Jodie - CO #1

I observed Leslie’s Foundation Class in grammar on Monday, October 21^st.  There were 11 students in class.  Before the class began, Leslie put the agenda for the hour on the board.  She had the roll call and then slowly explained to them the rules on absences and tardiness.

Leslie used the students’ names throughout the class when she called on them to answer questions or when she asked them if they understood what was presented.  The pace of the class was neither too slow nor too fast.  I believe that she was aiming at the middle of the range of the class.  However, one of the male students was struggling throughout the entire class.  It did not seem that he had any English training prior to this class.  His pronunciation was way off, both with the words they reviewed and with the words from the day’s lesson.

The atmosphere of the class seemed friendly and somewhat relaxed.  It seemed that the students were trying to pay really close attention to the instructions.  The students participated eagerly, often with a couple of students softly answering while other students spoke out loud to answer when Leslie called on them.  Leslie moved around the classroom some while she taught.  She was confined to the front because she had to use the board. 

Leslie constantly tried to involve the students by asking them questions, sometimes as a class and sometimes as she called on an individual.  She reviewed what they had learned last week.  As she reminded the students about adjectives, one female student made a sentence about a classmate, “A. is very fat.”  Leslie gently said to the female student, “It was not nice to do that.” 

Leslie praised the students if they answered the questions correctly, and gently corrected them if their answers were incorrect.  The teaching method was completely student centered. The students participated by mostly just responding to questions.  A few students did initiate asking questions.  She called on the ones who were quiet so that everyone would have a chance.

Because of being a foundation class, a couple of students sometimes would speak their native tongue to translate or to clarify for other students who did not understand the materials. Leslie kept up the momentum in class.  Students were using English as they worked on the exercises.  The materials and activities were all related. There was a very clear beginning and end to the class.

Leslie came across as a teacher who loves teaching her foreign students.  She seemed to really care if her students were learning and making good progress.  I could tell that she was a bit exhausted toward the end of class due to a couple of students who had a hard time grasping the materials.  In all, Leslie seems to be an excellent teacher.  With more years behind her, she will become great.