A learning curve for who??

My blog is looking rather boring from the lack of entries already. Its late and still burning the midnight oil supposedly on an assignment but the internet is a lovely procrastinating tool. I was up late last nite as I had a lesson to teach this morning which I passed thanks be to Le Atua.
It was quite a frustrating lesson. I started off trying to set the context through generating interest from the class about their favourite bands and singers. No one responded. I felt like hitting my head on the whiteboard but collected myself and proceeded with the task at hand. Its funny I wrote it as an anticipated problem in my lesson plan that due to cultural or personal choice the students might not be interested in bands or singers. However I thought a couple would show interest but zilch, nada. It was the case of who cares what Madonna or Lionel Richie does? I guess it didn't help that only six people showed today normally there are twelve students.
The lesson was a listening comprehension and there were all these bands that were mentioned that even I had never heard of. Anyway in the end I spent too much time trying to generate interest but pushed on through the lesson. I managed to conduct all my tasks after that and met my lesson aims which I am thankful for. Next time I must LOOK at the clock and stick pictures around the room instead of trying to hold up flash cards when they were obviously not interested. Hey I'm learning, give me a break. I ended up talking way too much than anticipated. The key in these lessons is to let the students discuss amongst themselves and talk more and the teacher just monitors and sets tasks. The more the students speak the more fluent they become and they get to practice the language.
Better luck in the next lesson.