ClassObservation 3_Dallas

I had the pleasure in observing Ramin's reading class! class began with an attempt to collect a reading assignment. Today's class was held in a different room. Not many students had the assignment which made me think culturally, students are students. They then proceeded to review their TOFEL reading scores. I noticed that Ramin made sure to keep some form of balance within the classroom, allowing them to provide backwash before he then provide the washback. LOL The class was a group 3 reading class.

We then proceeded to read an article on Thanksgiving. Prior to the reading the class was asked to provide their own background perceptions of the holiday. There seemed to be a general understanding of what the current customs/traditions were. Many mentioned things like family time, and special events like "black friday"! Students were instructed to underline the vocabulary that the y did not know and continuue to follow along with our reading.

It was useful to hear what a level three class sounds like. Most read fairly fluent and continuous with minor pronunciation errors here and there. The reading was split up by the instructor and the students were asked to volunteer. I noticed that Ramin stopped the reading shortly after the first two or three paragraphs and asked questions to ensure that the students were comprehending and following along. After getting so wrapped up into the passage I almost forgot about the importance of this. He asked questions to not only check for comprehension but the helped them visualize the events and environment of the text. He also tested their understanding of the vocabulary. It crazy how important this is; I sometimes catch myself reading in "robot mode" and stop and think what did I just read? I can only imagine those effects attempt to reading in another language.

For the sake of time Ramin close out the reading . Then closed the class providing the additional resources so the students could further connect with the reading .