John CO #3

Date/Time: June 22nd, 1:00pm-1:50pm

Topic/Skill: Speaking (Career Presentation) with Olivia James in class 4A.

Teacher Presentation: Explained the goal of the class (Career/University Presentations) in a concise manner as students have been working towards this goal since before the class I am observing today. There was no singular presentation of the exercise being completed and I assume that it has already been explained in a prior class. The multiple teachers did more individual statements of purpose to each student while trying to lead their presentation in a specific direction. 

Classroom Management: The teacher had the Class sit around the center and would approach students while speaking. Her confidence and clear diction engaged the class while explaining the activity students are expected to do. She approaches students directly and asks them about their prospective majors and goals so that she can give proper feedback to the students about the content of their presentations and how they can change their presentation topic to fit their goals better. 

Materials: Printed worksheets, pens/pencils, computer, PowerPoint. 

Student Participation: Students focused on a topic that they can explain at both a university level and at a high school level that pertains to their potential careers. The students had an open discussion with the teacher about what topic they wanted to talk about and their rationale for choosing the topic. The students have previously completed a form about their interests and goals so the teacher has a good idea of the student going into this activity. 

Feedback Provided: The instructor did a great job of providing feedback on the topic students wanted to create their presentation based on. I think the fact that there are three instructors who all are providing ideas and feedback to the 4 students in the classroom is a powerful way to give precise feedback. The teachers had a lot of patience in "negotiating" specific topics with students that she preferred them to do for the presentation. She wants to keep the content engaging at multiple levels from high school to college. 

Lesson(s) on teaching you learned: The way ESL teachers provide detailed feedback on students' ability to use English to communicate ideas that are important to them is a good way to exercise speaking skills. Giving students the option to focus their presentation on what they like with approval is a good motivator for the student to put in a lot of effort and do a good job in presenting their idea. This class was very much student-centered with the teacher playing a minor role in the development of the students as they completed the activity with only guidance given when needed.