Lori CO-1

My first class observation was this week and it went really great! I'm not going to lie, I wasn't sure what to expect and was a bit nervous going into the situation, but within only a few minutes in the class my worries went away and my curiosity on how well I would be able to help the students replaced all feelings of nervousness. I wasn't sure of what the teacher's approach to my observation would be, but she quickly let the whole class know that if they had any questions at all, to come ask them to me -- instant deer in headlights! I was observing a intermediate grammar class, knowing all too well grammar is not my forte in English (or Spanish). However, when the formal class time broke into small group activity time and the students began to instantly ask me questions, I realized that I could answer most of them to both their happiness as well as my own.
I learned that the students had been studying English for a widely varying number of years. Many for over a decade while a few for just a few months, yet they were all on the same proficiency level. This reaffirmed the differences of intensity and efficiency of many language programs around the world. This opportunity also helped me to reanalyze many parts of English that I have not thought deeply on in a good number of years. By having to explain why something is worded this way or that, I had to rethink the mechanics of English, which I realized sometimes even perplexed me. Overall it was a great experience! I only had one instance where I wasn't able to give an adequate reason behind an English grammar rule, which has motivated me to relearned the rules. The gentle and friendly flow of the class really left an impression of openness and the potential of true progress in my mind.