Thank you note to MS. ROSS

Because Ms Ross is a very busy person, I did not have time to tell what I thought of her lessons and how thankful I am, so I wrote a letter, reflecting my thoughts on her class.

1)The students in Spanish classes are very different from the students in Japanese classes. By the time they decide to register Japanese, most of the students are a lot more committed to learn Japanese than those students who need foreign language credits and who are not motivated in Spanish.
---In regard to this subject, I have learned from you that I need to choose the battle with them. I cannot make the horses to drink water, even though I can supply them with water. This analogy eased me greatly because I was certainly depressed about the fact I could not teach to All of them effectively. How to handle them will be on-going subject for me. I wish that we can somehow separate them from those who want to learn Spanish seriously.

2) Your style of classroom control was AMAZING!
It is always my problem how to control the students during the lesson. Because in the classroom in Japan, I did not have to deal with this type of discipline problems, it seems to me that I always have a problem controlling the American students here in USA (excuse excuse excuse!) I was amazed that your presence alone in the room made the huge meaning to the students. Thus as soon as you leave, they started to get noisy, and as soon as you come back, immediately they became quiet. It was like a magic. I observed that in between you and the students, there are unsaid (or announced in the beginning?) contract that you expect them to be quiet when you want them to. While you give them an autonomous freedom to study, they know when they need to pay attention. You mentioned me about contacting to the parent in front of them, and not writing too many White-cards. That was a brilliant idea! I will certainly try this technique.

3) How to grade the students.
As you are in charge of so many students in a day, your way to grade the students’ work and record it in the book as well as online was very innovative. I know I have to be waaaaaaaaaaaaay more organized to be able to handle all these students daily. Keep it simple. That was the lesson for me from you. I was doing too complicated which (in the end) doesn’t matter to the students. There are a lot of wisdoms of your teaching career in this technique and I really appreciate that you shared with me.

4) How to teach the material.
I did not have many opportunities to observe you teach because lots of presentations were previously scheduled, but when I did observe you about Direct Object Pronoun, I saw 1) the full attentions from the students, 2) the way you introduced this unfamiliar grammatical subject (DOP) to the students, and 3) how clear and straight forward to explain the concept. For 1), again the students knew when to pay attention and you had a trust-contract type of good relationship with students. For 2), DOP is a very boring grammatical concept, but you started to introduce with English DOP that are familiar with, so that they will not be scared to learn DOP. Comparing with English which they use English DOP without recognizing made the bridge between them and Spanish DOP. For 3), this was incredible. How clear, precise, and condensed with only important materials without confusion. I really saw the ART of teaching here. I hope I can teach like you in the future…. (need more practice.)

These are a few points that I have learned from you and I want to recreate your techniques in my future teaching. Absolutely these were not only points, but most of all I felt the very solid authority (yet very kind) figure in you.
I do not know how to thank you for taking me as a student teacher, and I hope you don’t mind to keep instructing, consulting, and guiding me to the world of Spanish teaching in USA.

Thank you very much.