Reflective Summary

The TESL internship experience obtained at the British International School Kiribathgoda was indeed remarkable. The internship was to be conducted in a situation where the government schools were on vacation and the undergraduates were requested to find international schools. The school that I completed my internship with was selected by the University itself and I am grateful for the opportunity provided. 

I commenced my teaching practicum on the 1st of January 2024 and was able to complete the program by the 7th of February 2024. The school that I attended was a small school with very few students and teachers. In order to complete the 45 hours of teaching, I was required to attend both morning and evening school held at the premises. The morning school consisted of pre-grade and grade 01 classes. The evening school had a variety of grades. I was given grade 01 for morning school, while grade 02 and grade 06 classes for evening school to complete the internship. Grade 01 classes were conducted in the mornings and English lessons were held from 9.00am - 11.00am. Grade 02 classes were conducted on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4.00pm - 6.00pm and grade 06 classes were conducted on Mondays from 4.00 pm - 6.00pm. As instructed, all students were supposed to refer to the Nelson English Pupils Book for their respective grades. Grade 01: Nelson English Pupil Book 1, Grade 02: Nelson English Book 2, Grade 06: Nelson English Book 6. Accordingly, it was necessary to complete the lessons and activities from the Nelson English Pupils Book.

As a TESL undergraduate, making the lesson fun and interesting was my goal. At the university, even though I was taught to create lesson plans and creative activities for an English as a second language context especially tailored to the government school context, it did not apply to the context of the British International school, Kiribathgoda. Adhering to the activities provided in the Nelson English Pupil Book was especially mentioned by my mentor. However, the mode of delivery, the method of instruction, the teaching techniques I used, I believe were unique to my teaching style. Moreover, it is essential to highlight that the textbook is up to standard and is a valuable resource as the components namely: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Punctuation practice, Vocabulary focus, Grammar focus was given separately for each lesson with relevant activities to improve the student’s interest and competence. Interesting images and colours were incorporated in every textbook. According to the teaching practices at British International school, completing the lessons and activities from the textbooks was the goal provided to achieve.

Initially, I observed the students and their competence in order to adapt my teaching style to cater to their needs. To my surprise, almost every student is competent in their use of the English language compared to the students from a government school context. It is evident because the mode of instruction and the family backgrounds of the students at British International play a pivotal role. All the students were bilingual whose first language is Sinhala, yet there was less influence from their first language because they have been using English daily. The teaching-learning process was interesting because the students were active participants who took responsibility for their learning. I had to use various teaching techniques to make the learning fun. For example: discussions, games, videos, and songs especially the incorporation of technology into my teaching.

Since there were very few students in the classroom, grabbing their attention was a challenge. Especially students from the grade 01 class which consisted of 04 students. The grade 01 students are extremely playful and talkative. It is important to pay attention to their learning as it is their first stage of learning how to pronounce, read, and write. In order to grab their attention to the lesson I incorporated technology to show videos related to the lesson. Teaching songs based on the lesson was also a great solution to prevent misbehaviour in the classroom. The number of students in the school were disappointing at first, yet I believe it was a unique experience. Compared to a school which consists of 30 to 40 students in a class, this experience gave the opportunity to close -observe the students as a mother.

Challenges I faced in other grades were that there was a student in grade 02 given to me by the principal especially because this student was very slow and reluctant to write. I still remember the words said by the principal: “Can you try to teach this student? It is a challenge to teach her, she is very slow and never writes”. I was excited to get to teach that student because I believed that she is capable regardless of the impression she had given to the principal. The first thing I did when I met this student was, I talked with her, and I requested to know some information about her and her interests. She was very talkative, and her English speaking was of CEFR B1 Level for her grade. The only challenge is she gets distracted when she is given tasks to do on her own. I conducted a lesson with her using the discussion technique and got her writing answers for more than 03 activities from her textbook within the allocated time. It was indeed a joyous moment for me to experience this change in the student.

The most important challenge was the method of teaching. As advised by the principal, unlike in government schools, teachers at British International school do not “spoon - feed” the lessons. The teacher should explain the lesson and the concepts but not dig deep into the activities to provide answers. Since the textbook activities were self-explanatory, having completed the lesson, students were given time to complete the tasks on their own. Priority is given to student self-learning. Having that in mind, I had to change the teaching style from how I was taught to teach at a government school context into a more interesting style. I used discussion-based teaching incorporating real-life examples when teaching the lessons. That interested my students and I believe I addressed that challenge effectively.

Those who were slow writers, slow learners, and the mischievous ones proved that they had improved during my stay. To do so, I provided them the opportunity to teach me at certain points. I requested the students to use the whiteboard and explain certain concepts to the class and also, I provided the opportunity to express what they already knew to build confidence in themselves. Moreover, not only in academics, I also observed them grow personally through their behaviour and from what they shared with me.

I often provide on-the-spot feedback to help the students correct their mistakes and to avoid repetition of errors. Furthermore, peer feedback and group discussions have proven effective in the teaching-learning process.

Through my experience with diverse students and the application of various teaching methodologies, I've witnessed significant personal and professional growth throughout the practicum. One notable aspect of my growth is the development of adaptability and flexibility in adjusting teaching approaches to meet the unique needs of students.

The experience gained at the British International School will undoubtedly enrich my future career in teaching. I am eager to integrate the valuable insights and skills acquired during this practicum into my teaching practice, fostering student growth and success in diverse educational settings.

In conclusion, my practicum at the British International School Kiribathgoda has been transformative, fostering personal and professional growth. As I progress in my teaching career, I am dedicated to supporting students in navigating their educational paths with enthusiasm and guidance.