TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report Form

Name of Observer__Weijun Shen__ Observation # __1______

Date Observation Class Skill/Content Level Teacher

Environment*
10/05/2016 Face to 324 Listening 300 Level Robert Gammon
Face and Speaking

*Include the URL if the class was online

WRITE THE OBJECTIVES ACCORDING TO THE OBSERVATION GUIDELINES:

1. SWBAT interview an American about their job.
2. SWBAT correctly use vocabulary to interview an American and then report to
class about the interview.
3. SWBAT identify contrast words in compound sentences.
4. Later in the class if we have time students will be working on noticing
contrast and organizing ideas.

Notes while observing

Warm up (11:00-11:04)
11:00 Class begins.
T checks names and information of Ss.
T asks Ss if they have any problems on registration or Net ID.
T asks Ss about their online assignments and informs that should not be late.
T explains the tasks that Ss will have this Friday and next Friday.
T tells Ss the plan for this class.
11:03 T informs that Ss need to interview an American this week.
T makes sure that everybody can have someone to make an interview.

Presentation
11:04 T gives handouts to Ss.
T explains 3 steps for the interview.
1. Introduce yourself.
2. Ask them the following questions.
a. What do you do?
b. How do you like your job?
c. Why do you (Keep in follow ups)
3. What kind of weird/offbeat/odd jobs do you want to have?
11:07 T asks Ss the jobs they have learned yesterday.
Ss answer.
11:10 T tell Ss to pick 3 odd jobs and ask their interviewees that which one of them
would they like to have.

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Observation Notebook
(What kind of weird/offbeat/odd jobs do you want to have?)
11:12 T explains following offbeat jobs with examples and body language.

Hot Dog Vendor Magician

Tattoo Artist President (maybe dont ask this one)
Race car driver Perfume Maker
Dog Walker Mortician
Astronaut

11:17 T asks Ss some questions to check if they understand the assignment.

Practice (11:19-11:42)
11:19 T repeats that Ss they have a quiz coming up.
T tells Ss take out the book.
Ss take out the textbook.
T congratulates Ss that this unit is almost finished.
Ss: Yeah!
11:20 T previews the exercise they did last time and explain the word contrast with
examples.
T gives Ss some instruction on listening.
11:26 T plays CD1.
Ss take notes while listening.
Ss fill forms on the textbook.
11:27 T checks what Ss get for the first play.
Ss answer.
T encourages Ss.
11:28 T plays CD1 again.
Ss take notes while listening.
T explains the contrast in this listening.
T asks students the thinking word in different languages.
Ss share.
11:30 T plays CD2.

11:35 T plays CD3.

Production (11:42-11:50)
11:42 T divides Ss into groups and asks Ss to interview each other.
Ss interview their partners.

Homework11:48-11:50
11:48 T concludes class and gives homework.
T checks if Ss have any questions.
11:50 T says Goodbye to Ss.
Ss say Goodbye.

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Observation Notebook
What did you learn about teaching or learning from this lesson as it relates to the
theory you have studied in your TESOL classes? Include at least one reference (with
an in-text citation) to support your response. (250-500 words)

In this observation, I focused on the teaching strategies, and specifically, the strategies
on promoting a more effective classroom learning environment. This is a Listening &
Speaking class for level 300 learners. The 15 students were mostly from Japan, several
from Kuwait or Korea and one from China.

While explaining new vocabularies, the teacher used vivid examples to make his students
understand easily. He was very good at using body language and humorous tricks which
were really impressive to learners.

First, he mentioned the requirement of the assignment several times in the class but in a
very naturally way. At the beginning of the class, he checked that students would not have
problems in hand in assignment. After introduced the information they need for a small
interview, he asked open questions to check if they understood the requirement. At the
end of the class, he asked them about the deadline. Those kind of naturally repetition is
not only helpful to remind them the assignment but also helpful to build their confidence
for that assignment.

Second, he personalized his teaching by centering his teaching wherever possible on his
students and their lives, concerns, goals, and interests. [Jack & Thomas, 2013, p. 127]
For instance, at the very beginning of the class, he recited every name of his students.
Students might know that they were respected in this class. While explain the word
tattoo artist, he said to student A, who might be an architect, You are an architect.
You can draw buildings

What I appreciate the most is that he created a culturally sensitive classroom through
following ways:
1. Familiarize learners with interesting/relevant aspects of the students cultures.
2. Develop learners cross-cultural awareness systematically by focusing on cross-
cultural similarities (and not just differences) and by using analogies to make the
strange familiar.
3. Share own cross-cultural experiences in class. [Jack & Thomas, 2013, p. 127]

While playing the tap, he informed students to pay attention to the thinking word and then
guide students to discuss the thinking word in different languages:

In English: enm, well

In Arabic: enm
In Japanese: m
In Chinese: neige, neige (means: that, that)

Teaching a successful language lesson involves not only knowing what we plan to teach
and how to teach it, but also creating the right kind of classroom environment for a

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Observation Notebook
successful lesson. (P117) In this observation, I find the environment of class is very
important to teaching effectiveness. An active classroom would be more motivate to
learners.

Jack C. Richards & Thomas S.C Farrell (2013). Practice Teaching: A Reflective
Approach, 1st Edition (ISBN: 978-052-118622-3),

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 TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook

Last Updated: 2/16/2017 2:23 PM

 TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook

Last Updated: 2/16/2017 2:23 PM