Ben CO #1

Today I observed Marilyn Sohan's Listening Group 1, Session 2 class. Marilyn mentioned to me at the beginning of the class that it was only their second full day of class so much of what was covered involved syllabus and course overview. However, I was still able to notice many strong aspects of the way in which Marilyn conducted her class. The first thing I noticed was that speaking in English at all times was HUGELY important in class. Whenever a student would speak in their first language, Marilyn was quick to remind them that even though this was only a level one class, speaking in English at all times was important to their growth as English speakers. Marilyn was also fantastic at cultivating a friendly yet professional learning environment. She knew all of her students' names, even though it was only the second class, and seemed genuinely invested in teaching all of them. She also stressed the value of positivity in her class and that was something that all of the students responded to well. The general atmosphere in the room was quite safe and comfortable. There was a sense of community and collaboration between Marilyn and her students, she was quick to involve them in her discussion, even when the discussion revolved around something as dull as syllabus overview. The students established the class rules as a group, it gave them a chance to come up with these rules for themselves; a very active exercise for the students. The other thing I noticed that I admired about Marilyn's teaching was the deliberate and measured pace of how she spoke to the students. She did not speak very quickly but also not slowly (as is often the case when English speakers try to communicate with people who don't speak English as their first language). Marilyn spoke in a measured, consistent tone and pace which really seemed to allow the students to take in and understand what she was saying to them. I feel as though that skill in communication will be invaluable when it comes to teaching my own students English.