Display Board Activity

Friends, giving extra practice without overshadowing other subjects is often a matter of concern for a teacher like me. Here is another activity that I tried recently with my 9^th and 10^th grade students. I found it fruitful. Hence, I am sharing it. I prefer calling this activity as Display Board Activity. Like the name suggests, Display Board plays an important role in this activity. Display Board could also be a notice board often used to put up notices or another similar kind of board outside the classroom. 

Objectives:

1)      To give extra practice of vocabulary and grammar

2)      To help students prepare for exam oriented questions

Procedure:

1.      On a particular day and date, I put up 8 to 10 questions based on vocabulary and grammar on the Display Board (notice board, as you may call it)

2.      I give my students a week’s time to copy it down and solve it.

3.      They can copy these questions during lunch break or any other short break. (The idea is to not to hinder the regular classes)

4.      During the whole week, students may take my guidance (if they feel the need).

5.      After exactly a week, I put up ANSWERS too. For example: If I had put up questions on 7 July 2015, Tuesday, I will put up answers on 13 July 2015, Tuesday.

6.      Students check their answers with mine and make corrections if necessary.

7.      With answers for previous week’s questions, I also put up next week’s questions based on grammar and vocabulary. 

Advantages:

1.      Students get extra practice.

2.      It’s not compulsory. Hence, students, who think need the extra practice only may take it up. (It’s less burdening, as it isn’t compulsory)

3.      Students get ample of time to solve it.

4.      Students can do it at their leisure.

5.      Students get a sense of achievement when they see their answers are correct!!

6.      Teacher is free from evaluation process(often considered as time consuming)

Disadvantages:

1.      Below average students may not be interested in this.

2.      Sometimes, students may take down questions but may not attempt for answering them or may even keep them incomplete.

3.      There is least scope to check if the students’ answers are correct or not. Hence, no monitoring is possible.