Michael Greenhalgh
1035 Chorley Old Road
BOLTON BL1 5SX
Thursday, 20th February 2003.
Dear Sirs,
During my experience as a Student-teacher on Work Based Experience, I have had an elderly gentleman who kept asking funny questions in English when the group was supposed to practise French keywords and sentences.
This is destracting but I am not facing a 16-year old but someone who could be my grand-father.
I would be most grateful if you could give me some hints with regard to the gentleman’s “misbehaviour”. Is it to hide shyness, learning difficulties or else?
Hoping for the best, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Greenhalgh
Re: Teaching French to a Mature Student
As to all of us who deal with adults there always must be a pranskster in the room. Like the previous message that you have received it is hard to give you the exact reason why this behaviour happens but a few things that you may be able to take into consideration. (Remembering that this is a place of mutual respect for both parties you the teacher and because the gentleman is your student you may both learn from each other).
A) Is the gentleman there because he wants to be?
B) Is the gentleman with a group of his peers or close to at least middle aged
adults
C)What is the response of the group to his behaviour, is he getting + or - results
D) Dose he feel that he cannot learn from some one he may view as a young
whippersnipper (if he that old )
These are just a few ideas you may want to ponder. I would thank your lucky stars that you actully had to deal with an individual such as this while you were on a practium, this will better perpare you for all those upstart you will meet later.
On of the things I have found useful in the past is to casually take the person aside after or before class and ask him what the problem is for him; and that you find it disrupting for the others in the class who are there to learn a different language and having to switch back and forth is not fair to the others.If he “get off” on this then answer him in French only and explain to him and the others that from the time the bell sound until the session ends that the only language spoken will be that of French and if any one has issues with this then maybe they are in the wrong class.
Remember although their is an age differance this man for what ever reason came to learn somthing he dosen’t know that you do. So he of all the people in the rom should understand that respect is something that is earned and not given just because of age. But you as the teacher must also understand that in order to command respect from all in your class you must lead by example with confidance and a firm but gentle hand in teaching those who came to learn.
As well you must understand that all disruptive behaviour may not be because of a disability maybe the old COOTE is just CRUSTY and maybe the choice of a different teacher may be a solution to this delimia, maybe the difficulty is with him and not your teaching pratices.
Bonnie
It’s hard to even guess at what’s going on without more details. Can you describe more specifically what happens? How old is this person? Is there any pattern to his responses, both the appropriate ones and the inappropriate ones?It seems more likely what’s happening is age related than some sort of LD.