Matthew CO #1

For my first Classroom Observation, I observed Ryan Flemming's early morning grammar class. This particular day ended up being special because Lacey, a TEFL 170 hour student, was going to be teaching a class for the first time. This gave me an excellent opportunity to observe and learn from both Lacey and Mr. Flemming. The first thing Mr.Flemming did was explain to the class very clearly why I was there as well as why Lacey was teaching the class that day. This was very good, it lowered the students Affective Filters and made them feel more comfortable, as the presence of new people can make some students apprehensive. After this, Mr. Flemming allowed Lacey to take the stage, but still played an active role by taking notes and walking around while the students did their work. Lacey did a very good job of explaining the grammar and speaking slowly and clearly, although I think she could have benefited more from writing on the board instead of relying on the computer and typing things in. The lesson was very tightly structured, with time limits set on everything, as well as very fluid; there was a variety of different kinds of activities so that students didn't get bored. One thing I really liked was that Lacey ended her lesson by going over an correcting grammar mistakes that she had heard over the course of the class. Overall, I learned a large number of good teaching strategies from watching Mr.Flemming and Lacey teach, strategies that will greatly benefit me when I eventually begin to teach.