The most profound statements are often said in silence!

In class I have been trying to implement different strategies, techniques and/or theories that we have been discussing in class. A big thing that I have been trying to change is the amount of error corrections I do. I thought that this was going to be an easy task, but as I'm finding out, there are so many different aspects to this little thing.

First, I have to choose what errors I feel are worth correcting. I find myself mid-teaching thinking if the S's error is worth correcting or should I let it pass. This kind of gives me anxiety, like I'm taking a test. What if I'm not choosing the write errors to correct... What if they are learning bad habits... Or worse, what if I am missing a key moment in our exchange for them to develop context to the correction. I might be exaggerating a little, but I'm finding it hard to to distinguish between which ones I should correct.
Second, after I've decided to correct an error, I now have to choose when and how I should correct the error. Do I do it instantly, or wait till the S has finished talking and how do I optimize this error correction, so that the S and Ss can benefit the most out of the interaction....
Taking all these things into consideration, my once thought of easy task of error correction, has now become a lot harder.
But as time goes on, I feel that it's becoming easier choosing what to correct and what to just let slide. I started to notice, especially in my older class, that when I wait to make an error correction that it creates opportunity for S-S error correction. My intent at first wasn't to promote S-S interaction when I didn't correct their mistake. I was just waiting for the right moment to make the correction. But as we have learned in class, waiting that extra 3 seconds; promotes increased participation, Ss initiate and quiet Ss more active. The last part quiet Ss more active surprised me. A lot of S-S interaction was coming from one of the quieter Ss.

I think that it's funny how amazed and stoked I get when certain theories, rules, practices that we've learn in class, when applied in the classroom or a certain situation... work. I love it. It's like when you are trying to learn a new trick snowboarding... At first you can't do it right away. It takes time, practice, video or feedback from your friends that can see from an outside perspective of what you are doing wrong (which I have found extremely helpful, because you can't see yourself) and then you slowly start to landing it. With a little more time and practice, you are stomping Rodeo and Corked 5's in contest to win 1st place! The same thing is happening with the style of teaching. 

From realizing the potentiality of wait-time with error correction, I've decide that most of my corrections will done at the end of the S's discourse. Hopefully prompting more S-S initiated interaction. Another way that I decided to make error corrections is to address the class with the question of "Is the (incorrect phrase/sentence) correct. My goal is to initiate the Ss to peer correct or maybe the S will notice their mistake and self-correct.

I started this reflection focusing on Error Correction, but through the reflection I have found that more wait-time will increase S-S interaction (not only for error correction, but all classroom discourse) which will reduce the excessive T-talk.