Today, I was able to observe Thea!!
She demonstrated incredible patience and attention to her student, who was quite young, ensuring they felt comfortable and confident at every step, even when they got a few questions wrong. One of the most notable aspects of the lesson was how she broke down harder questions into easier, more manageable chunks, simplifying her language, drawing diagrams and using real-world examples to make the content relatable and interesting.
What struck me most was Theas ability to maintain the student’s focus and engagement throughout the whole session. She used a mix of questions, explaining the content and letting the student try it themselves to keep the lesson dynamic and interactive. This encouraged the student to think critically and actively participate, which definitely resulted in a productive and fun lesson!
Thea was able to boost the student’s self-esteem and motivation by encouraging them when they were struggling and congratulating them when they got it right. This definitely made the student more comfortable and created a warm, supportive environment …the student wasn’t afraid to make mistakes!
Thea was able to anticipate where the student would have difficulties and preemptively address them. She did this by spending longer introducing the content, and the questions. She knew exactly when the student needed extra support and clarification. This proactive approach made sure that the student never felt overwhelmed or stressed, which is so important as she was so young!!
From this observation, I learned the importance of changing pace and style to suit the students needs. Thea highlighted the value of creating a super positive atmosphere, where encouragement but also constructive feedback work well together. This set a great example of how effective teaching is not just delivering information, but instead building confidence in students.
Shyla Gloster
