The online class I observed in this class consisted of a high school class in Japan.

One thing I saw right at the beginning that I really enjoyed was the teacher wrote his name in one of the Japanese writing systems. This is one way to bridge the gap between his culture and his students. I also really liked how he gave them hand gestures for his speaking. A student may feel singled out or embarrassed to say he is speaking too fast, so having a hand gesture is a silent way for them to make a request that won’t have them called out.

I liked the teacher’s tone and enthusiasm in the class. He sounded respectful to his students. However, his speed was inconsistent. In instruction his voice was clear and at a relatively good pace, but sometimes he would speak very quickly. For example, when splitting the class up into groups, he said it incredibly fast. Some students appeared confused in their group and looked to their peers for guidance. He seemed to say his syllables very fast, and the students had a hard time understanding what he was saying.

I liked how the teacher also made a point to say that practicing english can be done with others, not just native english speakers. Also, I liked how he talked to the students about their resources readily available to them. Along with that, how he incorporated various skills on this topic such as speaking in a group, and reading an article on it. Staying in groups is also beneficial so the students can ask one another for help.

Timing is something I struggle with, so seeing how long these activities took was really beneficial to me. He didn’t give the student a lot of time to volunteer an answer, and moved quite quickly during these discussions. I think I would give them more time to sit in the silence to work up the confidence and ask. Being called out in class is stressful, and even having the ability to answer themselves may help them.

Overall, I think watching this class was a great benefit to my learning. The topic was very relevant to the students, he made several efforts to bridge the culture gaps, and his timing for activities were all helpful for my learning.