TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report Form

Name of Observer: Rebecca Hur Observation # 2

Date Observation Class Skill/Content Level Teacher
Environment*

4-17- in class listening and high 400 Arlene Yalcin

17 speaking intermediate
listening
speaking

*Include the URL if the class was online

WRITE THE OBJECTIVES ACCORDING TO THE OBSERVATION GUIDELINES:

1. WARM UP EXERCISE
2. CONVERSATION MANAGEMENT
3. SUCCESS AND FAILURE

Notes while observing:

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 2:38 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs
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)

I observed a 400 level listening and speaking class. This class consisted of

multiple nationalities and the overall student participation was high. I directed my

attention to the instructor and how she handled classroom management as well as how

she directed instruction to the students.

Even before the lesson began, I observed how the instructor engaged the students

in conversation asking about various events in their life. From this moment, I noticed the

high level of participation among the students. When the instructor, Arlene, began the

class, she instructed the students to turn in their homework at the front of the classroom

and discussed what was on the schedule for the next classes. She stated that the students

would be reviewing material from previous weeks, looking at upcoming lessons and have

a unit test. She then put a warm up activity on the screen. She put the question Guess

what I did on the screen, then provided a model of what she expected the students to

produce. She then had the students stand up and form two lines facing each other. Then,

they each would take turns asking one another Guess what I did this weekend in which

the other student would respond What did you do. Then, one student in one line would

rotate to the front and, with the cue on the screen provided, would then ask Did you hear

that and would proceed to tell their new partner what their other partner did. In order

to signal the students to stop talking, or switch partners, the instructor would utilize a bell

so even without verbal cues the students would know when to begin conversation or

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 2:38 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook
change partners. The class would continue this warm up activity for fifteen minutes. This

student centered activity was intended to get the students to produce information that was

relevant to them as well as recall past information while getting the most amount of

practice.

After this activity, the instructor instructed the students to sit back down and

pulled the next objective on the screen. On the screen, it had three questions that said

What does the word success mean, what does failure mean, and why are these

people successful. She then had the students discuss these questions with their partner

before discussing with the whole class. One thing I found interesting while observing the

class, was the instructors use of soft background music that was playing while the

students were discussing their ideas.The audial cues utilized in the class like the bell and

the music may help students that are rather auditory learners. In the next activity, the

instructor had four different pictures that showcased different types of success and had

the class discuss why the different pictures presented were considered successful.

Utilizing the pictures can be beneficial for those who learn best visually.

After the class discussion about success and failure, Arlene then instructed the

students to open their textbooks to page 174 and 175 which dealt with the topics of

success and failure. She then began with the objectives of what the students would learn

and what they would expect in the lesson. Then, she handed the students a piece of paper

and then directed them to fold it in half and create a t chart. On this piece of paper, the

students were directed to write down the key words, phrases, and vocabulary they would

hear in the listening activity. After the first time of this activity, she had them turn to their

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 2:38 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook
partner to compare their answers. Then, the students listened to it again, but this time, the

instructor would stop the audio periodically and ask follow up questions such as How

many types of success did they say at the beginning? and would ask comprehension of

vocabulary definition. At the end of instruction, she would go over upcoming

assignments and what the students would expect to go over in future lessons. Overall, in

each activity the instructor provided, she would always first model what she expected and

kept these activities student centered.

In my observation of this class, I believe the instructor incorporated very effective

sequencing into her lesson as well as incorporating elements that would supplements

students different learning preferences. To exemplify, the instructors organization of her

lesson included an opening, sequencing, and closing. As the opening phase of a lesson is

to primarily focus the students attention on the aims of the lesson and make

connections of the previous units, introduce target language, and engage students

interest, I believe the instructor of this lesson fulfilled these objectives (Richards and

Farrell, 2011). The opening phase is important to the lesson in that it prepares the

students for what is to come in the lesson as well as creating the overall environment of

the classroom. For example, I observed that the instructor always had the objectives on

the screen and clearly began the class by explicitly telling the students what was to come.

The lesson followed the sequence of P-P-P which stands for presentation, practice, and

production. Beginning with the warm up, each activity was student centered and held

relevance to the subject matter of the lesson which was the topic of success and failure

for this particular observation. The instructor ended that lesson with a closing that

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 2:38 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook
reiterated the points of the lesson while giving a preview of the next lessons. This is an

important step in the lesson plan as it ideally leaves the student feeling they have

successfully achieved a goal (Richards and Farrell, 2011).

References

Richards, J.C. and Farrell, T.S.C. (2011) Practice Teaching A Reflective Approach. New

York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 2:38 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 2:38 PM