but I'm a maths teacher and had a similar attitude pass class in TY last year.

Stay away from the book if at all possible. Have them get a copy for Irish (let them leave it in the room when they don't have homework-easier to have it in class then) and use that with worksheets. For me the trick was doing new/different topics. The scheme of work suggested algebra to start the year with but I had to toss it out after two weeks as it was just solidifying their hatred for the subject.

We spent much of the year working on new/different topics. Among other topics we worked on three topics that would be on the LC that weren't on the JC which meant they didn't have any preconceptions on them. We didn't get to anywhere near LC standard but they were given an introduction and some of the basics needed. I'm not sure how well this would work for you but maybe spending a lot of time on oral work? I think that is on the LC and not the JC.

Making the class hands on and practical as much as possible as opposed to lecture style helped a lot. However be careful-I introduced group work a little too soon and the class descended into farce! I was more careful later, working individually on WS's, building up into pairs and finally into groups for a project.

Some ideas (some I've done, some I haven't).
Presentation of a project or research: This might work for you if they have to present in Irish, maybe later in the year. Even if they end up reading it off the powerpoint it is good practise.

Recording: If you have a way of recording students work or helping them make and edit a video it could be a great way to encourage them to learn the language. Maybe make an Irish sports interview (one person the interviewer, the other the interviewee), discussion of a tv show through irish or basically any topic but the video needs to be through Irish?

Website vocab practise: I'm not sure if there is much out there for Irish but for example I found this http://arithmetic.zetamac.com/ which I used in the computer room with the class. The class did a module where they recorded and monitored their scores with several prizes at the end including best individual time on each day at the computers, best % improvement from day to day among others. It did help motivate them a little and although they did get tired of it they had improved significantly in basic arithmetic which is very important.

Thats all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll come back to you if I come up with anything else!

RealJohn

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Other teachers who don't teach Irish or have a great command of it may have ideas suitable for this TY group but won't be able to post if the thread is in Irish and they don't understand it properly.

OP, there was a thread about things to do with an Irish group about a week or two ago on here, so if you go back through the threads you are sure to find it. There were a number of ideas on that you might be able to use.

I know this is off-topic and I apologise to all for continuing with the off-topic posting but I wasn't criticising anyone for posting in english here. I was simply stating my displeasure and disappointment that I was being asked to post a translation when I was replying to someone who clearly does speak Irish.
Again, as I alluded to, the english used to make us speak english in our own country. I find it shameful that Irish people are still being told that they must speak english even when speaking to another Irish speaker (and there's more of it in the thread on the supposed shortage of Irish teachers).
It's a crying shame.

NoelleTh

Míle buíochas gach duine! Thanks everyone, I'm happy for responses as Gaeilge or in English!

All ideas are great, radio rí-rá especially altho I dont know if they'll see it as a treat!? Can play it through my phone till I get my interactive whiteboard put in...which is hopefully sooner rather than later!
I totally agree with the throwing the book out the window idea it'll do nothing to improve their grá for Irish! I'm only new to the school too so I think alot of this is them testing me, I really want to device a programme that will engage them and improve their outlook on Irish, wishful thinking maybe? Just got a bit overwhelmed there and had a mental block of what to do, coming back and having only a day to plan doesn't help!

Go raibh maith agaibh arís a chairde

seavill

Oh dear god!

Anyway building on an idea above, another idea would be, depending on the area you are from, if there is a Gaeltacht area in your county and there are maybe county GAA stars from the Gaeltacht, the students could try interview them, obviously have to come up with the questions themselves, and then maybe record and translate the interview afterwards. Could also work with a TV personality or something like that.

Another thing might be if there is a Gaelscoil in your area and maybe in TY if they are doing a soccer or GAA coaching or something like this, that they go to the primary school and put on the training session in Irish, again a lot of research and planning to be able to say the correct terms to the kids.

purplepapillon

Hi Noelle

Best thing I remember about Irish from school was TY. Had a substitute and he covered a lot of interesting stuff with us. We watched lots of Hector programmes in Bolivia and all sorts of far flung places. Also watched Yu Ming is Ainm Dom (which is on youtube) which is a great short! We studied Ogham for a while and drew out names, sentences and so on. It was interesting to link with Irish history. We also did a few weeks on Irish tourism, how to promote the country to tourists, but pretending they all speak Irish I'd echo what others have said about the book. Although your school wants you to make the content "academic", that doesn't mean reading and writing. Seeing as it's 40% for the oral now, I guess a lot of work on that, that's academic. Emphasise the 40% throughout the year! Perhaps you could get them to work on individual projects at the start, in the library or computer room, researching a topic they are interested in, and present it to the class. First thing I would do if I were you, reflect on why you enjoy Irish, and then you can work that into your plans.

Go n'éirigh an bóthar leat! (agh Irish??! Good luck )

Fuinseog

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

It's a long standing Boards convention. If you wish to discuss this further take it to PM rather than posting in this thread again. Thanks.

the OP seems to be looking for assistance with Irish class. writing in Irish addresses the issue at hand and dissuades posters from giving their opinions on why Irish is shiite or an important part of our heritage.

whiteandlight

Fuinseog wrote: »

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

It's a long standing Boards convention. If you wish to discuss this further take it to PM rather than posting in this thread again. Thanks.

the OP seems to be looking for assistance with Irish class. writing in Irish addresses the issue at hand and dissuades posters from giving their opinions on why Irish is shiite or an important part of our heritage.

But teachers like me who cannot speak it cannot contribute and I would argue that my post was constructive and on topic despite not being an Irish teacher

seavill

Yes but it also reduces the amount of people who have experience that can help her. The OP didn't seem to have an issue with translating, just others since, if she does not have an issue others should take that issue to a different thread rather than sending this off topic.

Several people who have responded in English have given some very good ideas, the ones I posted were extremely successful for our Irish teachers in the past, the kids loved it. I would not have been able to respond in Irish or understood the question in the first place but am willing to offer ideas if I can.

The issue with Irish is being discussed in another thread leave it there and let ideas come out for the OP's irish class or even other teachers in other subjects may also pick up ideas here. I suggested one I read here yesterday to one of our Irish teachers today and she loved the idea and will use it.

RealJohn

Nobody's saying you shouldn't answer in english though. My only issue was with being told I had to include a translation of my post when the OP was obviously quite happy to accept advice in Irish and my post was directed at the OP, not at anyone else.

seavill

RealJohn wrote: »

Nobody's saying you shouldn't answer in english though. My only issue was with being told I had to include a translation of my post when the OP was obviously quite happy to accept advice in Irish and my post was directed at the OP, not at anyone else.

Start a new thread and get support to get the usual convention on boards re languages changed.

Continuing pointing out the same thing when the op has no issue is completely dragging this off topic. Let the good ideas stand out rather than continuing an argument that you are the only one having. No one has really disagreed with you in what you are saying they just made the point that this way everyone can offer advice and the op now may get more out of it.

If you don't want to start a new thread on it maybe pm some of the mods or the administrators to get the policy changed. I would imagine its to do with the fact that the mods would not be able to speak languages enough to be able to mod properly so if people keep posting in various languages on various threads it would make things very hard to moderate and lead to legal difficulties for the site rather than the fact they are against Irish or any other language. I think the argument on another thread has effected how upset you are about the issue on this page

spurious

RealJohn wrote: »

Nobody's saying you shouldn't answer in english though. My only issue was with being told I had to include a translation of my post when the OP was obviously quite happy to accept advice in Irish and my post was directed at the OP, not at anyone else.

You are continuing to question a mod's decision.
Please stop.

NoelleTh

Oh deary me! I really never intended to spark any kind of debate with my question :eek:

I greatly appreciate all replys and suggestions in English or as Gaeilge