CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS

NATALIA ALEAN PATERNINA

HERNAN NAVARRO AGUAS
YAMILETH PINO PATERNINA
YICETH SALGADO BELLO

Msc. ADOLFO ARRIETA

UNIVERSIDAD DE SUCRE
Facultad De Educacin Y Ciencias
Departamento De Lenguas
Sincelejo Sucre
2017

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 Index
AUTOBIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................6
OBSERVATIONS .................................................................................................................... 12
ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................. 21
PERSONAL REFLEXIONS ..................................................................................................... 24
CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 29
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 31
ANNEXES................................................................................................................................ 33

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INTRODUCTION

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A classroom observation is a formal or informal observation of teaching while it is taking place

in a classroom or other learning environment. Typically conducted by fellow teachers,

administrators, or instructional specialists, classroom observations are often used to provide

teachers with constructive critical feedback aimed at improving their classroom management and

instructional techniques. School administrators also regularly observe teachers as an extension of

formal job-performance evaluations.

Classroom observations may be called learning walks, teacher observations, walkthroughs, and

many other things, and they may be conducted for shorter or longer periods of timefrom a few

minutes to a full class period or school day. Educators may also use a wide variety of classroom-

observation methodssome may be nationally utilized models developed by educational

experts, while others may be homegrown processes created by the educators using them. In many

cases, observation notes are recorded using common templates or guidelines that describe what

observers should be looking for or what the observed teacher would like feedback on.

Increasingly, educators are conducting and recording classroom observations using digital and

online technologiessuch as smartphones, tablets, and subscription-based online systemsthat

can provide educators with observational functionality and data analytics that would not be

possible if paper-based processes were used.

Observation is an instrument of information gathering that allows us to carry out an analysis of

the problem in the situation in which it is shown mainly. We are interested in the observation

because it allows us to make a contextualized study. Therefore, in order to carry out an adequate

psycho-pedagogical diagnosis, we consider this type of information collection about the student

to be essential to be essential. And for this we have selected the most significant contexts, where

we can gather enough information to carry out our diagnostic process, these contexts are the

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classroom, and observation in the patio. One of the fundamental aspects of our training is the

learning of the processes of observation and, of course, the analysis of such observation. All this

in order to improve the educational practice.

To make a good observation it is necessary to know the theoretical approaches that support it, to

identify the main areas in which we are going to work and to know how to justify and argue the

reason for that observation, so that the observation and how it is going to be carried out.

the importance of observing a class is that you can detect the dynamics that are established

within the classroom by establishing patterns of behavior that allow us to determine a child's

particular attitudes to specific situations. Adapt the learning to the needs and capacities of the

children, effectively monitoring the children to check their development, Finally Distinguish

events that are really meaningful for the students.

The purpose of this project is to know about the process of class observation in a school,

recollect information and analyze it in a critical way.

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY

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My name is Natalia Alean Paternina, I am 19 years old, I live in Sampues, I am studying in the

university of Sucre, I live with my parents Hemilis paternina Burgos, Pedro Alean Lopez and my

brother Daniel alean Paternina.

When I was a child, I felt interest with the languages when my teacher in the school for the first

time told me that I was the one chosen to make a presentation in English for the cultural week.

At the moment that I did this presentation I felt love for English when I finished my secondary

school. I spoke of these my parents who showed great interest that I would go forward. Today I

highlight the work of my parents for the unconditional support they have given me on this rung

in my live. I like my career because it is broad and offers many jobs options which give us

greater breadth at the time of choosing our work in the future.

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My name is Hernn Navarro Aguas and I am from Barranquilla. I am student of foreign language

of Universidad de Sucre. My interest in English learning started when I was a teenager and I

used to play lots of videogames. The majority of available videogames were in English, so I

decided to learn English for understanding better the videogames. Later I knew about mangas

which are a kind of Japanese comics. They also are mainly in English. I love reading this kind of

lecture. My dream is to be a successful translator who can apply simultaneous translation. I want

to help people to communicate with other without the impediments between the languages

differences. I decided to study this career because I want to be a translator and one of the work

options in this career is being a translator. I think this career provides important elements for

achieving my dream. At the beginning I never thought to become a teacher. But know I visualize

being a teacher or translator in the future. This career has let to comprehend the importance of

teachers in the society. This career created other dream in my life. I would like to promote the

mandatory English teaching in elementary schools. In this way English would be the second

language in Colombia like other countries in Latin America. People have to be aware and

comprehend the importance of knowing other language especially English.

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My name is Yamileth Paola Pino Paternina and I am 24 years old. I live with my parents and my

siblings. My mother is Ruby Esther Paternina Herrera and she is a housewife. My father is

Americo Pino Barrios and he is a mechanic. My sister is Keny Pino Paternina and she is studying

engineering in the University of Sucre. My brother is Jonathan Pino Paternina and he is a

mechanic of motorcycle. I am studying foreign languages because since I was a child I dreamed

with speak many languages and travel around the world.

I have had a wonderful experience with this career because I think that I have learnt many things

although I have to improve some aspects to be a great professional.

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My name is Yiceth Salgado Bello. I was born on April 13, 1995 in the city of Sincelejo, but I

have lived all my life in the municipality of Chin, with my mother and two cousins. I have been

a Christian since I was a teenager and I like to help others in whatever they need. One of the

things I like the most is teaching. I am currently a student of foreign languages and at the same

time I am also studying theology. In the church to which I am going, I am a teacher of

adolescents. There I taught them everything that has to do with theology.

Since I was a child I always dreamed of being a missionary and traveling around the world to

help children and young people who have no home and teach them about God. That desire

aroused in me a deep interest in learning other languages, that is when I began to envision about

my future and the career I had to choose. From the age of 13, when I was in 8th grade in high

school, I bought an English dictionary and every day I dedicated myself to learning 10 words, so

that when I started to study languages I already had a large vocabulary in English. when I got to

my last year of school, that is, grade 11, I realized that none of my classmates liked English

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classes, since then I started to ask why they do not like a language that is so necessary for life

and at the same time gives so many opportunities to know how to speak it. From that moment, I

felt more motivation to study it, because I realized that it was really necessary and that you need

good language teachers to create good motivations in students, and that, in that way, feel the

desire to want to learn a new language.

Since I started my studies at the University of Sucre, I feel very happy and identified with my

career, because I know very well that's what I want, I want to be a fulfilled person and fully

fulfill my goals. In the future, I see myself as an excellent language teacher, surrounded by

students who love me and gain all my affection, I find myself motivating them to become more

interested in languages and instructing them to maintain good discipline in their studies.

In our current world, learning a language or several, rather than a simple taste, is a great

necessity, since we live in a very globalized world in which we meet daily people from different

cultures, countries and languages. Therefore, it is no longer enough to know only our own

language.

From another perspective, this career has helped me continue to have more and more desires to

continue teaching and has made me a more sensitive person who cares about the needs of others.

Also, I understood that teaching is an art that not everyone is capable of developing, and that

more than imparting knowledge, our main objective as teachers, is to change lives, to change

stories.

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OBSERVATIONS
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 UNIVERSIDAD DE SUCRE
CLASS OBSERVATION FORMAT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Teachers name: Martina Perez________________ Date: Sincelejo, 21 de september de 2017

School: Institucin educativa Camilo Sexto. Grade: Seventh 1 (7 1)
Lesson time: 1 hour Number of students: 22 Lesson topic: Seasons
Aim of the class: to learn a new vocabulary about the four seasons.

Items to observe Descriptions/ comments

Describe the Structure of the class:
Presentation, Development, closure.
The class starts at 1 pm. First, the teacher asks
the students to organize themselves well in
order to start the class. When everyone was in
place, she gave them a workshop and explained
to them in Spanish what the activity was for
them to do. Then the students asked the teacher
about the meaning of some unknown words
that were in the material she gave them. The
teacher wrote on the board those words that
were part of all the vocabulary of the seasons,
and began to explain in English what each one
meant. The students were interested and started
asking questions related to the topic. Then they
solved the workshop that the teacher gave them
and filled a soup of letters in which there were
unknown words and the teacher taught them
the meaning and pronunciation of each.
After finishing the workshop, the students
began to make a lot of mess and the teacher
warned them that if they did not behave well it
would give a bad note to each one.
Before the end of the class, the teacher let the
students out because they had to attend an
educational talk.

Teachers methodology: Teaching In this observation, we rescue that the teacher

Techniques; materials and technology;
assessment techniques; uses examples that
are simple, clear, precise, and appropriate;
stays focused on andmeets stated objectives.
handles well the subject and the pronunciation.
The teaching method she uses to teach is
grammar translation, which is not very helpful
to the type of students in her class. Since they
are very hyperactive students and require a
teaching method that will keep them more
focused and active, and allow them to enjoy

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Classroom interaction: Teacher students
interaction; Students-students interaction;
pair work, group work, whole class
interaction.
Use of L2 and L1
Rapport: holds interest of students; is
respectful, fair, and impartial; provides
feedback, encourages participation; shows
enthusiasm; affective engagement
what they do and do not get bored.
The students and the teacher has a regular
interaction because the students sometimes do
not pay attention to the instructions of the
teacher.
The interaction between students is not so good
because they argue frequently and they do not
feel comfortable working in pairs.
The teacher has a good management of his
second language, but she used her native
language (Spanish) to clarify some questions
about the topic.
The interest of the students for learning a new
language is low. We can evidence it when
students do not participate actively in the
activities. On the other hand, teacher shows
enthusiasm and try that all the students
understand the topics
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 UNIVERSIDAD DE SUCRE
CLASS OBSERVATION FORMAT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Teachers name: Martina Perez Date: Sincelejo, 21 de september de 2017

School: Institucin educativa Camilo Sexto. Grade: Seventh 1 (7 1)
Lesson time: 2 hours Number of students: 22 Lesson topic: Simple present
Aim of the class: to learn about the present simple and grammar rules

Items to observe Descriptions/ comments

Describe the Structure of the class:
Presentation, Development, closure.
Teachers methodology: Teaching
Techniques; materials and technology;
assessment techniques; uses examples that are
simple, clear, precise, and appropriate; stays
focused on and meets stated objectives.
Classroom interaction: Teacher students
interaction; Students-students interaction;
pair work, group work, whole class
interaction
Use of L2 and L1
At the beginning of the class the teacher
makes the presentation of the topic to be
developed during the class gives examples
about the topic, grammar etc.
Continue with a workshop to reinforce
the student's acquired knowledge during
the presentation of the topic.
And to finish it makes a general recount
of how these times and their differences
are used.
Teacher Sara uses a book to help students
easily understand the topics to be
addressed in the classroom, using the
examples from the book, everyday life,
with a simple, clear precise vocabulary.
Teacher is focused on the objectives
proposed for the class. Also, she gives
students tips to understand the language
and learn it easily.
Students and teacher have an optimum
interaction during the class which helps
students understand the activities. There is a
rapport between students and the teacher
which make a funny and interesting class
which generates a feedback between both
sides.
The teacher has an excellent and clear
pronunciation of L2 which helps students are
aware in the classroom and can understand
better. Also, he uses the L1 to clarify
everything that students do not understand
either by ignorance of a word or by the lack
of understanding of an activity.

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Rapport: holds interest of students; is
respectful, fair, and impartial; provides
feedback, encourages participation; shows
enthusiasm; affective engagement
The teacher always shows interest in learning
students and they can learn everything about
the subject that is developed in the class.
Also, they can understand and develop the
activities proposed by the free and those
proposed by the guide as these students of this
level of English
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 UNIVERSIDAD DE SUCRE
CLASS OBSERVATION FORMAT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Teachers name: Martina Perez________________ Date: Sincelejo, 21 de septembre de 2017

School: Institucin educativa Camilo Sexto . Grade: Seventh 1 (7 1)
Lesson time: 1 hour Number of students: 22 Lesson topic: Present Continuous
Aim of the class: t: to learn about the present continuous and grammar rules

Items to observe Descriptions/ comments

Describe the Structure of the
Presentation, Development, closure.
class: At the beginning of the class the teacher
makes the presentation of the topic to be
developed during the class. She gives
them some examples about the topic and
grammar.

Students develop the topic presented by

the teacher, perform the activities offered
by the book, learning about the use of the
present continuous.

At the end of the class students apply

Teachers methodology: Teaching
Techniques; materials and technology;
assessment techniques; uses examples that are
simple, clear, precise, and appropriate; stays
focused on and meets stated objectives.
what they have learned in conversations.
They prepare to present to the class and
they are evaluated by the teacher
Teacher Sara uses a book to help students
easily to understand the topics to be
performed in the classroom, using the
examples of the book. They use a simple,
clear and precise vocabulary of the book
to avoid monotony in class.

Teacher is focused on the objectives

proposed for the class. Also, she gives
students tips to easily understand the
subject
Classroom interaction: Teacher students Students and teacher have an excellent
interaction; Students-students interaction; interaction during the class which helps the
pair work, group work, whole class students to understand the activities, and as an
interaction additional teacher walks around the room
attending the questions of their students and
talking with them brightening the class

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Use of L2 and L1 Teacher has an excellent knowledge about the
L2. She uses it most of the time. L1 is used
regularly.
Rapport: holds interest of students; is The teacher is conscientious about the
respectful, fair, and impartial; provides importance of English in the School. Then she
feedback, encourages participation; shows always tries that her students learn all the
enthusiasm; affective engagement topics. She uses different activities to promote
the active participation of students. Then
students show lots of interest in the topics.

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 UNIVERSIDAD DE SUCRE
CLASS OBSERVATION FORMAT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Teachers name: Sara Vlez________________ Date: Sincelejo, 21 de septembre de 2017

School: Institucin educativa Camilo Sexto . Grade: Seventh 1 (7 1)
Lesson time: 2 hours Number of students: 22 Lesson topic: Countable and uncountable
nouns
Aim of the class: t: to learn about countable and uncountable nouns.

Items to observe Descriptions/ comments

Describe the Structure of the class: At the beginning of the class the teacher
Presentation, Development, closure. makes the presentation of the topic to be
developed during the class. She gives
them some examples about the topic.

During the development of the class the

teacher teaches prepositions and
vocabulary to students to develop
workshops and activities that they
socialize in class

At the end of the teacher uses the tics

Teachers methodology: Teaching
Techniques; materials and technology;
assessment techniques; uses examples that are
simple, clear, precise, and appropriate; stays
focused on and meets stated objectives.
Classroom interaction: Teacher students
interaction; Students-students interaction;
pair work, group work, whole class
interaction
(recorder) to improve student learning. At
the end of the class the teacher makes a
review of the topic in the class
The teacher uses the same methodology
that has been presented in the previous
observations as:
Make the class fun
Use clear, precise and concise language
Focuses on the topic to be developed
Uses examples of everyday life and those
offered by the book
The teacher talks to his students and moves
around the classroom helping the students and
resolving any doubts they have about the
subject being developed in class

Use of L2 and L1 Teacher expresses her ideas clearly. She

speaks with fluency at the moment to explain
the topics in L2.
She uses L1 to explain difficult words and

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 examples.

Rapport: holds interest of students; is The teacher makes dynamic classes and she is
respectful, fair, and impartial; provides commitment with the students learning.
feedback, encourages participation; shows She provides feedback at the end of the class.
enthusiasm; affective engagement

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ANALYSIS

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In the first observation the aim of the class was that student could learn about the seasons of the

year. The positive aspects in this observation were the teacher shows enthusiasm and try that all

the students understand the topics. Some negative aspects were the little motivation of the

students.

From the observations made in a school of Sincelejo, is evident the use of books as a tool for

teaching English. The teacher in most classes makes use of the course book, where she teaches

grammar and vocabulary to her students. Books are a tool implemented in the curriculum of

teaching English in Colombia by the Ministry of National Education.

The article The role of textbooks in a language program by Jack Richards claims that textbook

may provide the major source of contact they have with the language apart from input provided

by the teacher.

The article The importance of course books for teachers of English as a foreign language by

Mara Luca Fabiano Soares claims that new attitude of ELT professionals, most of them still

depend on textbooks to plan and organize their work in the classroom. Usually, teachers plan

their lessons according to the syllabus prescribed by the course books and the distribution of time

suggested by their writers

The articles previously found are related to the patterns identified in the information collected

from the observations because they maintain that books are a useful and fundamental resource

for teaching a second language. In addition, these enrich students' vocabulary and understanding.

Ideally, teachers often use the book only as a mechanism to teach the language, this means that

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teachers must carry out various didactic activities based on the most relevant grammatical

aspects of the book and thus capture the attention and motivation of the students.

It should be noted that the use of this must be dynamic and efficient in turn so that it does not

become boring and boring for students.

The teacher uses audio-visual aids such as videobeam and videos that promote better student

learning as teaching resources. In addition, the teacher uses the listening through audios and

readings that develop in the student the analysis and understanding of the topics they are

learning. The use of the book face to face implemented by the Ministry of Education can be

highlighted, in which students learn new vocabulary and grammatical structures. On the other

hand, the teacher emphasizes strengthening the correct pronunciation of the words learned. These

will help you to better understand listening exercises and songs that students can listen to on their

own. The teacher ratifies that the students must learn in a contextualized and affective way since

the students feel few motivated in the learning of English.

It should be noted that the teacher was very precise in answering each question, which indicates

that she shows a good command over the subjects of which she was asked, which is very

important, since, the teachers must be inquired about everything what pedagogical strategies

pose when teaching a new language.

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 PERSONAL
REFLEXIONS

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In this observation, I can have learned the role of the teacher today and the responsibility that has

not only with the children also with the society in the way that they try to change mentalities, and

how teach or provide information to students.

I can see that teachers in this generation should can use more attractive strategies at the moment

to teach languages like objects and materials to help by students to understand the topic easier. In

classroom teachers can use real objects to teach new vocabulary in a way funny and more

educational.

Natalia Alean Paternina

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Classes observation was an interesting experience in my life because I could know and see how

a teacher class is. Also I could evidence how difficult is the role of being a teacher. I as a teacher

learner learned that teachers have to use different strategies for catching the attention of their

students and that they feel motivated for English learning. Also the teacher has to be dynamic

and use a lot of didactic activities for avoiding to do boring and monotonous classes.

In the beginning of observations, I felt a few uncomfortable and disappointment because students

were very noisy and they did not pay attention to the teacher. So I thought that I was in a wrong

place and in a career that was not for me. But during the other observations the students

attitudes changed and they became more responsible and more active in the classroom than the

first day. Then I felt motivated again for being a teacher.

I am conscientious that being an excellent teacher will not be an easy and comfortable process

but I know that I could overcome all the adversities that I will find in the way.

Hernn Navarro Aguas

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Personally, in the observations I felt good, because I was able to learn new things from the

teacher, I was also able to identify the methodology that the teacher uses with the students and

the way in which he evaluates them. this kind of exercises such as observations allows us to see

what is the best way students learn, what should be improved and what is working for them.

In the observations, I understood that the best way students learn and is in a contextualized and

dynamic way, that the student can relate and have direct contact with the language, in this way

students can create patterns and facilitate learning English; this in many cases is impossible to

achieve since in the classrooms the government does not provide the institution with the

resources or materials necessary for its teaching.

Yamileth Pino Paternina

Through the observations made in an educational institution in the city of Sincelejo, I realized

the great need that is around me and the lack of commitment that young people have today to

learn another language. This experience helped me to strengthen my desire to want to teach and

to be a teacher. I realized that the most important thing is not how much experience you have

teaching, but through each teaching you gain the charisma and attention of your students.

This is not an easy task. Many aspects must be taken into account when teaching, but the

satisfaction of knowing that you are doing your job well is what matters most. In this process, we

will encounter different types of personalities, so everything will not be easy, since we must be

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patient and willing to listen, help and even look for solutions that contribute to the good

performance of students.

Being a teacher is an art that not everyone can play, that is why I am happy to have chosen this

profession. I have clear my objectives and I know that beyond teaching a new language to my

students, I will teach them how to apply it in daily life. My main goal is to change their lives

through teaching and make them fall in love with each teaching. Teach them the importance of

learning another language in our present time and the world of possibilities that will be presented

to them if they learn it with dedication.

Yiceth Salgado Bello.

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 CONCLUSION

The pedagogic practices are important tools for training to the new teachers generations because

the language teaching method is changing. As English learners, we need to be aware of the

different situations that can present in a classroom to create an interesting and funny class, and

be a guide to our future students.

On the other hand, as future teachers, we must take into account the different situations that we

are going to face, and understand that teaching is not an easy job, especially when we have to

know the different contexts which are often difficult to handle in certain occasions. Teaching is

something that requires a lot of effort and above all dedication and love, because we will not

only impart knowledge to our students, but also prepare ourselves to change their lives

positively.

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There is a line between teacher and student, which means that you have to put aside your

emotions and maintain a fraternal treatment, but without mixing the academic with the personal.

This does not mean that there cannot be a friendship between the teacher and the students, rather,

on the contrary, the teacher must give them confidence so that they feel free to express what they

feel, without leaving the established parameters. As teachers, we must be kind and sensitive to

the needs of our students, as not everyone has the same privileges and some have more needs

than others. For every situation, we must have solutions that make students feel supported and

protected. Let them see in us a friendly figure who only seeks welfare for them.

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 REFERENCES

Jack Richards. The role of textbooks in a language program

Mara Luca Fabiano Soares. The importance of course books for teachers of English as a

foreign language

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ANNEXES

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