I already feel happy with 612 because there is a nice rapport between them and a sense of cooperation among most of them. On Wednesday two new students came to "see the group" but neither of them returned on Thursday. I'm not sure if they're planning to and I actually don't know if they can, as there aren't enough chairs for more than 28 students. One of them was, in my opinion, rather disagreeable in character and this made me feel frustrated and a little uneasy by the end of the class, because in my heart I hoped he wouldn't return. If he does it will be for a reason ... but the class dynamics will change, and the way I deal with him will also have to alter somewhat, as I don't think I can simply allow him to participate in the way he did that first day.
We did two cultural activities in the first two days - on Tuesday I brought the Aussie books and they had a chance to look at them in small groups. I think the SG on the first day was very helpful to allow them to get to know just a few people a little better without feeling intimidated in front of the whole group. They did very well in their observations and communication with each other. The second day a number of them had brought coins and notes from other currencies (on my petition the day before) and we compared them and the current Mexican coins/notes with the Australian ones. They also expressed enjoyment in doing this activity and learning more about Australia. I don't know when the next cultural segment will be, probably not for another few weeks.
Thursday was the beginning of OPP; I had four, maybe five students. The fifth was a "runaway" from her own group because it didn't fit with her schedule; but when the students began arriving in the classroom it became obvious that there weren't enough seats, and so I had to ask her to leave. I believe she's been re-allocated in another group and my hope is that she doesn't feel I threw her out; although it was unlikely she would have stayed with us anyway.
I felt a lot like hf did when she was being observed - What makes a teacher a teacher? What makes me able to help others become better teachers? What are they going to see in me that they will want to emulate?
All four of my trainees (TT) have experience in teaching and two are still currently teaching. One has taught at Interlingua, another there also as well as Harmon Hall. What struck them the most after the first day of observation was the following:
- I hardly taught any grammar at all.
- I didn't correct all the errors the students made.
- There was a lot of free speaking throughout the class.
- There was a clear sequence of activities.
- I spoke in Spanish a small amount in order to clear up a difference between the two languages.
- My body language was relaxed.
- The students felt comfortable, participated and listened to my instructions carefully.
- I put on interesting cool music for the free writing - why did I do that? [The truth is, I simply put it to the second song on the CD, but it happened to be "That's no way to say goodbye" which was just perfect for the "Favourite place" free writing.]
- It was obvious I was both a leader but also a coordinator for them, not always needing them to be looking at me at the front to tell them everything.
It surprised me a little that they had observed all of this as it seemed like a lot for the first day, but I guess they were comparing their own methods and practices as teachers and were challenged by differences in what I was doing. I hope that if they see something they don't agree with or don't understand, that they'll have the confidence to also share those things and not just the 'good things'.
I felt happy after the OPP class had finished, and am looking forward to this semester - but I don't want it to turn into a "feel good" class whereby I seek my own reassurance or reaffirmation as a teacher. I hope to learn from my TTs as well as them from me.
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