7th hour of observation – 3 more to go!
Adult class – High Beginners
I always try to write new things about every class I observe, however, this one was fairly standard.
Therefore, to avoid repeating from the other observations, I’m going to point out a few things I thought were interesting.
- T. used her hands to show word contractions for “I would” becomes “I’d”.
- T. used the “listen and repeat” method a lot to help her students retain information better.
- After a few repetitions, T. felt her students’ voice lowering and losing “Umph”, so she tried to bring back some momentum with some encouraging praises.
- She didn’t only rely on group activities to review her students, she individually reviewed them.
– She used the explicit method and corrected pronunciations on the spot. - She also used the elicitation method and relied on students to guess the answer to questions and activities.
- She encouraged group discussions and listened intently to the students pronunciation, but didn’t interrupt group activities unless she was asked a question.
- She wrote down students ideas on the board, making them feel that their contribution is essential to the progression of the class.
A couple of observations of the students:
- one student in particular was dominating the discussions in activities, however, no one else would speak.
- students participate less when asked about their opinions and ideas, but seem to participate altogether when they are given specific instructions (for example: listen and repeat).
