Job Interview Success Workshop - Part 2, lesson plan – WSI

Professional development | Job Interview Success Workshop - part 2 – WSI

narrative
   

Class almost started on time, though was held up again by the previous 'encounter' (level checking and passing class), but this time by 3 minutes only – it took another 3 or 4 minutes to seat the learners, collect my materials and get settled. Class went only 10 minutes overtime this time, so I almost contained it within the 60 minute target, but ultimately it spilled over just a little. 

It's worth mentioning my morning was completely overthrown by some unforeseen things at home in the flat and as a result I got to the institute just on time, with just not enough time to make up some of the posters I would need. In the end I whipped them up during an activity whilst the learners were kept busy. 

Despite a few late arrivals, class started well, with some revision linking part 1 with part 2 nicely. Learners sat at 3 tables, 4 per table. After some fumbling about I found and distributed two of the three job advertisements I had prepared for the groups, and for the missing third I used one I had reserved for the next activity. Learners at that group would reuse their job ad. 

Learners worked together thinking up questions regarding each job. I whipped up some posters containing examples of some good questions to ask in an interview. Learners were in the right state of mind.

I then moved onto writing the stages of an interview in a jumbled order on the white-board, above that the durations for each stage, also out of order. The learners helped me to put them into order, and we quickly moved onto the next matching activity – eliciting useful language for each interview stage, as planned, I felt would have slowed us too much. 

After 10 minutes learners in every group had matched cards containing interview questions to their responses, there were both 'good' and 'poor' response cards. Having all my materials and papers in different places about the room, I wasn't there enough to check their doubts and find the right answers with them very much, but I helped were I could, and I was confident at first glance that they were matching the right cards. I later found the answer sheet I needed hidden amongst some papers. Learners got a lot of great practice here reading for information and speaking. 

The groups then each came up with the  the main duties of a given job I gave them on a printout. I listed some more on the board, then elicited qualities a person for the post would need. Here I forgot to talk about the covering letter also on the printout, and about whether they thought the applicant will have been successful/ suited the position. That question, I planted after the interview role-play between me and one learner, and everyone agreed the although the covering letter was good, the interview was very poor: that they wouldn't have hired her. We discussed reasons why. I used my lesson guide to help. 

Finally, I took down some of learners' dream jobs. They were, journalist, paediatrician, president, football coach. I gave out homework: to think of several skills and qualities for each of these jobs as they were going to use them in interviews throughout the course, and the next class. I also gave out 'words for work' vocabulary printouts for their studying. 

I introduced briefly the next class telling them to take the interview seriously and that I'll be bringing a video camera! 

report

Planning                                     | A | 

Classroom Management             | C | Work on time management - finish the encounter early!

Use of Resources Aids               | B | (forgot class schedule slips). Materials not easy to find in class/disorganised.

Manner and Rapport                  | C | eye contact! perhaps lost some attention looking for papers etc

Dealing with Language Issues   | n/a| (lesson was task-based)

Dealing with Error                     | A |

Dealing with Individuals            | A |

Achievement of Aims                | A |        

Summary/ Feedback                  | A |         

Job Interview Success Workshop - Part 1, materials, lesson plan – WSI

Professional development | Job Interview Success Workshop - Part 1 – WSI

narrative -   

Class started 10 minutes late owing to the earlier 'encounter' (level checking and passing class), and went about 15 minutes overtime. We were 36 minutes into the lesson plan at the 60 minute mark! We sat in a horseshoe seating arrangement. I went over the course plan and objectives, basic rules, punctuality etc. and then confirmed everyone's attendance for the 4-part course. 

Not everyone was using the target language during the 'greetings & introductions' activity after we had had elicited them onto the whiteboard, I reminded them a few times by pointing to the board.

We lacked a bigger room for the T.P.R activity and as such I could only nominate six or so learners for it. But they walked around the room simulating the body language and actions I called out, from slouched to a straight, confident posture. I let three carry on for the next bit picking up armfuls of items I'd placed around the room. The whole class gradually saw the point of it: by taking as little as possible to an interview, one folder in fact, there is no worry about where it all goes when one arrives. 

Groups briefly discussed three concerns regarding job interviews. 

Learners read hand-out '12 top interview hints'. Most had finished a little after the given time (reading for gist). Quick feedback. I drew their attention to the 'life priorities' poster.  Words such as money, family, work, friends (see below) were put in order by level of importance, with a little repeating of instructions here and there. Everyone finished in 2 minutes, and then some quick feedback. 

The class was very engaged at this point, but I was now overdue for my 'encounter' and there was another class waiting to use the room. Learners quickly gathered in the centre of the room and I called out from my lesson guide various job priorities such as long hours v short hours, team v individual. Responding quickly learners stood either to the left or to the right indicating their decision, and explained briefly why. 

I then revealed to them a poster containing various jobs and we talked about which of the previous  priorities would matched them. Learners thought about which jobs would suit them. 

There was no time for feedback. I did announce the next class before leaving.

There were no great departures from the original plan. If we hadn't been running behind I would have liked to have a full 10 minutes for discussion after 'concerns about the interview' task. It would have been nice to have time to add more jobs to the posters I'd stuck up.

key event

 

I frightened a learner at the beginning, moving quickly towards them in front of the class, in the 'greetings & body language' part. I might be moving too fast around the room.

report

Planning                                     | A | 

Classroom Management             | C | *for leaners not understanding an activity (after instruction checking), rather than going over it as a class again, approach them and let the others begin. Work on time management. Nominating and using names was good.

Use of Resources Aids               | A | *posters, realia, class schedule slips

Manner and Rapport                  | B |

Dealing with Language Issues   | n/a| (lesson was task-based)

Dealing with Error                     | A |

Dealing with Individuals            | A |

Achievement of Aims                | A |        

Summary/ Feedback                  | D |  no time left for feedback!