Which training courses would you like to have access to as a teacher? Why? Which is, in your opinion, the best way to share good practice amongst teaching professionals? Why?

This is a difficult question but I really would like to enroll in physical education  specific course about high school. It is truth that I have been studying it during five years but I feel the need to learn much more teaching ability. From my point of view, the degree need to have much more teaching content in stead of knowledge about a speciality such as History, physical Education, science or arts  and craft. 

As far as I'm concerned, I would like to look for pedagogic methods or new technologies because I want to encourage pupils in their aspirations.  So,  I think that each teacher must go to other high school from foreign country (such as United Kingdom or Ireland) to improve and share English lessons. It is important that you will be able to have experience from other places because can use it in the future. 

Talking from experience, teachers can find useful courses in Valencia. For example, CEFIRE offers some courses and it would be interesting to do it. They give hours to develop the learning activities and it is not in the free time. Train abroad is a fantastic idea because it have different point of view  about your subject.

Nowadays, the educational community explores different ways to learn new foreign methods. There are many advantages which can analyze: First, departaments of schools, being the closest to the teacher circle, would be a framework to exchange experiences in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Second, Teachers can share teaching materials, strategies, news and even speech on the different areas through the Internet. Third, the teacher knows first han the educational system, in which is integrated and can get methods that could transfer their workplace. Finally, the teacher might participate as an observer, or even working in practical training.

In my opinion, the best way to share good practice amongst teaching professionals is the community of practice. But this sort of communities should be interdisciplinar, that should be conformed by teachers of different subjects. But the key point is the fact of sharing each one's experience with the aim of reaching a common criteria making it easier for pupils to understand what they are learning.  Also, it would help to solve those difficulties we might find in our day to day.

If you were not limited by the demands of the national/regional curriculum, what would you say is the most important thing you would teach your students about your subject (in a CLIL context)? How would you assess their learning?

                  The Curriculum is a good way to organize all the country/region school system, but there are some specific necessities that it can be covered.  The main contents that I choose to teach my subject, Physical Education at High school, are based on these elements: Body language, physical abilities, and the development of the movement.

         I would carry out the theory about physical abilities , explaining to my pupils how they can simply identify the difference between speed, strength, endurance and flexibility. I would try to develop my lessons an easy and scaffolding way to compare, order, analyse, drawing and explain different features about each ability.

         Talking from experience , the whole subject has a goal, to promote the healthy life, to do physical activity and appreciate it’s development along with physical abilities. This way will gives  students new focus in their every day life because they will be able to integrate physical activity in their day to day.

         It is really important that we know the steps in a CLIL lesson. The first step is to determinate if we are working with a communicative competence or with a content knowledge. The second step would be to have a content and language descriptors that I’m going to  need in preparing the task concerned for the CLIL unit. One content descriptor could be:  “To do a warm up and to complete a task sheet” and I could use this language descriptor: “ I can understand what is the warm up and its importance for the physical activity”.  The language descriptor must be prepared with “Can do” established by A2 and B2 levels. The task must be assessed in each skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and writing.

   The rubric in which this content and communication will be assessed must be well designed with the contents that I just mentioned before. It’s important that we carefully prepare it because it is going to be useful to analyze the evolution of our pupils and the whole teaching process.

Taking into account my personal teaching context, what would be the advantages and disadvantages of using the ELP with my groups?

         More and more people use different tools for self-assessment of language competences. If we look for information, we will notice that the European Language Portfolio is a useful “document” which provides information on its owner’s (the language learner’s) communication competences in several languages.  For example, It may accompany the language learner wherever one travels, just like a passport, and it may serve as evidence for a variety of purposes, such as: job interviews, applications for a study grant or mobility through-out Europe and beyond. Then, I would like to analyse the advantages and disadvantages from my point of view.

         On the one hand, we can find different reason to support the ELP. First, It is really interesting to stimulate lifelong language learning in a spirit of tolerance and respect for cultural and linguistic diversity. Second, we need to empower the learner by transferring the responsibility for language learning from the teacher to the learner. Third, we must promote a basis for consistent (self-) assessment of communication competences. After, we can use it allow learners to present their language skills certifications in any language, at any level, in a clearly understandable way. Also, people of all ages can use ELP and it can record their language learning and cultural experiences at school or outside school. Furthermore, it is a good way to transmit the responsibility showing the comprehension of concepts toward students. Finally, It contributes to the promotion of democratic citizenship in Europe.

         On the other hand, it is require time and energy between learners and teacher. Second, It requires a greater refining process in the evaluation. Finally, there is little evidence that it will be reliable and valid because there is little research about it.

         Talking from experience, I have found much more advantages than disadvantages and I would use the ELP with my groups. Nevertheless, I would combine it with other resources more dynamic. It is really important to use the best resource in the right context independent.  

PRESENTING AND PRACTICING LANGUAGE

   It’s truth that one cannot expect the children to say something if they have never heard before. For this reason, it’s very important to present new language in a right context.

  The practice, personalization and recycling are useful tools to look for our best context. First, they can practice it using different skills such as speaking, writing, listening or reading. Second, Personalization is a useful way to extend the free practice of a particular. Finally, As  your students progress through the units and courses, they will accumulate more and more language. It is essential that they recycle this language very frequently so they do not forget the language they have learned in previous units.

  

 Talking from experience,  I would like to say that if  you want to transmit knowledge in English, you must present the content in a original way, using our skills, and accumulating more language without forgetting the above.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION THROUGH ENGLISH GAMES...

      Physical Education is very popular subject in CLIL. Although, It's very difficult to find research about it. Evidence show positive effects despite the lack of specific PE-in CLIL. 

      I think that tasks need to be balanced and efficient order to improve integrated learning. The truth is that games are very useful to teach my subject. For this reason, english games have to be a mixture of motivation, effectiveness and teaching strategies.

  The use of games in English have many advantages: To introduce a physical ability that will be practice reciprocally in groups through English, to encourage learners to explain (english language) in groups in order to learn how to play them or alternate highly demanding motor games with problem solving or linguistic tasks in rest phrases.  

   Talking from experience, I have been working as a teacher for two years and I have had to teach PE in English. I realized that tasks need to support through body language and imitation to teach the contents. The key is the motivation and the way to explain the tasks.

THE BEST TEACHER...

The best teacher shouldn't  only motivating students to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful, and memorable. 

My favorite teacher train students as consumers of knowledge. It’s about doing your best to keep on top of your field. is about listening, questioning being responsive, and remembering that each student and class is different. 

One teacher not always having a fixed agenda and being rigid, but being flexible and experimenting, and having the confidence to react and adjust to changing circumstances.

My teacher has good mood. It’s about being self-deprecating and not taking yourself too seriously.

From my point of view, one teacher develops minds and talents. He is often invisible, to every student, because they don't see the work behind each class.

The perfect teacher is the leader of the class. He is supported by strong and visionary leadership, and very tangible instructional support resources, personnel, and funds.

In conclusion, my best teacher is Jose Luís Garrido López (my primary school teacher) because I was able to do my best thanks to him.