FL 694 Reflection

by Brandon McLeod
This observational practicum was the most extensive set of observations I have ever
undertaken. For the practicum, I observed close to thirty classroom hours with three different
instructors. In this reflection, I will discuss each instructors classroom (including an overview of
the class, the instructors methodology, student reception, and my impressions), the curriculum
of the intensive English program as a whole, and what I have learned through this observational
process and how it will affect my own teaching.
Classroom Observations
Instructor One
Overview
The first class I observed was a Bridge (Advanced + according to the IEP level system)
course on Business English, which met Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:00PM to
2:15PM. The class had six students representing five different nationalities. The teacher was a
non-native English speaker from Latin America. I was fortunate enough to observe this class
quite a few times throughout the semester. One of the most interesting things regarding this class
was the wide variety of resources and activities the instructor used to make the content more
accessible. In addition to the standard content from the textbook, she brought in multiple guest
speakers from local business and arranged an outing for the students to explore the local business
district. These additional activities seemed to really make a big difference for the students in the
class. This instructor generally seemed extremely well prepared.
Methodology

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Overall, this instructor used a communicative style. She preferred to engage student
interest through a variety of class projects and hosted events. Throughout the semester, this
instructor had multiple guest speakers, out of the classroom experiences for the students, and inclass projects. While it was an, overall, communicative environment, it should be noted that in
between these activities, there was heavy reliance on the provided textbookwhich dated. The
textbook was written in 2005, which may not seem like such a long time ago, but included a
chapter on the innovative and successful phone company, Nokia. Since the book was written
before 2007 (the advent of the iPhone), when the students would have been approximately 7
years old, it was difficult for the students to relate to certain chapters and activities within the
text. Rather than substituting this content with something more relevant to the current students,
the teacher just used what was in the textbook without supplements.
Student reception
In general, the students were very receptive to the style of teaching and activities in the
classroom. Being an upper level class, the students were able to interact with each other and the
instructor in a more fluent manner. That is, the students could easily articulate their opinions and
needs throughout the class. This was most evident when the students were discussing how
interesting and insightful the out-of-class activity was and how irrelevant the chapter on Nokia
was. One student also approached me outside of the class and confided that she was not at all
interested in business, but that the class had been assigned to her without her input (see
curriculum comments for my opinion on mandatory course assignment).
Impressions

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This class was excellent for my observations. The teacher and students were dynamic
subjects. This teacher was extremely dedicated to providing an education that was engaging,
while still adhering to the curriculum. She came to class, for the most part, very well prepared for
the lesson and had a good rapport with her students. The class content was not badexcept for
being woefully out of date.
Instructor Two
Overview
The second instructor taught a Level 3 (according to the IEP level system) course on
Speaking/Listening and Pronunciation which met Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from
11:00AM to 12:15PM. This class had fifteen students with approximately six different
nationalities. The first several classes I observed, he covered the International Phonetic Alphabet
in great detail. While this did follow the students textbooks, I found myself wondering exactly
how beneficial it could be to spend so much time teaching the IPA. The worth of this time spent
was proven later. The instructor had worked diligently to help the students master IPA
pronunciations. Since English phonetics are often irregular, the teacher could simply write a new
word in IPA and the students could figure out how to pronounce it on their own. Another reason I
was won over by this method is because how engaged and active the students where while
learning. This was mostly due to the instructors energetic and amiable style of classroom
management. Overall, I was very impressed with this instructors ability to make every lesson
more exciting for the students. Of all the classes I observed, his was the most responsive and
engaged in the language learning process.
Methodology

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This instructors methodology was the most similar to my own. He was energetic and
often joked with the students. He frequently utilized group/pair work and had the students review
quizzes and homework assignments as a class. During group/pair work, he moved quickly
around the room helping students as they needed it. His classroom management was based on
mutual respect, though there was a clear delineation between teacher and student. That is, while
he maintained a friendly atmosphere within the classroom, the students always deferred to his
authority as instructor. In this way, there were no discipline problems that I witnessed.
Student reception
Of all the classes, the students within this one were the most enthusiastic. All throughout
the class, the students were energetic and eager to participate. Several students commented to me
that this was their favorite instructor or class. Additionally, the students all worked very equitably
during group work. This could either be due to the students personalities, or through a policy of
the instructor that promoted this positive behavior.
Impressions
I truly enjoyed observing this class. Besides learning from this instructors expertise,
which classroom management and student engagement seemed to be hallmarks of, the content
was interesting. Although I was uneasy about the heavy reliance on IPA at first, in the end it
seemed to be quite beneficial for the students in the class. They were able to have a solid
phonetic basis for their language studies. It was very nice to see the students progress in their
knowledge and understanding of English phonetics, through the use of the IPA, over the course
of the semester.
Instructor Three

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Overview
The third instructor taught a Level 2 (according to the IEP level system) course on
Speaking/Listening which met Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00PM to 2:15PM. This class had
seven students coming from four different nationalities. Of the three instructors I observed, this
one seemed to have the most difficulty activating the students interests. This may be partly
attributable to the students lower-level. Additionally, the students personalities may have not
been congruous with my original conception of what an actively engaged class looks like. That
is, over the course of the semester and the several observations I completed in this classroom, I
saw students who were dedicated and hardworking. Indeed, though this class lacked the energy
of the others observed, the students were no less enthusiastic about learning English.
Methodology
This instructor seemed to be utilizing the least amount of research-based pedagogy, of the
classes I observed. There was very little communicative language teaching. She relied heavily on
the textbook and often seemed underprepared for the lessons. However, there were two activities
that stood out as rather successful: endangered species presentations and jeopardy. In these two
activities, unlike most others in the class, the students had the opportunity to use the target
language in a creative or exciting way. Compared to the textbook work, the students engagement
changed dramatically.
Student reception
The students in this class were the quietest. It is worth noting that this class had the
lowest level students of the ones I observed. Thus, it is likely that they did not possess the
communicative skills to express themselves or participate in their typical manner. The students,

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overall, seemed to have a good rapport with the instructor. Also, apart from frequently looking
bored during the textbook exercises, the students were actively working and engaged with the
activity in the classroom. This was especially true during the presentations. In addition to getting
to use their own words, in their own way, in front of their peers (which they seemed to enjoy),
they were all actively listening and asking questions during their peers presentations. In terms of
student engagement, that activity was the most successful.
Impressions
Being the lowest level of the ones I observed, it is a bit difficult to compare this classs
involvement to those classes where students can act more autonomously. That being said, it is
only one level difference from one of the other classes I observed. The students became much
more enthusiastic when it came to the presentation project. In researching, creating, and
presenting, the students were fully engaged. The same cannot be said for the run-of-the-mill
textbook activities observed most days.
Curriculum
Overall, I believe that the current curriculum at the intensive English program, where I
completed all of my observations, is quite good. There was evidence of a conscious effort to
apply research-based methodologies to all aspects of the curricular experience (i.e. through
classroom instruction, projects, presentations, and assessments). In addition, there were frequent
extracurricular activities advertised throughout the semester. These activities helped integrate the
students into the larger student body, providing them with opportunities for authentic
engagement with native speakers. In regard to automatic course assignment, I believe there is
some merit to that system. However, when it comes to the upper levels and, what seemed to be

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an elective type course, the students should have some choice, if possible. Moreover, when it
comes to textbook use, the textbooks should, first of all, be current, and secondly, the activities
should be evaluated (prior to the implementation of a particular textbook in a course) for validity
and reliability. Many of the activities were simple matching, multiple choice, or cloze exercises,
which can be quite useful and beneficial. However, their frequency, and the reactions of the
students to these activities, lead me to believe that they should be minimized in favor of more
communicative activities that allow for more creativity and language use.
Lessons Learned
Throughout this observational practicum, I have had the opportunity to view language
teaching professionals over the course of the semester and learn from their expertise. In the
classroom, I witnessed research being put into practice. Moreover, by carefully observing other
instructors processes, I have gained a more complete sense of how to develop a productive and
supportive learning environment for my students. These observational experiences will certainly
have a positive influence on my future classes. One of the most enjoyable aspects of these
observations was the opportunity to see the students develop over time. Additionally, as the
students developed, the teachers activities and lessons seemed to develop with them (becoming
more engaging and communicative).
In my future classes, I would like to incorporate many of the methodologies I witnessed
during my observations. Specifically, I think the out-of-class experience had an incredibly
positive effect on the students learning and motivation. Additionally, I was impressed by how
utilitarian teaching the IPA can be. Moreover, the use of in-class presentations gives the students
the opportunity to hone their skills in a safe environment, with little threat of losing face. I hope

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to have the opportunity to observe many more classrooms in the future, not only to learn from
my colleagues, but to be able to collaborate with them in improving all of our classes. It is
important for instructors to work together to develop curriculum, lessons, and assessments and to
ensure that we are all using best practices. In the end, as I progress with my teaching career, I
will utilize what I have learned throughout my MATL classes and this observational practicum. I
have learned a great deal through my classes, from linguistics to sociolinguistics and discourse
analysis to researched-based pedagogical methodologies. In each of my courses, I gained
valuable skills that I have been able to use along the way and will be able to implement in future
classes. Each semester, I witnessed valuable improvements in the classes I was teaching. Every
time I learned a new research-based methodology, I did my best to incorporate it, and I had great
results. Because of this program, I have become a significantly better instructor. And, as a
teacher, I know that it does not end with graduation. I will continue to research and study as I go
through my career. After all, as I state in my teaching philosophy, How can we expect to foster
our students learning if we neglect our own?