Interview and Observation Assignment
Introduction
For my assignment, observing the teaching of an adult learning class, I chose to do my project with Ms. Janice Raye Stuart at Durham Technical Community College. In fact, Ms. Stuart teaches adult students a wide array of English studies as well as grammar skills and writing skills. She has been teaching adults since 1985, over twenty years, and she has found out one basic thing: most people do not like grammar. Even teachers struggle with this basic writing skill. She has two bachelor degrees. The first was received in 1979 in English studies, while the second degree in History came a few years later at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She really enjoys working and teaching adult learners. This is why she has decided to return to school to get her master’s degree in adult community college education at North Carolina State University with a specialty in English Reading. This paper will review my visits to Ms. Stuart’s class and focus on her preferred teaching style, her personal philosophy of teaching, and how she applies them in her classroom.
The Organization and Structure of the Class
Ms. Stuart’s class started at 12:30pm with 15 students, all of them were adults between ages 19 and 39. The class consisted of many different ethnicities; Hispanic, Brazilian, White American, and African American including ISL students. The highest level of education completed by the students was between 9th and 12th grade. The classroom size was suitable to accommodate the number of students. It was designed to be conducive for adult student learning. The students were able to see and hear their teacher effectively. The classroom consisted of technology such as computers, LCD, and overhead projectors. In addition, it contained a small library that included different English books, DVDs, and magazines. Overall, The classroom was suitable for the teaching and learning process.
Teaching Style
Teaching style is a specific way teachers instruct their students based on their experience and education. Ms. Stuart likes to keep her instructional plan very simple to assist students learning. Her plan entails presenting lessons, completing activities and reviewing the materials. She believes that the lesson should be between 15 and 30 minutes to maintain students’ attention. To avoid exceeding this timeframe, I noticed in the second half of her class, she started asking students to work as groups on complex activities. In her point of view, she strongly trusts in students working as groups with each other. This manner may serve the lesson in many ways. For instance, it provides her students an opportunity to learn through their classmates’ experiences as opposed to being restricted to learning solely from the teacher. She believes that some students are self-directed learners so educators must accurately identify these different teaching styles and implement the best way to facilitate the material.