The third class that I observed was Victoria's reading class. Many students did not show up, and the level of motivation in the class seemed split. After a brief class discussion about progress, Victoria affirmed that some students had not been participating or completing assignments because they did not like reading the Ramona book. The class had been expected to turn in a brief list of comprehension questions at this point, which had been assigned for homework. Many students handed their completed assignments over, many tried to scribble answers in at the last moment, and many were granted an opportunity to turn the assignment in after the weekend--but no later. I thought this illustrated well that teachers can be gracious, without hurting their student's learning, if they show a hard line down the road.
The class continued into a "read-along" exercise, where they listened to a recording of Ramona, and stopped every now and again to discuss unfamiliar vocabulary and comprehension. Victoria wrote words along the board as the class went along, and then during the breaks the class would construct definitions and understandings for each word afterwards. The students all took a picture of the board with their smartphones afterwards, in synchronicity. Victoria involved me in helping describe and clarify the meanings for different words. I appreciated the opportunity to teach with her a bit, as it is something I am growing fond of.
I spoke to Victoria for a while after class about how she came to be an instructor with CIES, what it's like to teach when you are pregnant, and different Master's program options. She's taken a pretty cool journey to where she is today. Really glad I got a chance to observe her class.
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