Here is Elka’s written feedback, transcribed:
| Objective Observations | Comments |
| T on time ready to rock and roll. Some materials on WB. Introduce Elka. Ask kids to ask her: “What is your name?” even though some already knew it. | Kids are funny how that have a problem with inauthenticity. |
| Did you do your HW? Yes, good. | [No follow up.] |
| Sore throat, headache, eararche | Any warmup to transition them to exercise/activate their vocab? You started doing it: a recycle type of activity |
| T: Do you know what this is called?
Lupita: Hand T: Do you know what this is called? Other S: Food/head |
Can the others see what you are pointing to? |
| T checks with everyone: leg, foot | Any VISUAL support? (How old are they?) |
| T welcomes newcomer | |
| t: Exercise if good for the muscles/heart | VISUAL support/elicit from them once again. How about maximizing: foot —> football, hand —> shake hands, raise your hand. |
| [Any transition?] Kids talk about their pictures | Good, personalized. They feel center stage |
| Kid 2 talks, the rest not paying attention for a while | Any TASK to make them pay closer attention? e.g. write down two words you heard in Lupita’s story. |
| Ricardo (same story as above: girls not paying attention) | |
| T: Guys, I’m having a hard time hearing | Do they understand that [x is it doing the trick]??? |
| T: Who fixes people when they get hurt? | |
| Gymnastics [hard g]. T recasts ONCE. | Remember I thou it. Articulate and repeat and focus their attention on the problem area in some way |
| Kid 5 drawing: no on paying attention | TASK. Research shows we listen (& hear different things) differently depending on the task. e.g. times of shows, titles, [?] |
| Should/shouldn’t jumping rope | |
| Sharon: she is swimming in the water on Sunday
They are dancing? Is this safe? But is it SAFE? |
A great teaching moment: opportunity for expansion. [For them to generate more of their own content/produce] so that the whole experience does not smack of a drill. PLAY with the language. Unleash the imagination. |
| Kids again pull exchange. [?] T: Is this safe. Should they…. | For greater authenticity. |
| Is this safe or dangerous? Now you know everything about should and shouldn’t | A bit of a break? To stretch/shift gears? The 20-minute rule. |
| She is swimming. Muscles. The whole body. | Make some attempt at recycling. Stick with it. |
| “Crecimiento” [= growth] | Invite them to get their message across: the so-called STRATEGIC COMPETENCE |
| Ss: Play soccer | Recast: HE IS playing. (a recurring problem/weakness) |
| T: Let us open our books to the HW. | Need a mini-break/transition
If they can read, why not use any visual support/scaffolding. “The more, the better principle” [SLA] |
| My mother, sister, aunt uncle… primo. T whispers “cousin” | Expansion. Did everyone hear/remember that? OPTIMAL input. |
| 1 2 3 4 5. Girls 1, 2 not paying attention. | |
| Kid 4: cousin [kawzin]. Kid 5: kozin | A teachable moment. [pronunciation] cousin, culture, Pachuca: PATTERNS |
| [I always called on people in the same order] | How about randomizing, offering a task or something? Choral repetition |
| T consistently “functions” one student at a time | Can you think of a way to make them function as a GROUP? |
| T: What I would like is to finish this | Ownership of language. Could you hav TALKED to them using these very same questions? |
| T: Who was the person who drank the most water? [2 yawns] | Does this tell us something? |
| T: We have some fun stuff ahead if we get this done | What is the message you are sending there? |
| Another yawn. Interest went up the moment you started talking about the game. | |
| Ricardo: “block.” T: Very good (2) | What was very good. I couldn’t understand what the kid said. |
| Shoulder/kneepads/elbowpads | How can they review at home w/o written input? |
| Lots of “slip” [sleep] (Ricardo). Fruits and vegetables | Maximizing. Expansion. Elicit what fruits and vegetables they know in English. |
| “Myself.” T calls on students in same order | Randomize for playfulness? For better attention? |
| Me, you, ? | Good recycling, feedback from Ss |
| Boy: thirteen / thirty. In memory game it was a good idea to have the numbers though you needed them anyway. | Get another turn/get points for the competitive nature of kids? |
| Pronouns on WB | This is the first visual input so far. [Except I’d had the pairs of –self words up there before] |
| T: Very good. I’m impressed with you. | |
| A song. Not a story | Kids very energized |
| Now turn to p 44. It’s a fun story. | Positive suggestion |
| “Safe & Sound.” Safe is not dangerous. | Maximizing (by suggesting opposites) |
| T: Fell in the water. | Fall v fell |
| Kids seem lost T: changes strategy. | How do you know they understand the words in the story? Any IDEAS for some more vocabulary scaffolding? |
| T: Can you picture this in your head? | This is difficult. |
| T: Do you know what a stick is? It is skinny and made of wood | Scaffold wood? |
| T: Do you know what wood is? Madera. | |
| T delegates to Ss to draw the story | Good move. Greater engagement. Checking comprehension |
| Stick | Visual: also write the word itself, as well as draw it. |
| Fast/quickly does not equal slowly | |
| Save lives | life vs. lives |
| If someone in danger of drowning or… | A bit difficult for learners |
| HW | Nice creative assignment |