TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report
Forms for inclusion in the Observation Notebook must be typed

Name of Observer Mami Abe

Date

Observation
Environment (include

URL if the class was

online)

2/25/201
5

UCR Extension

Observation # 5

Class Skill/Content

Class
Teacher
Level/Number
(Beg./Int./Adv.)
Listening / Speaking 300
Karen Lindwall

Focus on relevant areas from the What Can Be Observed handout. Notice how the
teacher handles these areas during the class.
OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON:
Students will practice comparative forms.
Students will compare and contrast two things.
Students will share their ideas about heroes in pairs.
Notes while observing:

Last Updated: 8/12/2015 21:12 a8/p8

Warm Up and Practice: The teacher reviewed the last class. She asked the students to
make pairs and practice comparative forms using the handout, which had two pictures of
a family, one is ten years ago and another is present. The students compare and contrast
the family ten years ago and the present family.
Presentation: The teacher asked the students how to make comparative forms. The
teacher said a word, and the students answered the comparative form of the word. And
then, the teacher explained the content of the text.
Production: The teacher asked the students to compare and contrast two things such as
playing soccer and basketball, and watching TV and reading. The students were asked to
make pairs and talked about those ideas each other.
Introduction of a new unit: The teacher asked the students the meaning of a hero and
asked them to talk about their heroes in pairs. And then, the teacher called on some
students for sharing their ideas. After that, the teacher introduced the idea of everyday
hero, and told her story. The teacher said, Do you know any everyday heroes? and
asked the students to tell their stories to partners. And then, the teacher asked the students
to open the text and checked the meanings of vocabulary words, which were part of the
students homework.
Wrap Up: The teacher told what they would do tomorrow and assigned homework.
What did you learn about teaching or learning from this lesson? Discuss your
observation focus, and the theory you have studied in your TESOL classes. Consider
the three levels of teacher reflection (surface, pedagogical, critical). (100-200 words)
The class was multi-lingual class, but there were some Saudi Arabian students,
and they were talking in their native language at the beginning of the class. The teacher
found that and explained only English policy. In one of TESOL classes, I read an article
about mono-lingual classes, and I learned that if a class is mono-lingual class, and
students try to speak in their native language, the best way to encourage them to speak
English is explaining the importance of practice to speak English. The teacher actually
did explain the importance of practice to speak English as I read in a book, and her
explanation was persuasive because she explained that seriously. As a result, those
students never talked in their native language during the class.
As to the three levels of teacher reflection, the lesson was well organized, the
students had enough time practicing comparatives, and the teacher gave the students fair
opportunities to talk.

What activities/techniques from this class do you want to remember for your own
teaching practice? Discuss specific ways in which you could apply the techniques and
methods you saw. Discuss your future teaching environment and your students needs
and goals. (100-200 words)

The teacher made a lot of opportunities for students to talk. When the teacher
introduced a new unit about heroes, she asked the students to not open the text yet and
talk about their heroes in pairs. I found that many activities could be done before opening
the text and that opportunities for students to practice speaking English could be made as
much as possible during the class depending on teachers creativity, so I want to
remember to be creative in planning a lesson and make much time speaking English for
students even if a lesson is Grammar or Reading and Writing.