Feedback/Checking In

Hey everybody,

Here are my two cents about how the class is going so far:

-Overall, great! The presentations are always interesting and relevant and give me lots of ideas about general facilitation approaches (in addition to ESL-specific ideas).

-The classroom rapport and laid-back atmosphere are great! People seem so relaxed together and the conversation really seems to flow.

-The practicum debriefing and discussion about classroom management were really useful (not to mention quite a bonding experience!). I like knowing about the diversity of ESL classroom situations in Greater Vancouver.

-I might want to talk a bit about unit planning, which is the most daunting aspect of the long practicum for me. Basically my SA has said that I can do whatever I want; she seems to fly by the seat of her pants and have no really precise plan as to where her courses are going in terms of units or topics. How do I deal with that?

-The least useful part of the course so far has been the theoretical content, since I haven't really heard any discussions of theoretical approaches at my practicum placement. (This does not include the stuff on the SMART system, which has been invaluable! On that note, a big thanks to all of you who have shared materials and resources, and to Doug for making copies!)

-I found the sample lesson plans very useful, both in order to understand the assignment and as general lesson planning models

That's all for now! See y'all Friday!

A