On Thursday I observed Debbie's IN-HI Speaking class. I was most struck by the following:
- She started by assigning the class group work while she called up individual students to give them feedback on a presentation they had given the day before. I felt this was a good use of time.
- She was very strict regarding classroom management - laptops and cell phones were prohibited and she "berated" students who hadn't completed the homework or had missed class the day before. She was surprisingly firm and blunt with the students - really didn't pull any punches.
- The day's lesson required the students to discuss the pros and cons of a given topic (e.g. use of drugs in sports) in groups of 3-4, and then present the topic to the class. I was impressed with the high academic level of the prompts, which Debbie said was more common once students reached the intermediate level.
- Debbie very specifically evaluated students on their (Western) presentation and speaking skills, not just their English language ability. That surprised me, but it makes good sense.
- Finally, I really like that each lesson/assignment within the course - whether a speech, debate, or panel discussion - is repeated more than once. The first time students are given feedback, and only the second time are they given a grade.
Great observations from a very experienced teacher.
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