On May 12, I was able to participate in and observe Hilda’s hour-long Conversation Club (CC) class as part of the ESAL 0350/0450 Advanced Oral Communication class. It was a great opportunity to see a different style of teaching in an environment that I found to be quite laid back. There were even some things that came up that enabled me to notice and reflect on my reaction to those events, as well question what I would do in those situations.
Right from the start there was a problem with the internet at TRU and Hilda was having difficulty connecting to the group. I found myself to be getting anxious and wondering if there was somewhere else I was supposed to be or some information that I had missed getting about a time change. One of my fellow classmates was also in the Big Blue Button room with me waiting for it to begin. Soon after the class was scheduled to start, another teacher joined the group to explain what was happening and that some students would be joining from his class to participate in the group. I noticed that I instantly relaxed and was able to make note of the communication between the two teachers and how they were able to problem solve the issue of no internet connection to ensure that the class still ran as planned. I wondered how often this issue arises with the constant use of technology that we have now found ourselves in. I would like to find out more information if there is a backup plan for a problem where the teacher is not able to join the group and if the two teachers knew to contact each other to carry out the alternative plan of one teacher leading the group until the other could join.
My biggest learning experience in this group was when the other teacher asked my classmate and myself to lead the group, particularly in trying to get the students to turn on their mics and videos. I spoke first to tell the students it would be nice to see them and asked them to turn on their videos. No one obliged, but at that time Hilda joined the group. The other teacher turned on his video to tell the students to also turn on their videos. One by one the students began to do so. I realized that the teacher had been much firmer in his wording, and my wording and tone may have sounded like it was more of an option. I was able to reflect on this difference in our approach to the same request and realized that I may need to take a more assertive stance in a case like this where the students are not complying. Without really knowing the dynamics of a conversation club or the students involved, I was not sure how far to push the request or what the expectations were of myself as a facilitator. I wondered if the issue of noncompliance comes up in other situations and what the role of the instructor is in that, particularly when interacting with international students in a virtual setting. As an Education Assistant (EA), I find that I am more comfortable making a request of a student when face-to-face and when I am more familiar with the student. Without knowing a student or their background information, I find I am more hesitant to push something further. I still wondered what would have happened had a student refused to turn on their video and what would have happened if this situation was in a face-to-face classroom.
Another wondering I had was where the balance lays in allowing a natural conversation to flow and sticking with the learning plan outline. I found during one part of a conversation, one of the students was speaking about her traditions around the Lunar New Year. She had generally asked the rest of the students about their Lunar New Year, and, after everyone remained silent, Hilda said that no one celebrated it. The student went on to explain her traditions, and I wanted to ask the rest of the group what their own New Year’s traditions were and if they fall at different times of the year. I held back as I was unsure about taking up time and infringing on Hilda’s plan for the rest of the class. I was also unsure how much of my own curiosities as a teacher are able to influence the direction of a class.
Overall, I thought the CC was a great first class to observe. The energy that Hilda brought was fun and engaging. She was open and never held back when asking for her own clarity around what one of the students was speaking about. The students appeared to become more willing to share as the class progressed, and I really enjoyed seeing how the students had connections to something else someone was saying and were able to share their own thoughts. This was definitely a great class to share cultures and traditions and very quickly learn about other people around the world. I look forward to more of these classes and what else I can learn about as a teacher and as an individual with my own cultural identity.