CO #2 Mark G.

This morning I observed a level two composition class at 10 in the morning.  When walking in the door I ran into Gilles, my conversation partner.  I was planning to see him that day anyway because it was his birthday, so when I saw him, I gave him a big smile and said "Hey Gilles, happy birthday!".  He replied kindly seeming a little embarrassed, and when I walked into the elevator I heard his teacher say, "Gilles, you didn't tell us it was you'r birthday!".  I went up to the fourth only to remember that the class was in fact on the first.  Re-descending down the stairwell way I found myself to room 110. Of course, as the grammar class I observed the previous week, Gilles was in the class.  I sat next to him immediately.  Ms. Stringer, started class and I knew already she was enthusiastic, talking freely with students while bringing over the projector to show some handouts of a model outline on the wall.  Today they were working on the first phase of the writing process, outlining.  They were working on their own outlines and the class was very much occupied by them doing individual work.  They talked as a class for the first 15 minutes.  Ms. Stringer put on some atmospheric music then walked around talking with individual students.  She welcomed myself to walk around also and talk with the students. Some of them were more engaging than others, one didn't want to tell me his topic at tall. Their papers were explanatory and simple. After two pass arounds I sat down and observed Ms. Stringer She was really helpful in answering grammatical questions and giving answers in a way that the students could understand. With such relaxing music playing and need, even I started working on my outline for a French essay! All in all a solid class even though it wasn't very active in a certain sense.