TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

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

Name of Observer___Huizi Zhao________

Date

Observation
Environment (include

URL if the class was

online)

10/29/2014 Classroom

Class
Skill/Content
Grammar

Observation # _4__

Class
Teacher
Level/Number
(Beg./Int./Adv.)
300(Beg.)
Karen Gregg

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 BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT FORMS
OF COMPARATIVE, AND STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO WRITE SENTENCES WITH
COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVE.
Notes while observing:

The teacher puts Ss in pairs and she says they look good.
The class had a quiz yesterday, and the teacher will gives feedback to Ss and checks
answers.
The T speaks brightly and lively when she talks about the quiz.
She writes her notes of quiz on the board:
3(Ss)A+
1A
7B
2C
0D
1F
Meanwhile, she encourages Ss that they really did a great job or one student was mostly
passed...

Last Updated: 11/10/2015 1:49 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
The T hands out Ss quiz. Then T reads the questions and answers slowly and loudly so
that every student can hear and understand what she is saying.
The T demonstrates how she gave points to each question and why she gave these
questions.
After that the T explains to Ss that the reason of the S did not pass is he had not took the
class.

After the class finished correcting their paper, the T asks Ss to take out one handout,
which are some blanks in the sentences, and T puts every S with number.
Every S read a sentence, and the T writes the answers on the board.
For example: (on the board)
The answer is powerful
The teacher asks, What is opposite?
The S, weak
The T, yes! And there is the other way to say it
More powerful
weaker
Less dangerous
softer
Then the T asks a question about the handout: the baby sleeps more, how about his
mother?
Ss say, Less!
In addition, the T writes quickly on the board and asks Ss that how to use the
comparative.
Then she writes sentences on the board:
It is quickly (adj).
It moves quickly (adv).
Furthermore, she also gives some others words for Ss to practice forms.

The T asks Ss to look at their handouts.

When the T sees an adj. / adv. word, she always checks with Ss how to change the form of
it.
For example: long (on the board)
It is long+er.
It lives long+er.

Last Updated: 11/10/2015 1:49 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
Then the T teaches that there are different ways to change the comparative of words. It is
difficult for Ss to memorize how to use it, so the T says that there is a regular pattern for
Ss to follow. Then the comparative seems easier and more practical for Ss to use.

The last part, the teacher gives some practices for Ss to complete and she tells Ss to work
with groups and check their answers.
During this process, the T goes around the group and asks them if they have any
questions. If they do, the T will explain the word with examples and using body language.
After every group are finished, the T asks Ss to read their sentences one by one about the
description of their hometown. The T always asks questions and changes some words in
the sentences.

The T gives some homework about practice what they have learnt in class.

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)
During this class, I learnt that the attitude of teacher affects a lot of the class. Before this
class, I was thinking it would be boring because it was grammar class. However, after
the class began I found out that the class is full of happiness and encouragement. The
teacher always uses a fun and positive tones to introduce the rule and uses many
examples for Ss to understand.
I think it matches the theory about what makes a good teacher? it says, Students do
not want a book-bound teacher. They want teachers to use textbooks with discrimination
and to bring other materials to supplement or replace unsuitable or uninteresting
textbooks.

Last Updated: 11/10/2015 1:49 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
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)
I would like to give some example about my topic and give my students some openminded questions for them to be more communicative and accuracy.
For example, if I were the teacher for the grammar class and I would teach comparative
forms. I would like to let them compare their hometown with the place where they live
right now. After that, I can pick some dialogues from their sentence and organize some
repetition activities.
If they say, my hometown is cooler than California.
I will ask What is the other way to this? then I will write, California is hotter than my
hometown
Then I can ask that the differences between cooler and hotter, and I can use this
example as transition to step in my presentation part.

Last Updated: 11/10/2015 1:49 PM