Date and Location of Class:
July 14, Rockwood Library
Day of Class:
Monday
Time of Class: noon-2 pm
MC:
Patrik McDade
DJ:
Jane McIver
Assistants:
Wes Smith, Forrest Scrutton
Module:
Dietary Restrictions
How Many Learners:
11
Score:
36 (Preparation: 3; Technique: 6; Engagement: 6; Connection: 7; poise: 7; Reflection: 7).
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):

Jane introduced the echo song “Old Texas” and after dictation the group sang 2 verses. Following alphabet work and Yell and Spell, Wes answered questions from Patrik about his diabetes and the group recorded the answers as dictation. Wes then demonstrated his ability to take his own blood sugar without normal vision using a talking glucometer, and different parts of the glucometer kit were passed around the room, engaging everyone in the dialogue. This class enjoyed a lot of laughter and bonding, and it began and ended on time.

Date of Class: July 16, 2014
Day of Class: Wednesday
Time of Class: 12 noon – 2pm
MC: David
DJ: none
Assistants: none
Module: Maps & Addresses
How Many Learners: 10
Score:6+8+8+8+8+8=46
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): Nice big multicultural & multilevel group today. Dictation on driving directions from Rockwood to Central Library; choral response; introduced new vocab words like merge, slight, onto, and follow, that I demonstrated using different learners. Then we used phone books and split into several small teams of two or three learners; one person dictated addresses and the other wrote them down, and after five minutes, we’d stop and see which team wrote down the most addresses. This was really fun! Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and it was a great opportunity for students to applaud everyone’s final score and offer encouragement, which happened naturally! Then, I tried something else with directions: I gave everyone a card with a direction on it: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, or NW. Then the learner had to get in the right part of the room. We used choral response and one-at-a-time response as well. Then, I said a direction and had everyone just point. Finally, I had a dictation using the song I Know Where I’m Going by the Judds. One new learner, Semen, seems to have significant visual and auditory limitations, and I thought learners were very helpful with him.

Date and Location of Class:
July 21, Rockwood Library
Day of Class:
monday
Time of Class
: noon-2 pm
MC:
Patrik McDade
DJ:
Jane McIver
Assistants:
Forrest Scrutton
Special Guest: Martha Munoz
Module:
Dietary Restrictions
How Many Learners:
16
Score:
44 (preparation: 7; technique: 7; engagement: 8; connection: 8; poise: 8; reflection: 6).
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):

This class began at 12:06 but ended on time. The class was unpredictable from start to finish. First came a discussion of each person’s dinner last night, which all learners wrote down as a dictation. Then followed Alphabet Listen and Point, during which a group of Chinese learners entered the classroom. After a fast yell and spell during which each person in the room spelled his/her first name rapidly, we heard from our special guest, Martha Munoz of Latino Network, who introduced us to Proposition 88, explaining it and urging us, along with our family and friends, to vote in favor of it this november. The learners pointed to words and phrases on a handout Martha distributed about Proposition 88, which would pass a state law allowing immigrants with unclear or pending documentation to get a driver’s card, permitting them to buy car insurance and to drive legally in this country, until they can procure a normal driver’s license. Enactment of this law would provide safer roads for all, and reduce the fear of arrest and deportation of refugees and the tearing apart of their families, simply because they are in the process of becoming legal U.S. residents. Patrik hopes to utilize more materials on different topics produced by latino Network in future ESL classes. The unity and diversity of this group, the way various races melded together to work as one solid unit, was truly astounding and felt by all alike. Much learning occurred and there was spontaneous laughter and wholesome joking. This was the best class I have yet attended.

Date of Class: 7/22/2014
Day of Class: Tuesday
Time of Class: 6:00-7:30
MC: Joshua
DJ: Robert
Assistants:
Module: Secure Housing
How Many Learners: 9
Score: 38
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): An unexpected large class after the last few Tuesday nights! it was a good class with a wide array of learner levels and nationalities. It feels good to get back into the classroom after being off last week!

Date of Class: July 30, 2014
Day of Class: Wednesday
Time of Class: 12 – 2 pm
MC: David
DJ: Quinton
Assistants: Forrest, Liz
Module: Maps & Addresses
How Many Learners: 14
Score: 6+7+7+7+6+9=42
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):
We had 14 students, one DJ & 2 assistants, thankfully! We worked on using prepositional phrases to talk about where we live, then used a few stories about where we live- from assistants and learners- as dictations. We talked a little bit about locations on the map, and finished with a song, This Train, using the lyrics as vocabulary. We talked about prepositions using locations in the room (Liz is next to me/between/in front of/behind/ kiddie corner/across from/around the corner), and local landmarks (the house is across the street, the Italian restaurant is next door), but I’d like to use Liz’s suggestion even more next time, that is, to have students get up and actually move around the room more, to demonstrate these (men are across from women, I am kiddie-corner from Quinton, etc); this would also have helped with the energy level. Still, it was great to have a big class with new learners.

Date of Class: 8/4/14
Day of Class: Monday
Time of Class:12-2
MC: Patrik
DJ: Jane
Assistants: Wes, Forrest, Laramy, Marcy
Module: Nurtirtion; Fruit, Nuts and berries
How Many Learners: 12

Self Evaluation

Preparation: Forgot to Show Up (1) vs. Every Hair In Place (10) =4
Technique: Completely Incompetent (1) vs. Flawless Delivery (10) =6
Engagement: Snoring Loudly (1) vs. Absolutely Riveted (10) =7
Connection: Open Hostility (1) vs. Kumbayah (10) =7
Poise: Charlie Brown (1) vs. Prince (10) =6
Reflection: “It was ok.” (1) vs. Life-changing Epiphany (10) =6

Total Score:36

What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):This class began and ended on time. While learners were arriving we practiced Alphabet Listen and Point, then yell and Spell. Patrik presented various fruits (baby banana, baby lime, sweet lime, regular lime, pear, peach, grapes, cherries, guava, nectarine, orange, plantain, coconut, apple) and we all practiced the dialog: “This is an apple …”. Dictation was also involved. The learners worked well together, many helping each other. Much learning took place in this class.