Abridged Report 1
Class Level: AEP 3.2 – Writing
Date: 10.6.11; 1 hr 15 min
The focus of the class was to review indirect and direct quotations and have the students start brainstorming topics in their fields (including research questions and keywords). The class consisted of about 12 students, all from various and mixed origins. I believe that the teacher effectively accomplished her goals and the students were engaged in the learning process.
The teacher spent the first part of the class reviewing and explaining direct and indirect quotations. She put a clear grammar explanation on the board, and then had students work in pairs to ask each other questions. Then, the students transformed these statements into direct quotations. Also, the teacher had an effective way to explain indirect quotations, by leaving the room and having students talk. Then when she came back in the room, she asked students to tell her what they said while she was gone—to illustrate an example. As Horwitz (2008) emphasizes, classic teaching methods focus too much on the teacher and do not pay enough attention to the role of the student. The teacher was successful at giving the students an important role in the classroom.
The second half of the class was spent on the students brainstorming topics for their upcoming research paper, while the teacher helped them brainstorm more synonyms to use as keywords. She gave some handouts to the students on the research writing process and had students work in pairs to help each other with their respective topics. She was very actively engaged in monitoring, while keeping the class learner focused. As Horwitz (2008) points out, small group activities provide more time for student output as well as decreasing student anxiety.
During my talk with the teacher after the class, she said the class went well and she accomplished her goals. The only comment she made about something she would have done differently is that her handouts were a little dated, and she would have liked to use more current ones in the future. This teacher had a great rapport with the students, and she was very successful at giving clear explanations and examples on the board, incorporating lots of group and pair work, and helpful in scaffolding the students.
References:
Horwitz, E. K. (2008). Becoming a language teacher: A practical guide to second language learning and teaching. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.