Category: Reflections

I felt that Hilda was a wonderful teacher, she seemed well prepared and level-headed. I noticed that some students were a bit more behind, and struggling with the content that was being taught. Luckily, Hilda realized this and was able to adapt her lesson fairly quickly, it was clear to see how flexible she was in her lessons and demeanour. I also noticed her energy was so fun and light-hearted. She was always smiling and laughing and very positive. She gave a ton of positive reinforcement to make students feel at ease. She was also able to balance this being firm on certain parts of the lesson, so there was structure and fun involved. Overall, I really enjoyed observing the lesson, and I feel like I learned a lot, and that it has really influenced my own personal teaching style.

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ESL Department

Guidelines for Classroom visits by Colleagues, Chairs, Associate Deans and Deans

1. The observer arranges with the Instructor to attend a class session appropriate for the observation of the instructor’s skills as a University teacher. Normally the class session will be 50 minutes in length.

2. The observer should plan to be in attendance before the class begins and remain until the class is over. For classes of two hours or more, the observer should arrange with the instructor to wrap up the first

part of the class and take a short break after the first 50 minutes of class so the observer may leave.

3. It is recommended but not mandatory for the observer and the instructor to meet prior to the class. This meeting may be used by

the instructor to explain his/her objectives for the class session to

be observed. If the instructor plans to take an approach in the class that is experimental or unconventional the prior meeting provides an

opportunity for the instructor to explain what s/he is attempting to achieve in the class. It is recommended that this meeting be dated, documented.

4. It is recommended that the instructor provide the observer with copies of instructional or other relevant material to orient the observer

to the class.

5. The observer may use the reverse side of this sheet or another sheet to take accurate notes on the instructor’s demonstrated

teaching abilities in the class session.

The comments should be stated objectively and without opinion, supporting comments with evidence.

6. If the observer doesn’t have an opportunity to review his/her observations with the instructor after the class ends, a timely meeting for this purpose should be scheduled.

This meeting could include a discussion of what the evaluee might change and what they think went well. (a self reflection)

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CLASSROOM VISITATION Traditional

Instructor: Hilda Freimuth Course/Section: _ESAL 0420_ Date/Time: _May 17_2020_ Evaluator: Paula Ducharme

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES
Instructional Skill	Comments
How does the instructor meet the class?	Starts by going over homework as a sort of warmup, checking over and encouraging students to ask questions for the first 10-15 minutes. Very positive energy
Outline/objectives/overview for session given? Tie in with previous session?	Begins with a warm up/bridge involving a fill in the blank sheet and a music video, tie in to last lesson was going over homework and lining current lesson to previous lesson
Uses physical setting appropriately.	Yes, teacher was very familiar with the website used.

PRESENTATION
Instructional Skill	Comments
Is the instructor well prepared?	Yes, all materials are ready and put on screen, instructor knows all students names
Is the instructor organized and logical in the presentation?	Yes, presentation flows well.
Are complex ideas explained clearly?	yes, occasionally too fast for some students, this is because students were more behind than the teacher was aware, once she realized this she was able to remedy her mistake
Are key concepts/important points emphasized?	yes, using practice, examples, questions and instructions
Speaking skills/eye contact/mannerisms.	Face cam is on, when giving instructions gives them clearly and enunciates. Uses hand motions to get point across, lots of eye contact

Classroom Visitation

Page 2!

Variety of techniques/aids.	Used a Music video at the beginning of class for a warm up/bridge. Lots of eye contact, face cam is on. For lessons uses worksheets, interactive whiteboards, shared notes, videos, voice chat and public chat. Group activities, games as a wrap up
Use of elicitation techniques.	Knows all students names, uses aids such as worksheets or interactive whiteboards. Occasionally gives hints on particularly difficult questions. Is very positive and enthusiastic. Asks for questions
Response to student questions or performance.	Lots of praise, very positive atmosphere. Politely corrects students, explains why answer is wrong ins a respectful manner that does not put down.
Pace of presentation.	A little fast but steady. Students complained about speed and presentation was adjusted accordingly. More examples were given to help with the understanding of the new material.

Use of examples.	Lots of interactive practice examples, Students were participatory and engaged for the most part
Confidence/enthusiasm of instructor.	Instructor is very enthusiastic and confident, very organized and is clear with instructions
Participation – students active or passive? Attentive?	Active, a couple students ask questions, are attentive and participate in class activitiesIn breakout rooms some students seem lost on instructions/passive at first. Eventually begin to participate
Control of class/general atmosphere.	Excellent, positive atmosphere, students interact with material and seem to understand and learn well. Students are not afraid to speak up but do not interrupt classroom flow. Instructor gives lots of positive praise
Other comments.	I thought she was an amazing teacher, and I loved how the students responded to her. The students were more behind than she thought, but once she realized she became flexible and fixed her mistake.
Suggestions for development

Classroom Visitation

Page 3!

WRAP UP

Instructional Skill	Comments
Instructor’s expectations/student responsibilities clear?	Yes , She was very clear, always asked questions to make sure students understood the information or instructions
Session drawn together/summarized usefully?	Yes, wrap up consists of a game to review the material just learned and going over homework- things that students are expected to work on by themselves. Information for next class(holiday next class)
Time for questions?	Yes, questions and positive reinforcements were given a lot, very kind and encouraging (no questions were asked)
Transition to next session?	Giving homework and talking about things to focus on separately from class. Introducing a Quiz to complete
Diagram of Interactions TT S SSSSSEg: S– or –
What I take from the lesson as an observer.	Having a positive attitude, being enthusiastic and confident is key, paying attention to students needs.

Classroom Visitation

Page 4!

In the first video about Community Language Learning (CLL), the teacher began class by telling the students the lesson plan for that class. This provided a sense of security and comfort to the class because there were no unexpected surprises. The teacher then asked students to visualize and describe their homes, which they then shared with partners. After, they then listed them on a blackboard and went over them, focussing on pronunciation by saying them aloud as a class. During this part, the teacher stood behind the class, and repeated the words after them, providing the students with the control. The students then practiced the words individually, choosing the words that they wanted the teacher to repeat. This was called “the human computer”. The students controlled how many times they wished the teacher to repeat by repeating themselves. The teacher would gently correct pronunciation in this way, as much as the student wanted. Students were asked to use these words to make new sentences. As the teacher read the sentences, she corrected them in a gentle and subtle manner. At the end of the lesson, the teacher asked for feedback on how the students felt about the lesson. The teacher listened and understood the students feelings, allowing them to learn more about the language, and the lesson.

In the second video, about the Suggestopedia method, the teacher began class in a happy and relaxed manner, greeting the students good morning. The room was decorated with lots of plants, posters, and props around the room, creating a welcoming environment. The teacher turned on some calm music, and described the activity to the class. She began reading a passage in a slow and calm voice, as well as acting out the scenes she was reading. She encouraged the students to try and visualize and make connections while she read the passage slowly. After she finished, she began again,putting on a different song and reading at a normal speed, and asking students to try and listen for those connections she made, and try to understand. When she finished, she gave them all a copy of the passage and asked them to read and act it with her. Then she began a pronuncian activity with a list of verbs on a large sheet of paper. As they read them aloud, she asked them to try and notice a difference in their pronuncian. Then she began another activity, using cards with both pronuncians on them, and asking students to raise the corresponding card to the word she pronounced. She then did an activity reviewing present tense and past tense. She tossed a small beach ball at a student while saying the present form of the verb, and the student that caught it said the past form of it. After this she began another activity, in pairs, one student would read the passage from before, and the other would act it out. After this, the teacher asked that the class would read the passage, and one student would act it out as a volunteer. Much like before, soft music was also played again. At the end of class, the teacher gave them a dictation, using the same words they worked on, in different sentences. She asked that for homework, they take some time before bed to read over the passage and work on the pronuncian of the words.

I felt that both experiences and methods were very gentle and calming in nature. Students in both experiences seemed very comfortable and relaxed. No student seemed to be put on the spot or singled out, they both had a sense of classroom community, students were comfortable working together and with the teachers. In both experiences as well, the teachers seemed upbeat and encouraging, with gentle corrections in both methods. I found that both methods would be beneficial for more anxious or stressed students, especially for beginners.

As for my thoughts on the CLL method, I enjoyed the strong sense of structure that was put into the class at the beginning when she explained to the class the activity they would be participating in. I also felt that it was very student-driven, the teacher took a less threatening approach by standing at the back of the class, and subtly assisting students on their pronuncian during the “Human Computer” activity. This activity reminded me of a learning activity I did recently while learning Japanese. The method that I experienced encouraged repetition by focussing on the pronuncian of each syllable, stringing them together, and then repeating after the native speaker until I had mastered the pronuncian. I found that the CLL method was a good method for learning vocabulary, as it encouraged students to make connections with the words and personal memories, making the language learning process more personal. I enjoyed how the teacher was able to connect the students’ lesson to their hometown. The students seemed very relaxed and at ease, as well as very excited to describe their homes, increasing their motivation. This seemed to encourage a sense of community with the students, as well as adding more of a personable approach to teaching by allowing the teacher to see the students as persons.

In Suggestopedia, I found that this method was equally driven by the students and teacher. The teacher was very gentle and encouraging, with lots of praise being given to the students. I feel this method would be excellent for anxious or unconfident students, as well as beginners, as no student is directly put on the spot. I feel that this method may also be good for some students with ADHD, as there were many quick and varied activities students were able to participate in, as well as the use of background music for dual stimulation in some exercises. However, this may also be overwhelming for certain students who thrive under structure and order. I found that this method was very fun and playful, and I think this would be an excellent method to be used during the pandemic, and its aftermath, as it promotes a low-stress environment. This is something I feel a lot of people need, especially with those experiencing difficulty integrating back into society, as well as changing the way we teach as opposed to prior to the pandemic.

In conclusion, I feel that these 2 methods of teaching would greatly benefit our society, as both promote low-stress, relaxed environments that value learning and understanding over test examinations and blank memorizations

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The video begins with the instructor speaking to the viewers and explaining the Silent Way method and who created it. The teacher begins by using a pointer stick to point out different vowels and constants and pointing to corresponding pronuncians on a board. The teacher then points to different students to ask them to pronounce each letter. Another teacher is briefly shown using props to facilitate the class. It is important to know that this method has no textbooks and no speaking on the teacher’s part. The teacher explains how the Silent Way is a very gentle method, that progresses a lot slower than others, to focus on quality of learning rather than quantity. The Silent Way is built on learning the basics, or the essence of the language, so students have a better understanding as they progress. The teacher explains that the Silent Way is not a method for everyone, and requires a teacher who really loves what they’re doing and knows how to engage students in this method. The teacher explains how to the students and herself it can feel almost like a sort of game, and that classes are unusually never boring for them, especially when they occasionally use props.
During the video, I felt detached, I didn’t feel like there was a good idea of what the Silent Way actually looked like, since we were only shown small clips of the class. Because of these short clips, I personally didn’t see any student learning. Aside from the teachers testimony as well as 1 student saying he found that the method worked better for him than any other methods.
I like this approach for students who have tried other methods that haven’t worked for them, or for students with high sensitivity for hearing. I think this method would be great for students with anxiety or students with lower confidence. This method would also be great for more self-directed learners, since they are able to rely on themselves more than the teachers anyway.I am worried about students who require more mental stimulation, and believe that this method would only work for a certain set of students. I don’t think this method would be acceptable for students coming from foreign countries who are used to more structured courses and classes as well.I found it helpful that the instructor went in depth about the method, and I like the idea of quality of learning over quantity. I am curious about what this method would do for more advanced students, or if this method should only be used for a more beginner student.
For myself, I do not think this is a method I would do well with, I find for myself I do well with a lot more structure and guidance. The lack of textbooks and speaking is something that I feel would put me off of this method, and I would either become frustrated or bored with the slow pace.
In conclusion, like all teaching methods, this is a method that would only work for some students and not all.

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