Lori Jane and Mara introduced themselves as they will be the student teachers in Andrea’s class. It was great to see an example of student teacher introductions to help me prepare for mine on Monday.

Andrea delved into reading for the ielts.

The students are very comfortable in the learning environment and responsive and engaged.

Started off with an activity. The teacher was really good at praising students with the correct answer. I loved her style and will remember to do the same. Andrea provided clear instructions to the students. Once students provided an answer, she also asked them why so that they could show their thought process. It was a great way to have students show comprehension. This also helped students learn tips and tricks of reading for the ielts from one another.

The second activity was a reading and the instructor provided instructions verbally. In my classes, I would like to add the instructions on a slide and will go over them verbally as some students may be able to better understand directions by seeing them visually and hearing them. Everyone has their own style and I would like to try to cater to as many styles as possible.

I liked the use of the MS teams features. As each student finished the reading, they ‘raised their hand’ to let the teacher know they were done. I learned a lot about virtual teaching from observing this class.

I also noticed how motivated the students are to learn and succeed. The ielts are an important milestone for the students and the exam results will determine whether or not the students will attend the university/country of their choice. The students all want to do well and thus actively participated.

Short focussed lessons that are to the point seem to be quite effective. I am so used to long lessons that this was quite refreshing. Andrea ended off with a virtual hug and telling her students she loved them. It was a heartwarming way to end the class. I loved it!