Bruce TS #4

TS #4 Chris

I observed Chris working with Matthew. At first, it was difficult for Matthew to pay attention. He was lying on the table with his head down and eyes closed, as if he were sleeping, and he was completely non-responsive to us for about ten minutes. However, I got to observe how Chris’s technique in getting Matthew to focus. He kept pushing Matthew to pay attention, asked him if there was anything bothering him, and finally threatened to leave. He told Matthew that once they get started time usually passes by quickly. This seemed to work, because Matthew started paying attention again. They worked on Matthew’s language arts book, answering the questions and practicing writing.

Chris had an assortment of exercises to help Matthew with his workbook. For example, he had a vocabulary list and flashcards that he went over with Matthew, pulled from his workbook. He had Matthew draw a picture quickly of the situation and use the word in context. He did this for about ten minutes. Then they did more workbook practice, going over reading comprehension questions. Chris guided Matthew through it and gave examples when Matthew didn’t understand a point. I thought his positive reinforcement was great. He often said things like “Great job, dude!” which I think helped Matthew become more comfortable. 

Overall, it was a great session and it taught me the importance of positive reinforcement! I can tell Chris is going to be a wonderful teacher; he seems very good with kids!