FSU TEFL 120 Certificate 2024 Summer 2

 TS Blogs  June 27th, Thursday Online Session #2 with Do Jun Topic/Skill: Simple future tense, “I” statements as used in predictions and proclamations (e.g. I believe…, I think…, etc), differentiating between predictions and proclamations.  Feedback provided to the tutee: Do Jun had trouble initially differentiating between predictions and proclamations. When I asked him to give an example of a prediction he said, “the boy must go to work tomorrow.” I informed Do Jun that this statement was a proclamation because the speaker doesn't provide  a lot of leanency toward the outcome of the action. I told him that when a speaker does provide leanency or they are uncertain of an action happening, they make a prediction. Next, Do Jun watched a video on “imposter syndrome”. When he stated he was having difficulty understanding certain parts of the video, I told him to watch the video again at a slower speed and not down words and phrases he didn't understand.  Lesson(s):...

Date/Time : Wednesday June 26th Location : Bellamy 338 Topic/Skill : Writing (Summary Essay) & Listening/Speaking (Loneliness and Social Media) Feedback provided to the tutee : I reviewed Ana’s weekly summary, and offered feedback about word choice/use and the possessive s’ for plural nouns. This took only ~20 minutes, so we also watched a short video about loneliness, human connection, and social media produced by CBS Sunday Morning. Subtitles were turned off. We had an open-ended discussion for the remainder of the session. Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned : When students need to reschedule meetings to earlier dates or times, it is important to be flexible and think quickly about how to have a fulfilling and productive session regardless. Ana and I have very similar opinions about friendship.

Date/Time : Wednesday June 26th Location : Bellamy 338 Topic/Skill : Grammar (Prepositions of Time and Place) Feedback provided to the tutee : Ana completed two short written activities that covered prepositions generally. We discussed the questions she struggled with, and I used objects in the room as well as myself to demonstrate the differences between, for example, on and in . I also shared a diagram with her that gives examples of when to use in , at , or on . Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned : When trying to explain why it is appropriate to use one preposition over another, it is helpful to use an object (or multiple objects in different scenarios) to visually demonstrate the difference.

Date/Time : Wednesday June 26th Location : Bellamy 338 Topic/Skill : Writing (Statement of Purpose) Feedback provided to the tutee : We discussed Wei’s plans about applying to different Master’s programs at FSU, if she is not accepted into her preferred Ph. D. program. I helped her create an outline for the statement of purpose required in her application to the Foreign and Second Language Education M.S. Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned : International students studying in a particular country may have chosen to do so with the goal of living and working there in the future. Consequently, their principal concern is developing different plans and alternative options to ensure they can remain where they are.

Date/Time : June 26th    Skill/Topic : Speaking (Online versus Traditional Classes) Teacher Presentation : The instructor did not give a demonstration. Classroom Management : The instructor outlined how the discussion would take place. She made clear that everyone would receive a grade for participation (either for their prepared speech or their unprepared speech). Materials : Laptop (for presenters, and also the instructor). Student Participation : Two students prepared for the discussion in advance and led the group discussion. They were allowed to refer to their notes on their laptops. All the other students had to listen and participate in the discussion. Feedback Provided : The instructor took notes about how well the students use the discussion strategies they learned in the previous session. The instructor asked the main speaker to speak louder, repeat key information, and clarify points of confusion. Lesson(s) on teaching you learned : When speaking is the skill being ...

TS Blogs  June 25th, Tuesday Session #1 with Arsene at CIES and Suwannee Cafe  Topic/Skill: Needs assessment, speaking and listening practice (conversational skills), and reading practice (with a check for understanding).  Feedback provided to the tutee: I corrected Arsene on his pronunciation and spoken English grammar when I believed it was influential to him. I taught Arsene numerous common English phrases and acted them out or gave him examples when he was having trouble understanding them. I also helped Arsene with a presentation he has been working on for his speaking class. I helped him work through grammatical errors in the presentation by asking him questions and making him aware of why he was making the mistakes.  Lesson(s): Arsene improved upon his ability to differentiate between verb and adjective forms of the same word. Arsene learned several idiomatic phrases in English through our talk over lunch. Additionally, I taught Arsene how to import new vocabu...

TS Blogs  June 25th, Tuesday Online Session with Do Jun #1 Topic/Skill: Understanding and using adverbs, understanding and forming complex sentences through an understanding of independent and dependent clauses. Use of adverbs in complex sentences and identifying independent and dependent clauses in complex sentences.  Feedback provided to the tutee: I asked the tutee questions to evaluate his understanding of the topics and corrected errors in independent clause identification.  Lesson(s): The tutee has trouble using complex sentences in everyday, casual speech, which leads to his speaking sounding choppy or unnatural to a native speaker. The tutee has an explicit understanding of complex sentences, how they're formed, and why they're formed; but needs to incorporate them into everyday speech. Similarly, the tutee has an explicit understanding of adverbs and their role in a sentence but doesn't make use of them in everyday speech. The tutee needs to integrate adverbs int...

Date/Time : June 25th    Skill/Topic : Reading (The Malleability of the Mind) Teacher Presentation : The instructor reviewed the main concepts of the article at the beginning of the class. The instructor highlighted important main ideas of the article that might be included in questions, or that students should note for their future writing. In addition to those ideas, he also circled important vocabulary words on the whiteboard. Classroom Management : The instructor began with a review of the material they had already covered, and then the class transitioned to reading new sections of the article together. Materials : Projector, research article, whiteboard, dry erase marker. Student Participation : Students answered review questions about the previous session. They volunteered to read new sections of the article, or else were called on. Students also had to identify sentences in the article that contained main ideas, and create their own sentences using those ideas. The inst...

Date/Time : June 25th    Skill/Topic : Grammar (Present Continuous and Discussing Routine) Teacher Presentation : The instructor asked the students to answer questions based on Mr. Bean’s daily routine (YouTube video shown in class). She would pause the video and ask students what he was doing at that specific moment (using both simple past and present continuous). She also gave a brief mini-lesson about the prepositions into and onto. Classroom Management : The instructor called on specific students to answer her questions or given example sentences describing what they were seeing in the video. She reminded the students which tense they should use when asking them questions. Materials : Projector to watch a YouTube video. Student Participation : The students had a group discussion with the instructor during the first part of the lecture. The students answered questions about Mr. Bean’s routine, including making negative statements. Feedback Provided : The instructor provided...

Date/Time : Friday June 21st Location : Bellamy 338 Topic/Skill : Timed Writing (Differences between universities). Feedback provided to the tutee : Ana practiced leaving extra time at the end of a timed writing session (15 minutes for writing, 5 minutes for revisions). Punctuation was her biggest challenge, particularly the appropriate use of semicolons and commas. We discussed when to use one or the other, or neither. Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned : Reserving a few minutes near the end of a timed writing session is extremely useful for correcting simple mistakes made in the heat of the moment. This strategy is especially beneficial for the student if the instructor gives a score based on the number of mistakes in the writing, rather than the length.

Date/Time : Friday June 21st Location : Bellamy 338 Topic / Skill : Introductions & Needs Assessment Feedback provided to the tutee : We discussed how we would like to structure our tutoring sessions to focus primarily on practicing writing. The secondary target skill is speaking, which we decided we could cover simultaneously (when discussing her written work). We briefly discussed the proper way to pronounce “either.” Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned : Ana is here only until the end of July, at which point she will return to finish her studies at her university in Mexico. We agreed that it would be best to meet once a week, but for two hours instead of one. She revealed that it is easier for her to write when she is given a topic to write about, and doubly so when it is a topic she is interested in. Overall, though, it is still a difficult process.

C.O. Blogs Date/Time: June 21st, 2024, 9:00 - 9:50 am Topic/Skill: Vocabulary Review and Practice Teacher Presentation: Flemming reviewed upcoming topics and emphasized English language immersion for defining words. He facilitated vocabulary-matching exercises and moderated discussions on challenging words. Classroom Management: Flemming encouraged independent work followed by collaborative discussions to enhance understanding and retention of vocabulary. Materials: Vocabulary lists, matching exercises, and student notebooks for noting confusing words. Student Participation: Students engaged actively in independent analysis, partner discussions, and whole-class participation in reviewing challenging vocabulary. Feedback Provided: Flemming provided feedback during partner discussions and addressed common difficulties in whole-class review. Lessons: Importance of staying in the English language to define words. Effective use of partner discussions to clarify misunderstandings. Enha...

C.O. Blogs Date/Time: June 21st, 2024, 10:00 - 10:40 am Topic/Skill: Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Development Teacher Presentation: Instructor Flemming structured the lesson with a clear plan for the day, including tasks and a warm-up vocab discussion. He engaged students through interactive reading of a short story, clarifying difficult words with visual aids and translations. Classroom Management: Flemming used a multi-faceted approach, including student summaries, interactive reading, and randomization of comprehension questions using cards. He encouraged open discussion to ensure all students understood the material. Materials: Recent vocab list projected on board Short story text Visual aids (pictures for word meanings) Cards for randomizing comprehension questions Student Participation: Students actively participated in: Discussing meanings of unknown words Summarizing parts of the story Asking vocab questions during reading Discussing comprehension questions Feedback...

Date/Time: June 19th, 2024 3:30pm-4:30pm Location: Starbucks  Focus of lesson: Introductions/Skill Diagnostic Upon our first meeting, I found out that Woojeong is starting her master's degree at the FSU College of Music starting in the Fall. This is her first time in the United States, and she has only been in Tallahassee for about two weeks. She hails from Daegu (대구) in South Korea, where she describes it as similar to Florida due to the heat. Upon assessing her skills through casual conversation, I found that she felt uncomfortable with speaking. However, she is more confident in her writing. She explains that she is comfortable in short conversations, but when a conversation becomes too detailed, it starts getting confusing. Short term goals:  She would like to prepare for the TOEFL exam.  She would like to communicate effectively with her piano professor when the Fall semester starts.  Long term goals: She would like to be proficient in both formal and casual sp...

Date/Time : Wednesday June 19th Location : Virtual (WhatsApp Video Call) Topic/Skill : Introductions & Needs Assessment Feedback provided to the tutee : We discussed how we would like to structure our tutoring sessions to focus on speaking and listening practice. I repeated the word “impatient” to emphasize the difference between it and “patient.” I also agreed to spend some time during the next session going over the basics of Zoom, since she is not very familiar with it. Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned : Some international students are more concerned with fluency in terms of their ability to communicate their thoughts and ideas and not so much in terms of ‘proper’ American English pronunciation of words. Also, in terms of personal life, this past year has been very difficult and full of major transitions for her.

Date: 6/18 Topic: Indefinite/Definite articles  Pre-Lesson activity: The teacher showed a prepared video from the YouTube Channel 'Tutoring Hour' that contained fill-in-the blank sentences that students would answer by speaking out loud while the video counted down from 10 before showing the answer. During this activity, the teacher would occasionally comment on the answer of the video, clarifying why the answer was what it was. Lesson Activity: Students began checking the answers of an assignment they started the day before. Then, they continued working on it. The assignment was a collection of sentences with fill-in-the blanks where students can choose between 'the', 'a', 'an', and nothing. *While students worked, the teacher played music with English lyrics Post-Lesson Activity: Students were directed to canvas and completed a short practice quiz. The teacher ended the class by reminding students to check canvas daily.

  Date: June 18 th Agenda: 1.Get to know each other 2. Academic goals and expectations 3.Needs assessment and skill diagnosis 4. Assign homework: Watch a movie in English, using subtitles only when necessary, and write a short description of the events that occur in it. Time allotted: 30-40 minutes. Other Notes: I didn’t have much planned since this was my first ever session, but now that I’m getting acquainted with the student I can provide a longer tutoring session next time.

C.O. Blogs Date/Time: July 4th, 2024, 11:00 - 11:50 Topic/Skill: Reading Comprehension Strategies with Ryan Flemming Teacher Presentation: Instructor Flemming explained the day's plan and facilitated vocabulary discussions. Conducted a summary and interactive reading of a short story, clarifying difficult words with visuals and translations. Used randomized cards for reading comprehension questions, fostering discussion and clarification. Classroom Management: Structured approach with clear objectives and student engagement strategies. Encouraged participation through group discussions and individual summaries. Addressed confusion promptly to ensure comprehension among all students. Materials: Projected vocabulary list Short story text Visual aids (pictures of words/phrases) Randomized question cards Student Participation: Engaged in vocabulary discussions and summarization tasks. Asked questions during reading to clarify understanding. Participated in answering randomized compre...

C.O. Blogs Date/Time: June 18th, 2024, 10:00 - 10:50 Topic/Skill: Grammar Review and Application with Olivia James Teacher Presentation: Started with a review of previous concepts (adjectives and connectors). Linked concepts to broader grammar understanding. Used questioning to engage students and highlight relevance. Employed multi-modal approach with video (Schoolhouse Rock) for further explanation. Conducted sentence complexity review through a point system. Classroom Management: Energetic and interactive teaching style. Circulated around the room to engage all students. Called students by name to maintain attention and involvement. Incorporated students' native languages to enhance understanding and participation. Materials: Video: Schoolhouse Rock. Writing competition examples and scoring system. Student Participation: Active engagement through responsive answering during questioning. Participation in sentence complexity exercise. Feedback Provided: Points-based feedback on ...

  Date/Time : June 17th   Skill/Topic : Listening skills (U.S. Immigration) Teacher Presentation :  The teacher told the students to work with a partner to answer the textbook discussion questions. The teacher asked the students what they could see in the images provided with the questions, and used hand gestures to underscore her instructions.  Classroom Management : The teacher gave the students five minutes to discuss the questions with a partner. She asked if they needed extra time and gave them three more minutes. She repeated her questions many times. She asked other students to help answer the question if someone struggled. The teacher sent vocabulary words to the students in their WhatsApp chat, and asked them to discuss those words. Materials : Textbook, whiteboard, projector, WhatsApp (cell phones). Student Participation : The students answered the pre-listening discussion questions with a partner. The students answered questions about what was happeni...

       Date/Time : June 17th    Skill/Topic : Speaking skills (Using “to be” to describe a location, then asking questions) Teacher Presentation :  The teacher asked the students to continue an activity from the previous session, where they write five sentences describing a location. Classroom Management : The teacher had each of the student pairs go to different rooms to write sentences about their locations, so the others would not know their choice. The teacher made sure all students had the opportunity to speak.  Materials : Paper handout, with three sections: ( 1 ) Five sentences describing location, ( 2 ) Three yes/no questions, ( 3 ) Three information questions. A second paper handout with fun icebreaker questions. Student Participation : The students worked in pairs to describe a location of their choice. After, the other students could ask yes or no questions to try and figure out the location. If no one had correctly guessed, the st...