Field Notes -- IEP Grammar Level 1

Pseudonym Key

Textbook Used in Class

01/15/2013

Video 1

grammar game, pair work – listen to their talk – see how limited it is? – do we have a video of a small group?

Video 2

pair work continues for the 1st 12 or so minutes

Video 3

large group activity re: contractions, very traditional, going over grammar points. T asks Q, elicits S response.

4:00 – 11:00  activity – pair work – to practice introductions (pretending they are at a party)

12:00 class breaks.

Video 4

6:30  class resumes

large group practice of a/an; contractions; sing and plural

Video 5

continues large group practice of various grammatical items, moved to synonyms,  same kind of activity

Video 6

4:30 begins prepositions – still large group, same kind of instruction IRE.

5:28 – still doing preps with large group

7:30 handing out homework to begin in class, goes over all the exercises they will do at home

15:15 – tells students to work on individually

Video 7

student are working on their homework individually

7:00 – stops students working on homework and moves to last promo criterion, correcting errors

put students into small groups, gives them boards, markers and tissues (as erasers) and asks them to correct the sentence on the OHP on their boards (as small group) and then hold up for T to see. For each, T points and says ‘ding ding’ if right and ‘bzz’ if wrong.

Continues until end of tape (for 9 mins)

Video 8

repeats directions for homework (written on OHP)

Explanation on Notes 

11:53

Contractions with “be” verbs (I’m, you’re, we’re, it’s, they’re, she’s he’s)

-repair by teacher with gesture (both hands pushing inward in front of body to illustrate the image of contraction)

-Giving negative feedback nonverbally (especially by gesture)?

12:25 

What is this? It is an apple? (by intonation): elicit responses from students?

12:30 Teacher: “I’m ((contraction gesture))”

-repair by teacher with gesture (same gesture described above) 

12:36

Grammar focus: “Be adjectives”

Teacher gave a lot of examples for emotional adjectives through using body gestures and example sentences  

-Student says, “He walked out of” and teacher immediately repairs, “He walked away”

12:42

-Student says, “He didn’t afraid” and then teacher quickly repairs “He wasn’t afraid.”

13:13

Teacher says, “I’m going to throw it away.” and intentionally shows her action to the class. –demonstrates her intentionality to focus on the sense of preposition, “away” by showing physical actions?

Interesting points observed:

1. Teacher’s repair with gesture (hand gestures) “contraction” (e.g., “I’m)
2. Teacher’s use of gesture and action to emphasize key points: (e.g., “I’m going to throw it way.”)