Kaylee - CO #1

 This class observation took place on January 10, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. with Ryan Flemming. Mr. Flemming reviewed the correct use and definition of the adverbs always, usually, sometimes,  rarely, seldom and never. Additionally, Mr. Flemming reviewed the correct usage of simple present with an interactive activity. The classroom was managed in an extremely encouraging manner that made students feel comfortable speaking in English, answering questions, and not too scared to make a mistake. Mr. Flemming spoke slowly, performative, and used lots of examples that made him easy to understand. The materials were a handout that asked students how often they did certain activities to practice their use of adverbs and a worksheet that asked students to list three people they knew well and write down four things that each of them did in a random order  in the simple present, for example “ reads every morning.” The students participated in each of the activities on their own, and then worked with a partner to practice asking questions and speaking in complete sentences. For example they would ask “How often do you use GPS?” and the student would reply “I always use GPS,” then they recorded themselves stating two things they do and two things their partner does. On the simple present worksheet, the students worked together to guess which of the three people were the ones completing the activity. The students were very engaged in the conversations with one another and reporting back to the teacher. Feedback was provided by Mr. Flemming initially by saying “Excuse me? I do not understand the grammar.” then the student would try again, in the case they did not get the answer, Mr. Flemming would help them say it again with the correct grammar. The most influential lesson I learned was to speak to students using many examples, rather than just simply stating the rules and skills needed. Students were much more receptive to examples than straightforward rules.