Jackson TP11

I just got done meeting with Claire and her tutoring partner Mahmoud for a writing lesson at Strozier Library. I have seen Mahmoud around the CIES before and have even observed a class in which he is in. He is a very developed English speaker and is in Group 3 at the CIES. After we sat down and I was introduced, Claire began the lesson by letting him know (or reminding him) that all students at the CIES will be having a timed writing assignment tomorrow. In order to prepare him for this, Claire prepared a timed writing practice for Mahmoud and asked if he would be willing to write for 20 minutes before she began the next step (reading and pronunciation) of the tutoring lesson. Claire provided Mahmoud with two prompts, one relating to television and movies and the other relating to the preference of town’s or cities. While Mahmoud wrote, Claire and I had some enlightening (at least for me!) conversation about the Global Pathways certificate as well as becoming a Garnet and Gold Scholar. She’s a very ambitious student and I plan on asking her for help in the future with problems I face pursuing these two awards! Once Mahmoud was done with his writing Claire was wondering if she should go over it then and there with him or go over it at home and give it to him during their next meeting. I suggested that, since Mahmoud’s timed writing was tomorrow and it would be best to provide him with feedback immediately, that I go over his writing while she began working with Mahmoud on an article that she had printed about the benefits and drawbacks of Caffeine. I tried my best to utilize the writing feedback tools that we had learned in class, providing Mahmoud with a key of error abbreviations (WC/WF/Sp/MW). As I was wrapping up going over his paper (he had elected to write about how he likes small towns over big cities) Claire and Mahmoud were just finishing up their reading. We went over his mistakes and Mahmoud was extremely receptive and understanding of the mistakes that he made. At the end of the lesson he asked if I would be willing to give him my contact information so that he could stay in touch, a request to which I happily obliged! It is clear that Claire and her tutoring partner Mahmoud have made some great progression and are also good friends. They even fist bumped at the end which I found hilarious!