Brittany CO 3

For my final class observation I sat in Maria Samuel's listening class to get some insight before my listening lesson plan. This particular day they were continuing watching "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks as a foreigner indefinitely stuck in a NY airport. I think the context is great given the 'stranger in a strange land' theme that students can clearly relate to. First, Maria asked the class to recap what had happened in the movie up to the point they were at today. A few students raised hands and answered. Maria told the class that she'd be stopping the movie every few minutes and asking for a summary so to pay attention, be ready, and enjoy!

It had been a long time since I'd see The Terminal and forgot how good the story is, and how funny Tom Hanks is, but soon I noticed much of the humor didn't really translate as Maria and I were the only ones laughing at several parts. After 15 minutes, Maria stopped the movie as promised and asked for someone to summarize what they'd just seen. While she called a different student than before, the same students were raising their hands to answer. I noticed the second time Maria stopped the video and asked again for a summary of the previous 15 minutes, she called on a girl in the corner who hadn't volunteered yet. I like this move by Maria, though anytime I was like that girl in past classes I would have hated it, but as a future teacher, I know it's the best way to be sure every student is paying attention and understanding the material.

Class ended before the movie was over, so Maria told the class to remember what happened for next time. Though it's not as student-centered and full of activity, watching movies is definitely a great way to practice some extensive listening.