On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, I performed a literature circle activity at Riverdale High School with Students A,B,C,and D of Mrs. Vincent's ESL class using the book Prince William by Gloria Rand. This blog entry is a reflection of the literature circle activity.
What are your overall impressions of implementation?
I feel that the implementation went well. I chose a book about a young girl that saves a seal from an oil spill. It was a touching story that teaches a valuable lesson about the environment. The book captivated the students' interest and opened the door to discussion about the environment. I feel like the story was a valuable opportunity for students to use literature to learn a lesson about the environment and practice English.
How did students react to the literature? How did students react to discussing the selected texts?
The students were attentive to the literature, and we took turns reading pages. When I began to get concerned about not finishing in time, I decided to read the last couple of pages aloud myself. The book had some illustrations to aid with comprehension. The students were engaged in the story and understood everything that was going on in it. I feel like they enjoyed the literature. We held a discussion afterwards about how the environment can be improved. The students suggested using more wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric power, and electric cars. I then asked the students what they could do individually to help the environment. Some of the ideas that they put forth were recycling, driving fuel efficient cars, carpooling, and conserving energy as often as possible. The students that read the book with me were the most advanced students in Mrs. Vincent's class and were very attentive.
How appropriate is the Literature Circle Technique for second language learners?
The Literature Circle Technique is very appropriate for second language learners as long as the literature is understandable or just a little more difficult than what the student is accustomed to. If the literature is too difficult, it may frustrate the students. It is also important that the literature is interesting to the students. If the students are engaged in the story, they will participate more in the lesson and get more out of it. Literature circles are a good way for students to observe the formation of sentences and paragraphs. They can also be good for learning extra vocabulary or exploring various issues, such as the environment. A good selection for a literature circle will lead to an interesting discussion.
What changes would you make if you were to repeat this?
If I could have repeated the activity, I would have included articles related to the environment to further the discussion related to the book. Even though we had a good discussion, it would have been better if we had discussed some articles related to the environment. Unfortunately due to the sake of time, we did not have enough time to have a more thorough discussion.
What suggestions to you have for other ESL professionals considering implementing
literature circles?
For other professionals considering implementing literature circles, I would suggest using something that is at the students' reading level or just slightly more difficult that what the student is accustomed. The selection should also be something that is engaging to the students and that can generate discussion. The instructor should look for vocabulary that the students may be unfamiliar with and go over those words before reading the selection. The instructor should look for as many methods as possible to increase the learning experience of the student using literature circles.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Blog Entry #4: Case Study and Ethnographic Narrative
On October 20, 2009, I observed Student K in the ESL class Riverdale High School and conducted an ethnographic interview with this student. Student K is from Mexico and has lived in the United States for 10 months. He is a level 1 on the ELDA English Proficiency Scale. This blog will reflect upon my observation and interview with him.
What are your overall impressions of this observation?
This observation allowed me to see how teachers and aides work with students that are in the beginning stages of ESL. The lesson was very useful to the student. It was going over certain things that a person would find in a city, such as a bank, hospital, movie theater, etc. The aide had the students in her group pronounce the words by repeating after her. She then asked the students questions in relation to the words. She asked them if they liked to go to the movies. Student K responded more than the other student, but his responses consisted of mostly yes and no answers. Student K seemed to understand most of what the aide said because she spoke slowly and clearly. I believe that Student K would benefit from more activities that involve oral production.
What did you learn as a result of the fieldwork?
As a result of the fieldwork, I was able to see how teachers teach the students that are in the very beginning of ESL. I also was able to hypothesize that the student would benefit from more speaking activities. As a result of the Ethnographic Narrative, I was able to better get to know the student and what life was like for him. I learned that he is shy and does not use English much outside of school. Those two things are negatively affecting his progress in spoken English. Despite this problem, he claims that he reading and writing English is not that difficult for him.
What is the value of case study research and analysis in classroom practice?
Case study research and analysis allows the teacher to observe student behavior and personality. It also allows the teacher to observe how other instructors teach the students English. The observations, narratives, and analyses allows the observer to formulate opinions and theories as to what works best for students.
What is the value of the ethnographic narrative?
I consider the ethnographic narrative to be a useful means of getting to know the student. It also enables the instructor to know more about the student in order to better teach the student. A teacher can see what may be inhibiting the student to learn English. In cases such as ESL, where the students are new to the country, it is especially important to build relationships and trust. It is easier to do in ESL because there is typically a smaller number of students in the class.
How will this information assist future teachers (next year’s teachers) as well as yourself in
meeting the needs of this particular second language learner?
The information that I have obtained as a result of my research is that students need more exercises that simulate real life situations and in which the student must provide vocal output. I say this because it is the major problem that Student K and many other students have. I plan on implementing more activities that involve speaking into my classroom next year. I plan on seeing how well this works and how much it improves the speaking abilities of my students. If it works well, I will share my findings with other language instructors.
What are your overall impressions of this observation?
This observation allowed me to see how teachers and aides work with students that are in the beginning stages of ESL. The lesson was very useful to the student. It was going over certain things that a person would find in a city, such as a bank, hospital, movie theater, etc. The aide had the students in her group pronounce the words by repeating after her. She then asked the students questions in relation to the words. She asked them if they liked to go to the movies. Student K responded more than the other student, but his responses consisted of mostly yes and no answers. Student K seemed to understand most of what the aide said because she spoke slowly and clearly. I believe that Student K would benefit from more activities that involve oral production.
What did you learn as a result of the fieldwork?
As a result of the fieldwork, I was able to see how teachers teach the students that are in the very beginning of ESL. I also was able to hypothesize that the student would benefit from more speaking activities. As a result of the Ethnographic Narrative, I was able to better get to know the student and what life was like for him. I learned that he is shy and does not use English much outside of school. Those two things are negatively affecting his progress in spoken English. Despite this problem, he claims that he reading and writing English is not that difficult for him.
What is the value of case study research and analysis in classroom practice?
Case study research and analysis allows the teacher to observe student behavior and personality. It also allows the teacher to observe how other instructors teach the students English. The observations, narratives, and analyses allows the observer to formulate opinions and theories as to what works best for students.
What is the value of the ethnographic narrative?
I consider the ethnographic narrative to be a useful means of getting to know the student. It also enables the instructor to know more about the student in order to better teach the student. A teacher can see what may be inhibiting the student to learn English. In cases such as ESL, where the students are new to the country, it is especially important to build relationships and trust. It is easier to do in ESL because there is typically a smaller number of students in the class.
How will this information assist future teachers (next year’s teachers) as well as yourself in
meeting the needs of this particular second language learner?
The information that I have obtained as a result of my research is that students need more exercises that simulate real life situations and in which the student must provide vocal output. I say this because it is the major problem that Student K and many other students have. I plan on implementing more activities that involve speaking into my classroom next year. I plan on seeing how well this works and how much it improves the speaking abilities of my students. If it works well, I will share my findings with other language instructors.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Action Research Project
Action research is an excellent means of exploring the education field. Even the most experienced teachers in the best schools can identify things that could go better. My action research project focused on Mrs. Vincent's ESL class at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, TN. After speaking with Mrs. Vincent about the project, she told me that the biggest problem that she has is that certain students do not progress as rapidly as they should in ESL. Some students have been here for many years now, yet are still in ESL. Other students have not shown adequate progress. In this blog, I will discuss my thoughts about action research, ideas generated as a result of the project, and suggestions to other ESL professionals based on my findings.
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT ACTION RESEARCH
I believe that action research is very useful when trying to figure out how to improve upon practice. Sometimes the best thing to do before implementing something in a classroom is to properly analyze the situation, come to a conclusion, and go from there. That is what makes action research useful. It is also useful when it comes to seeing if current trends in education work. One can compare and contrast different teaching methods to see what is most effective. Action research is most effective when teachers collaborate with one another about their findings and get feedback from students when appropriate. Sharing research, thoughts, ideas, and opinions with each other is necessary for teachers to be successful. Sometimes I think that certain teachers forget what it is like to be the student. For this reason, I believe that appropriate student feedback is a useful and important tool.
IDEAS GENERATED FROM ACTION RESEARCH
My action research project focused on the fact that some students do not progress in ESL as fast as they should. Mrs. Vincent said that was the most prevalent problem that she has encountered in the class. I came up with two questions for the students in regards to this problem. One question is "Why are students not progressing as fast as they should in ESL?" and the other question is "What can be done in order to help students learn English or motivate them?" For the first question, I had a survey for all of the ESL students, interviews with selected students, and student data (grades, ELDA level, and attendance). For the second question, I had a questionnaire for the students, teacher and aide interviews, and field notes from observation.
One idea that I have generated as a result of the action research project is that talkative students learn to speak faster than those who are not talkative. Students A and B are the most talkative that I met in the class, and it shows. They are the two students that Mrs. Vincent feels will soon be ready to test out of ESL. On the other hand, student J has been here for more time than both students A and B, yet he is still at a level 1 on speaking. He is a level 2 on reading and writing, but since he is very reserved, he has great difficulty speaking.
The second idea generated from the action research project is that the widespread accessibility of Spanish has slowed the progress of some Hispanic students. During my interview with Mrs. Vincent and her aides, all three said that this is a big problem for the Hispanics. Mrs. Vincent said that she has a Spanish-speaking aide at the other school that she teaches at. The students prefer to use Spanish with her, and are not forced to use English. For some students, ESL class is the only time that they use English extensively. Many of them go home to Spanish speaking parents that know little to know English and television in Spanish. Most of their friends are Hispanics that use Spanish with them. I agree that it would be hard and unnecessary to give up using Spanish, but that does not change the fact that it does impede the progress of students when it comes to learning English. Even some Hispanic students said that the over-availability of Spanish makes it difficult for them to learn English as fast.
Another idea generated from the action research project is that the environment must be relaxed. Mrs. Vincent and the aides all emphasized that this is the best way to get results out of the students. Mrs. Vincent's aide Amy said that the ESL classroom is the only part of the day that many of the students are not tense or stressed out. This is because Mrs. Vincent has made the classroom warm and inviting. It is a place where it's okay to make mistakes, and the students are among others that are attempting to learn English. For many of the ESL students, the ESL classroom is a safe haven where they feel comfortable.
The idea of making the classroom a relaxed, enjoyable environment ties into my next idea. The next idea is that teachers must motivate students to want to be in school. Sometimes, students can be rebellious and not want to go to school. This is even a problem with American students. Some students need that extra motivation that perhaps family and friends do not provide enough. When that is the case, the only person left to provide that motivation is the teacher. Sometimes, motivating the students can be a problem because some of them are not here legally. I did not ask any of the students about their legal status because I felt like it would be uncomfortable. However, it does factor in to the motivation of the students. When a student knows that he or she cannot attend college because of legal status, it is very discouraging for him or her. The students that are here legally have goals and plans lined out for what they want to do after school. Those that are here illegally are not so sure. Mrs. Vincent tries to motivate them by saying that there could be Immigration Reform in the coming years. I think that it's a very sad situation. I believe that states should allow any students to go to high school in a certain state to attend college there and pay state rates. Those students that are here illegally would be more motivated to do well in school.
SUGGESTIONS TO OTHER ESL PROFESSIONALS BASED ON MY RESEARCH
Based on my research, I now have a better idea of how I will run an ESL classroom. The first suggestion that I can make to other ESL professionals is to put more emphasis on output, especially verbal output. My interviews and surveys concluded that most students found speaking English to be the most difficult aspect of learning the language. They considered reading and writing to be much easier; therefore, ESL teachers must incorporate more verbal output into lessons.
Another suggestion that I can make is to have a relaxed environment where students are also motivated. Many students have already had to cope with leaving friends and family behind in their home countries. They have also had to cope with adjusting to a new culture and language. The ESL classroom should be a relaxed, welcoming environment. Every time that I go into Mrs. Vincent's class, I feel like the students are comfortable there. I think that it is important to talk to students about what their goals are and what they plan on doing with their lives. I also think that it is important to get to know the students well. In an ESL class such as Mrs. Vincent's, where she only sees 13 students, this is not too difficult. The students are looking for someone that they can trust and depend on, and the ESL teacher needs to try to be that person for them. It is important to motivate students and encourage them to follow through with their goals. The job of an ESL student is very important because he or she is responsible for helping students get to a level playing field with their English-speaking classmates.
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT ACTION RESEARCH
I believe that action research is very useful when trying to figure out how to improve upon practice. Sometimes the best thing to do before implementing something in a classroom is to properly analyze the situation, come to a conclusion, and go from there. That is what makes action research useful. It is also useful when it comes to seeing if current trends in education work. One can compare and contrast different teaching methods to see what is most effective. Action research is most effective when teachers collaborate with one another about their findings and get feedback from students when appropriate. Sharing research, thoughts, ideas, and opinions with each other is necessary for teachers to be successful. Sometimes I think that certain teachers forget what it is like to be the student. For this reason, I believe that appropriate student feedback is a useful and important tool.
IDEAS GENERATED FROM ACTION RESEARCH
My action research project focused on the fact that some students do not progress in ESL as fast as they should. Mrs. Vincent said that was the most prevalent problem that she has encountered in the class. I came up with two questions for the students in regards to this problem. One question is "Why are students not progressing as fast as they should in ESL?" and the other question is "What can be done in order to help students learn English or motivate them?" For the first question, I had a survey for all of the ESL students, interviews with selected students, and student data (grades, ELDA level, and attendance). For the second question, I had a questionnaire for the students, teacher and aide interviews, and field notes from observation.
One idea that I have generated as a result of the action research project is that talkative students learn to speak faster than those who are not talkative. Students A and B are the most talkative that I met in the class, and it shows. They are the two students that Mrs. Vincent feels will soon be ready to test out of ESL. On the other hand, student J has been here for more time than both students A and B, yet he is still at a level 1 on speaking. He is a level 2 on reading and writing, but since he is very reserved, he has great difficulty speaking.
The second idea generated from the action research project is that the widespread accessibility of Spanish has slowed the progress of some Hispanic students. During my interview with Mrs. Vincent and her aides, all three said that this is a big problem for the Hispanics. Mrs. Vincent said that she has a Spanish-speaking aide at the other school that she teaches at. The students prefer to use Spanish with her, and are not forced to use English. For some students, ESL class is the only time that they use English extensively. Many of them go home to Spanish speaking parents that know little to know English and television in Spanish. Most of their friends are Hispanics that use Spanish with them. I agree that it would be hard and unnecessary to give up using Spanish, but that does not change the fact that it does impede the progress of students when it comes to learning English. Even some Hispanic students said that the over-availability of Spanish makes it difficult for them to learn English as fast.
Another idea generated from the action research project is that the environment must be relaxed. Mrs. Vincent and the aides all emphasized that this is the best way to get results out of the students. Mrs. Vincent's aide Amy said that the ESL classroom is the only part of the day that many of the students are not tense or stressed out. This is because Mrs. Vincent has made the classroom warm and inviting. It is a place where it's okay to make mistakes, and the students are among others that are attempting to learn English. For many of the ESL students, the ESL classroom is a safe haven where they feel comfortable.
The idea of making the classroom a relaxed, enjoyable environment ties into my next idea. The next idea is that teachers must motivate students to want to be in school. Sometimes, students can be rebellious and not want to go to school. This is even a problem with American students. Some students need that extra motivation that perhaps family and friends do not provide enough. When that is the case, the only person left to provide that motivation is the teacher. Sometimes, motivating the students can be a problem because some of them are not here legally. I did not ask any of the students about their legal status because I felt like it would be uncomfortable. However, it does factor in to the motivation of the students. When a student knows that he or she cannot attend college because of legal status, it is very discouraging for him or her. The students that are here legally have goals and plans lined out for what they want to do after school. Those that are here illegally are not so sure. Mrs. Vincent tries to motivate them by saying that there could be Immigration Reform in the coming years. I think that it's a very sad situation. I believe that states should allow any students to go to high school in a certain state to attend college there and pay state rates. Those students that are here illegally would be more motivated to do well in school.
SUGGESTIONS TO OTHER ESL PROFESSIONALS BASED ON MY RESEARCH
Based on my research, I now have a better idea of how I will run an ESL classroom. The first suggestion that I can make to other ESL professionals is to put more emphasis on output, especially verbal output. My interviews and surveys concluded that most students found speaking English to be the most difficult aspect of learning the language. They considered reading and writing to be much easier; therefore, ESL teachers must incorporate more verbal output into lessons.
Another suggestion that I can make is to have a relaxed environment where students are also motivated. Many students have already had to cope with leaving friends and family behind in their home countries. They have also had to cope with adjusting to a new culture and language. The ESL classroom should be a relaxed, welcoming environment. Every time that I go into Mrs. Vincent's class, I feel like the students are comfortable there. I think that it is important to talk to students about what their goals are and what they plan on doing with their lives. I also think that it is important to get to know the students well. In an ESL class such as Mrs. Vincent's, where she only sees 13 students, this is not too difficult. The students are looking for someone that they can trust and depend on, and the ESL teacher needs to try to be that person for them. It is important to motivate students and encourage them to follow through with their goals. The job of an ESL student is very important because he or she is responsible for helping students get to a level playing field with their English-speaking classmates.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Observation #2 Mrs. Vincent's ESL Classroom
TEACHING ISSUES
What identified problems related to teaching, lesson delivery, materials, and related strategies are present?
One problem in the class was that many students were absent. On the day that I went to observe, both of the students that are beginning level English learners were absent, as well as two intermediate level students. Another problem is that the students had taken a test the day before, and not done well. Mrs. Vincent decided not to record the grades due to poorly the students performed. That day, Mrs. Vincent decided to go over the test and re-teach the lesson.
What problems or issues related to teaching - in general- did you observe?
I observed that the students are struggling with subject-verb agreement, and that Mrs. Vincent is going to have to re-teach the concept. The students still seemed to struggle somewhat with subject-verb agreement during the lecture. Also, with 4 of 11 students missing from class, it is hard to keep the class as a whole moving forward.
What concerns emerged with regard to grouping, interactions, etc.?
On the day that I observed, there was only one group of five students. The beginning level students, which work with the aide, were not there. Since they missed class, it will only slow their progress in learning English more. As far as interactions go, all of the students except for one were very interactive with Mrs. Vincent during her lesson. Although they were trying to get the right answers, many struggled to do so.
What did you observe that worked well in promoting second language acquisition?
I observed that Mrs. Vincent adapted to the circumstances by re-teaching a lesson that the students did not master. I like how she went over the test, question by question, going over the correct answers. The test was over subject-verb agreement. She then went over the method to determine subject-verb agreement: 1) Find the prepositional phrases and put parentheses around them. 2)Find the first noun in the sentence and change it to a pronoun. 3) Use the pronoun to determine if the verb is plural. She is emphasizing subject-verb agreement right now, which is one of the foundations of any language. Also, she encourages the students to use English only in class. Otherwise, many would just speak in Spanish.
What types of interactions took place that encouraged second language acquisition?
I observed that all of the students except for one were interacting with Mrs. Vincent throughout the lesson. She asked questions, and they gave answers. If they gave the wrong answer, she would correct it. The class had a very relaxed atmosphere, in which the students could give the wrong answer and not feel bad about it. A student learns best in a relaxed environment such as this.
What materials were best suited for the second language learners in this setting?
Materials best suited for the second language learner in this setting were pen and paper for taking notes.
What information do you need (as an ESL professional) to better meet the needs of the second language learners in this environment?
One thing that would help me meet the needs of second language learners in this environment would be to know each student's learning style. What may work for one student may not work for another. Also, it would help me to know why one particular student does not interact in class and appears to not be paying attention. Another thing that would help me more effectively teach my students would be to research and implement the newest and best methods for teaching ESL.
How was culture integrated into teaching and learning?
In this class, there was no culture integrated into the lesson. The lesson was strictly about subject-verb agreement.
What issues or concerns related to culture, multiple perspectives, and linguistic diversity emerged?
As far as culture or multiple perspectives are concerned, no issues or concerns arised during the lecture. In relation to linguistic diversity, I know that Spanish and English have similar rules when it comes to subject-verb agreement; therefore, the concept should not take too long to learn. I also am familiar enough with Japanese to know that the verbs are not conjugated for whether the action is being done by one or more than one person; in other words, it would be like saying I be, you be, he be, she be, we be, it be, and they be. There is a Japanese student in the class, and he has probably struggled with this aspect of learning English. He does not interact much at all with his classmates or the teacher. The diversity of the class is reflected in that some students coming from languages of the Indo-European family will probably pick up on concepts faster than those who do not.
What identified problems related to teaching, lesson delivery, materials, and related strategies are present?
One problem in the class was that many students were absent. On the day that I went to observe, both of the students that are beginning level English learners were absent, as well as two intermediate level students. Another problem is that the students had taken a test the day before, and not done well. Mrs. Vincent decided not to record the grades due to poorly the students performed. That day, Mrs. Vincent decided to go over the test and re-teach the lesson.
What problems or issues related to teaching - in general- did you observe?
I observed that the students are struggling with subject-verb agreement, and that Mrs. Vincent is going to have to re-teach the concept. The students still seemed to struggle somewhat with subject-verb agreement during the lecture. Also, with 4 of 11 students missing from class, it is hard to keep the class as a whole moving forward.
What concerns emerged with regard to grouping, interactions, etc.?
On the day that I observed, there was only one group of five students. The beginning level students, which work with the aide, were not there. Since they missed class, it will only slow their progress in learning English more. As far as interactions go, all of the students except for one were very interactive with Mrs. Vincent during her lesson. Although they were trying to get the right answers, many struggled to do so.
What did you observe that worked well in promoting second language acquisition?
I observed that Mrs. Vincent adapted to the circumstances by re-teaching a lesson that the students did not master. I like how she went over the test, question by question, going over the correct answers. The test was over subject-verb agreement. She then went over the method to determine subject-verb agreement: 1) Find the prepositional phrases and put parentheses around them. 2)Find the first noun in the sentence and change it to a pronoun. 3) Use the pronoun to determine if the verb is plural. She is emphasizing subject-verb agreement right now, which is one of the foundations of any language. Also, she encourages the students to use English only in class. Otherwise, many would just speak in Spanish.
What types of interactions took place that encouraged second language acquisition?
I observed that all of the students except for one were interacting with Mrs. Vincent throughout the lesson. She asked questions, and they gave answers. If they gave the wrong answer, she would correct it. The class had a very relaxed atmosphere, in which the students could give the wrong answer and not feel bad about it. A student learns best in a relaxed environment such as this.
What materials were best suited for the second language learners in this setting?
Materials best suited for the second language learner in this setting were pen and paper for taking notes.
What information do you need (as an ESL professional) to better meet the needs of the second language learners in this environment?
One thing that would help me meet the needs of second language learners in this environment would be to know each student's learning style. What may work for one student may not work for another. Also, it would help me to know why one particular student does not interact in class and appears to not be paying attention. Another thing that would help me more effectively teach my students would be to research and implement the newest and best methods for teaching ESL.
How was culture integrated into teaching and learning?
In this class, there was no culture integrated into the lesson. The lesson was strictly about subject-verb agreement.
What issues or concerns related to culture, multiple perspectives, and linguistic diversity emerged?
As far as culture or multiple perspectives are concerned, no issues or concerns arised during the lecture. In relation to linguistic diversity, I know that Spanish and English have similar rules when it comes to subject-verb agreement; therefore, the concept should not take too long to learn. I also am familiar enough with Japanese to know that the verbs are not conjugated for whether the action is being done by one or more than one person; in other words, it would be like saying I be, you be, he be, she be, we be, it be, and they be. There is a Japanese student in the class, and he has probably struggled with this aspect of learning English. He does not interact much at all with his classmates or the teacher. The diversity of the class is reflected in that some students coming from languages of the Indo-European family will probably pick up on concepts faster than those who do not.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Observation #1 Mrs. Vincent's ESL classroom
The class that I observed and will be observing this year is Mrs. Vincent's ESL class at Riverdale High School. The purpose of the lesson was to study pronouns. Most of the students knew the personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, you, and they.
THE LESSON
The beginning of the lesson was simply a reinforcement of that knowledge. Mrs. Vincent told the students that the following day, they would have an assignment in which they would be circling pronouns. She proceeded to talk about reflexive pronouns. One thing that I really liked about her teaching method is that she points out both the correct and commonly incorrect way to say things. She gave the examples of the correct reflexive pronouns: himself, herself, and themselves. She then gave examples of incorrect reflexive pronouns that are commonly used: hisself, theirself, and theirselves. She then discussed indefinite pronouns, such as some. She emphasized that the students have to focus on the prepositional phrase in order to determine whether or not the verb is plural. She then talked about subject-verb agreement, and gave the students a procedure to follow when determining subject-verb agreement. The first step is to eliminate prepositional phrases. The second step is to determine the action. The third and final step is to find the first noun or subject pronoun not in the prepositional phrase. I like how Mrs. Vincent has taught the students prepositions and how to find prepositional phrases. It is helpful in order for them more easily locate the subject and verb of the sentence. After explaining the subject-verb agreement, she proceeded to commands. She gave the students a sentence: Stand up. She asked what the subject was. Most of the students had no idea, but one student was finally able to provide the answer. The subject was the understood you in the command. She then gave the students the following sentence: Both of my sisters (are,is) going to Europe during the summer. The students had to put the prepositional phrases in parentheses, find the subject, and choose the correct verb. After three minutes, she called upon a student to come to the board and fix the sentence. After this, the class was almost over. She told the students to study for the assignment tomorrow with pronouns.
The EA, Amy, was working with two students in the back that have very limited English skills. She was going over flash cards with the students that had fruits and vegetables. She was working on the pronunciation and spelling of the words, as well as recognition.
How did the second language learners react/interact?
All of the students except for one seemed to be focused on the lesson. Most of the students actively answered Mrs. Vincent's questions and were engaged in the lesson. There was little talking among students during the lesson. Most of the attention was directed towards Mrs. Vincent's lecture.
What evidence of "community" in terms of the second language learner did you observe?
In terms of community, I observed a relaxed atmosphere in which students are encouraged to participate. It is a small class of only eleven students, most of which are Hispanics. There was one student, as I had mentioned earlier, that did not seem to be paying attention. There was also a student mentioned that is notorious for missing class. Apart from those two students, I saw an engaged classroom where learning was taking place. The two students working with Amy were actively engaged in the flash cards, developing basic English skills.
What is required to become a member of this classroom or learning environment?
In order to be a member in this classroom, a student must be learning English as a second language. Once the student reaches a certain degree of language proficiency, the student tests out. These tests are given every spring. Participation, regular attendance, and an effort to advance in English are all necessary in order to excel in the class. Students need to bring their textbooks, pencils, and paper to class in order to participate.
What events occurred during the observation?
Right after the bell rang, a student walked in late. The student tried to sit down in the back of the room, but Mrs. Vincent did not let him. The classroom was too cold, so the maintenance man came to fix the room's unit. Mrs. Vincent did a good job of keeping the students focused while this was occurring. One of the students did not show up for class, nor was she on the absentee list. Mrs. Vincent sent the aide to the office to find out where the student was. All of the students were well-behaved and participating in class except for one. Mrs. Vincent had to specifically tell him to take out a sheet of paper after all of the other students had done so.
What can an observer see if he/she entered the classroom at this particular time?
An observer would come in to see a well-decorated classroom with attentive students. The students were great. They were engaged in the lesson, and have a strong desire to learn English.
What evidence of "acceptance and welcome" would a second language learner see?
I believe a second language learner would see this as the most welcoming classroom of all. It is an environment where it is understood that the students are not fluent in English. In the classroom, there are students from different parts of the world: Mexico, India, Thailand, and Japan. The teacher has effective control over the classroom; therefore, she can be more relaxed. I assume that she has established this control from day one. Having a well-controlled classroom actually creates a more relaxed atmosphere where the students are able to learn. Mrs. Vincent cares about the students, and they know that. I was very impressed at how relaxed yet effective the classroom environment was. The students seemed happy to be there.
THE LESSON
The beginning of the lesson was simply a reinforcement of that knowledge. Mrs. Vincent told the students that the following day, they would have an assignment in which they would be circling pronouns. She proceeded to talk about reflexive pronouns. One thing that I really liked about her teaching method is that she points out both the correct and commonly incorrect way to say things. She gave the examples of the correct reflexive pronouns: himself, herself, and themselves. She then gave examples of incorrect reflexive pronouns that are commonly used: hisself, theirself, and theirselves. She then discussed indefinite pronouns, such as some. She emphasized that the students have to focus on the prepositional phrase in order to determine whether or not the verb is plural. She then talked about subject-verb agreement, and gave the students a procedure to follow when determining subject-verb agreement. The first step is to eliminate prepositional phrases. The second step is to determine the action. The third and final step is to find the first noun or subject pronoun not in the prepositional phrase. I like how Mrs. Vincent has taught the students prepositions and how to find prepositional phrases. It is helpful in order for them more easily locate the subject and verb of the sentence. After explaining the subject-verb agreement, she proceeded to commands. She gave the students a sentence: Stand up. She asked what the subject was. Most of the students had no idea, but one student was finally able to provide the answer. The subject was the understood you in the command. She then gave the students the following sentence: Both of my sisters (are,is) going to Europe during the summer. The students had to put the prepositional phrases in parentheses, find the subject, and choose the correct verb. After three minutes, she called upon a student to come to the board and fix the sentence. After this, the class was almost over. She told the students to study for the assignment tomorrow with pronouns.
The EA, Amy, was working with two students in the back that have very limited English skills. She was going over flash cards with the students that had fruits and vegetables. She was working on the pronunciation and spelling of the words, as well as recognition.
How did the second language learners react/interact?
All of the students except for one seemed to be focused on the lesson. Most of the students actively answered Mrs. Vincent's questions and were engaged in the lesson. There was little talking among students during the lesson. Most of the attention was directed towards Mrs. Vincent's lecture.
What evidence of "community" in terms of the second language learner did you observe?
In terms of community, I observed a relaxed atmosphere in which students are encouraged to participate. It is a small class of only eleven students, most of which are Hispanics. There was one student, as I had mentioned earlier, that did not seem to be paying attention. There was also a student mentioned that is notorious for missing class. Apart from those two students, I saw an engaged classroom where learning was taking place. The two students working with Amy were actively engaged in the flash cards, developing basic English skills.
What is required to become a member of this classroom or learning environment?
In order to be a member in this classroom, a student must be learning English as a second language. Once the student reaches a certain degree of language proficiency, the student tests out. These tests are given every spring. Participation, regular attendance, and an effort to advance in English are all necessary in order to excel in the class. Students need to bring their textbooks, pencils, and paper to class in order to participate.
What events occurred during the observation?
Right after the bell rang, a student walked in late. The student tried to sit down in the back of the room, but Mrs. Vincent did not let him. The classroom was too cold, so the maintenance man came to fix the room's unit. Mrs. Vincent did a good job of keeping the students focused while this was occurring. One of the students did not show up for class, nor was she on the absentee list. Mrs. Vincent sent the aide to the office to find out where the student was. All of the students were well-behaved and participating in class except for one. Mrs. Vincent had to specifically tell him to take out a sheet of paper after all of the other students had done so.
What can an observer see if he/she entered the classroom at this particular time?
An observer would come in to see a well-decorated classroom with attentive students. The students were great. They were engaged in the lesson, and have a strong desire to learn English.
What evidence of "acceptance and welcome" would a second language learner see?
I believe a second language learner would see this as the most welcoming classroom of all. It is an environment where it is understood that the students are not fluent in English. In the classroom, there are students from different parts of the world: Mexico, India, Thailand, and Japan. The teacher has effective control over the classroom; therefore, she can be more relaxed. I assume that she has established this control from day one. Having a well-controlled classroom actually creates a more relaxed atmosphere where the students are able to learn. Mrs. Vincent cares about the students, and they know that. I was very impressed at how relaxed yet effective the classroom environment was. The students seemed happy to be there.
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