Matt CO #3

This morning I observed Felicia Ciapetta's intermediate level grammar class. The first thing I noticed, before the class had even started, was Ms. Ciapetta's buoyant attitude and the friendly, familiar way she chatted with her students. Felicia's students were without exception comfortable and even excited in her classroom, a mood which seemed totally inconsistent with my own memories of grammar class.

After setting the tone with some light music, Felicia began the class with what she called a 'bell ringer,' a question posed to the students for brief discussion. In this case the bell ringer was a question of opinion, and one of surprising complexity: is love a feeling or a choice? Felicia's students seemed eager to express themselves and animatedly discussed the topic for about 10 minutes. She even put me on the spot, which forced me to do some weird and unexpected introspection. Anyway as Felicia explained the bell ringer was intended to challenge the students to express their personal feelings on a topic, and in doing so, to apply grammar in a realistic, productive way.

The day's grammar lesson was on indefinite vs definite articles. Ms. Ciapetta had the students complete a brief worksheet with a partner. The students completed the activity quickly and apparently without error, and so Felicia gave a short lecture on some common, confusing irregular articles (eg. a universal vs an universal). Throughout the lesson there was plenty of interaction between teacher and students.

Felicia's class demonstrated for me the importance of the student-teacher relationship. By creating a lighthearted atmosphere, Ms. Ciapetta engages student attention and facilitates learning.