CHAPTER 7 CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

CHAPTER

ClassroomObservationinTeachingPractice

INTRODUCTION

Observationplaysacentralroleinpracticeteaching,bothobservationofyourteaching byyourcooperatingteacherandsupervisor,aswellasyourownobservationsofyourcooperatingteacher'sclass.Otherschoolstaffmayalsowishtoobserveoneofyourclasses fromtimetotime,suchastheprincipal,thevice-principal,oraseniorteacher,soyou needtopreparewellforeverylessonintheeventthatsomeoneaskstoobserveyour teaching.Youmayalsohavetheopportunitytoobserveotherteachersinyourhostschool andtoreviewvideorecordingsofyourownteachingandthatofotherstudentteachersin yourteachingpracticeseminars.Thepurposeandnatureofobservation,however,differs accordingtowhoparticipatesintheobservationprocess.Forexample,inobservingyour cooperatingteacher'sclassyourfocuswillbeon how theteacherteaches,onsuchthingsas howtheteachercreatesapositiveatmosphereforlearning,onthestrategiesandprocedures usedbytheteacherinsettingupactivities,onthewaytheteachergivesinstructionsand explanations,andhowheorshegivesfeedbacktolearners.Asanoviceteacheryouwillnot beevaluatingyourcooperatingteacher'steaching.When you arebeingobservedbyyour cooperatingteacherorsupervisor,however,thefocuswilloftenbeon howwell youcarried outdifferentaspectsofthelesson.Inthischapterwedealwithbothkindsofobservations.

THENATUREOFCLASSROOMOBSERVATION

Althoughitisanimportantcomponentofteachingpractice,thenatureandlimitationsof observationneedtobekeptinmind.Teachingisacomplexanddynamicactivity,and duringalessonmanythingsoccursimultaneously,soitisnotpossibletoobserveallof them.Thirtystudentsinaclassmayberespondingtothelessoninmanydifferentways. Somemaybefindingthelessonstimulatingandmayhaveaclearsenseofwhatthepurposes ofactivitiesareandhowtheyaresupposedtocarrythemout.Othersmayfindsomeof

theactivitiesinsufficientlychallengingormotivatingandmaybepayingminimalattention totheteacherorthelesson.Andatthesametimetheteachermaybestrugglingmentally tomaintaintheflowofthelessonandmayhaverealizedthatheorshesetthelesson upinanonproductiveway.Noneoftheseaspectsofthelessonaredirectlyobservable. Andevenifaspectsofclassroombehaviorareobservable-suchastheamountoftalking studentsengageinwhencompletinganactivity-youmaynotbeabletotellwhether thisisanindicationofconfusionorofinterest.Forallthesereasonsinformationyouor yourcooperatingteachergainduringanobservationalwaysneedstobeclarifiedthrough conversationanddiscussioninordertounderstandthemeaningofwhatyouobserved(or thoughtyouobserved).

Atthesametime,thepresenceofanobserverintheclassroomsometimesinfluences thenatureofthelesson,makingthelessonuntypicaloftheteacher'susualstyleofteaching. Asastudentteacheryoumay"overprepare"foravisitbyyoursupervisororcooperating teacherinordertoshowyourselfatyourbest.Youmayalsofeeltenseknowingthatthe observerisnotonlytheretoassistyouindevelopingyourteachingskills,butalsotoevaluate howwellyouaredoing.However,initiallyyoumayfindthepresenceofyourcooperating teacherorsupervisordistractsyoufrombeingabletoteachyourbest. If thisissoyou shoulddiscussthiswiththeobserverbothbeforeandafteranobservation.Experienced teachertrainersareofcoursewellawareoftheinfluencetheirpresencemayhaveona studentteacher,butcommentssuchasthefollowingarenotuncommon:

[wassoscaredthefirsttime[wasobservedbymycooperatingteacherbecause[knewshe wasevaluatingmeasateacher.Sometimes[lookedinherdirectionandsawherwriting somethingdownand[wonderedwhatshewasthinkingandatthosetimes[lostabitofmy ownflowofteaching.Anyway,[wasgladwhenitwasoverandonlywantedtoknowwhat shethoughtofmyteaching.

[couldneverbemyselfwhen[wasbeingobservedbymycooperatingteacher,nomatter howmuchshetriedtoputmeateasebeforetheobservationorhowmuch[hadprepared beforetheclass.[couldnotsleepproperlythenightbeforeeachobservation.Evenmy studentscouldseethat[wasnotnormalwhensomeone(eithermysupervisorormy cooperatingteacher)wasinthebackoftheroomandtheyalwaysaskedmehow[wasafter class,whichwassweet.

Thefirsttimemysupervisorjustshowedupand[froze,literally.Hewouldpickamorning thatwasafterthenightbeforeformebecause[wasstillauniversitystudentandthusactive oncampusas[returnedeachdayafterteachingpractice.[wasnotfullypreparedforthe classand[guessitshowedbecause[thinkthestudentscouldfeelthistoo.Needlesstosay, [wasalwayswellpreparedafterthisand[realizedthatthiswasarealjobandsettled downtoteachingpracticeafterthis.

Lastterm,[observedthreedifferentteachersteachingdifferentclassesanddifferentskills. [realizedthatateacher'spersonalityhasalottodowiththefunctioningofaclass.This term,[beganmypracticeteachingbyobservingmycooperatingteacherteachthefirsttwo classes.[realizedthatthemoreexperiencedateacheris,themoreeffortlessaclassappears tomove.Aftertwoclassesofobservation,itwasnowmyturntobeobserved.[founditto beaveryuncomfortableexperience.[felt(andstillfeel)that[wasnotmyselfwhen[was beingobserved.[continuouslyfeltthepressureofbeingobservedbytheteacheronone

JaeHee,Korea

Catharine,UnitedStates

John,Canada

endandthestudentsontheother.Intryingtobeacceptabletoboth,Iseemedtoloseall focusonthelearningdemandsofthestudents.

Vidya,Canada

OBSERVINGYOURCOOPERATINGTEACHER'SCLASS

Yourpractice-teachingassignmentwilloftenbeginwithaseriesofobservationsofyour cooperatingteacher'sclass.Theseobservationswillgiveyouachancetofamiliarizeyourselfwithsuchthingsasthecoursematerialstheteacherisusing,theteachingmethods andstrategiestheteacheruses,howheorsheinteractswithstudents,howthelearners respondandinteractwiththeteacherandamongthemselves,andthekindsoflanguage theyunderstandandproduce.Theseobservationswillhelpyouprepareyourselfforsome ofissuesandproblemsthatyoumayhavetofacewhileteachingtheclass.Youcansee whatmethodsandstrategiestheteacheremploysanddecideifyouwillbeabletousethese yourselfwhenyoucometoteachtheclass.Youwillalsolearnmoreaboutthelearners (e.g.,theirinterests,motivations,andlearningstyles)andthiswillbetterprepareyouforthe timewhenyouwilltakeoverteachingtheclass.AsGaies(1991)haspointedout,"What wesee,whenweobserveteachersandlearnersinaction,isnotthemechanicalapplication ofmethodsandtechniques,butratherareflectionofhowteachershaveinterpretedthese things"(p.14).

THE Focus OFTHEOBSERVATION

If observationistoserveausefulpurposeitneedstobecarefullyplanned.Thepurpose oftheobservationistocollectinformationthatyoucanlateruseduringafollow-up discussionwiththeteacher.Beforeyouobserveyourcooperatingteacher'sclassyouwill normallyhaveapreobservationmeetingtodecideonthefocusforyourobservationand theproceduresyouwillusetorecordyourobservations.Youmaysuggestaspectsofthe classyouwouldliketolearnmoreabout,suchashowtheteachermakesuseofgroupwork orhowheorshedealswithclassroommanagement.Yourcooperatingteacherwillalso suggestthingstolookforduringanobservation.Normallyyoushouldfocusononlyoneor twoaspectsofthelessonsinceyoucannotfocusontoomanythingsatthesametime.Some aspectsofalessonarerelativelyeasytoobserve(suchasthekindsofquestionsstudents ask),whereasothersmaynotbeobservableandhavetobeinferred(suchasthedegreeof intereststudentshadinthetopicofthelesson,decisionsteachersmadeduringalesson,or problemsthatoccurredthatmightnothavebeenvisibletoanobserver).Thefollowingare examplesofthethingsyourcooperatingteachermightaskyoutoobserveduringhisorher lessons:

Typesofteachingactivities

•Whole-classactivities

•Pairandgroupactivities

•Individualactivities

Teachingstrategies

•Presentingtasks •Organizingpractice •Teachingtechniques

Teacher'suseofmaterials •Useofthetextbook •Useofotherresources

Teacher'suseoflanguage

Students'useoflanguage •Useoflanguageingroupwork •Useofthemothertongueduringclass •Problemswithgrammar •Problemswithpronunciation

Studentinteraction

•Timeontask •Questioningbehaviors •Student-to-studenttalk

Thefollowingcommentsillustratewhatdifferentstudentteacherslearnedfrombeing observed:

WhenIstartedtoobservemycooperatingteachershejustsaidtowatchtheclassingeneral andhowshestartedtheclassandwentthroughthevariousactivitiesshehadplannedIhadacopyofherlessonplan.Thenaftertheclassshetoldmewhatshethoughtofit andhowitwentfromherperspective.Shesaidthatshewashappythatallherstudents wereparticipatingandlearning.Whatreallystruckmewashowshewasabletogetallher studentsinvolved.Iwassurprisedbecausethiswasabigclassof 30 studentsanditwas fastmoving,soIwonderedhowshetookitallin.Forthefollowingobservationssheasked metofocusonclassroommanagementandhowsheaccomplishedthisbecauseshetoldme Iwouldhavetotakeoverthisclassandshehadwantedmetoknowhowtocontrolthem. IfoundobservingmycooperatingteacherveryusefulbecauseIincorporatedmanyofher classroommanagementtechniqueswhenItookovertheclassandtheyworkedbecausethe studentswereusedtothem.

JinDa,Thailand

Afterobservingmycooperatingteacher'sclassIrealizedthatgivingclear,precise,and briefinstructionstotheclass is animportantskillasitavoidsmiscommunicationand misunderstandingbetweentheteacherandstudentsinclass.Ingivingoutlonginstructions, IrealizedIcouldhelptheclassbywritingtheinstructionsdownsothattimecanbeused moreproductively.Thiswouldenabletheclasstoclarifyanydoubtstheyhaveandalsoto ensurethattheclass is clearontherequirementsoftheassignedtask.

Bernie,Singapore

Mycooperatingteachergivesmeverylittlefeedbackaboutmyteaching.So I feelthat I don'tgettolearnmuchfromher.Sothefactofbeingobservedjustplaysasanegativefactor ratherthananythingconstructive.But I alsorealizethathalfoftheproblem is myown dOIng. I havebeenfocusingonthewrongissues.Ratherthantryandevaluatetheneedsof thestudents, I havebeentryingtobeacceptabletotheothers. I nowtrytoconcentrateon thelessonplanandthecoursematerialandtrytoforgetthat I ambeingobserved(though I amnotalwayssuccessfulinthis).

OBSERVATIONPROCEDURES

Inordertomakeeffectiveuseofobservation,youwillhavetodecidehowtomakearecord oftheinformationyoucollect.Theproceduresyouusewilldependonthefocusofthe observation,butthefollowingareoftenused.

•Checklists

Achecklistcontainsalistofdifferentfeaturesofalesson,whichyoucomplete whileobservingalesson.Checklistsprovideaclearfocusforobservation, howevertheycanonlybeusedforcertainaspectsofalesson,suchasfeatures thatareeasytocount,andshouldfocusononlyoneortwoaspectsofthe lesson.Thereareseveralpublishedcheckliststhancanbeusedinclassroom observations(e.g.,Wajnryb1992)butthesemayneedtobeadaptedtosuityour needs.Alternatively,youandyourcooperatingteachercandevelopyourown checklists.ExamplesofchecklistsaregiveninAppendixA.

•Seatingcharts

Seatingchartsshowingthearrangementofdesksintheclassroomaswellas thepositiontheteachernormallyteachesfrom,canalsobeusedtocodesuch thingsasthenumberoftimesstudentsasktheteacheraquestionorviceversa, andthenumberoftimesastudentasksotherstudentsquestions.Theseating chartobservationrecord(SCORE)inFigure7.1showsaten-minutesegment ofaquestion-and-answerperiodafterastudent(speaker)haddeliveredathirtyminutespeechinEnglish(Farrell2008d).Theteacher(MH)saidthatshewas surprisedtofindoutfromthisSCOREanalysisthatshehadaskedforty-five questionsintheten-minuteperiodasshehadthoughtthatshewas"asilent participantasalistenerinmyclasses."Shecontinued,"UntilnowIhadno realizationaboutmyquestioningpattern."

IF(s)IS"q

.. IM(s)Wq

Note:F(s)=femalestudent;M(s)=malestudent;MH=Mee-Hee(theteacher); "q=ask;a=answerquestion.Thelongarrowsshowthedirectionalflowofthequestions.

Figure7.1 SCOREAnalysisI(Farrell2008d)

Vidya,Canada

•Fieldnotes

Theseconsistofbriefdescriptionsinnoteformofkeyeventsthatoccurred throughoutthelesson.Theycanprovideasummaryofthelessonasawhole, orcanbetime-based(e.g.,everyfiveminutes).Forexample:

8:30-Classbegins.

8:33- Teacherwritesinstructionsforclassonboardasstudentsturnon computers.

8:35- Teachergivesoralinstructionsforonlinereadingtask.

8:40-Studentsengageinonlinereadingtaskwithcomputers.

8:45- Silence-readingcomprehensionensues.

8:50- Silence

8:55- Teachercheckswithastudentaboutwhyhe'snotreadingandcirculates toseehowotherstudentsaredoing.

9:00-Silencecontinuesasstudentsread.

9:04-Studentsfinishedwithonlinereadingtasklookupatteacher.

9:05-Teachertakesupanswersfortheonlinereadingtaskstudentswere workingon.

9:08-Teachertellsstudentstogobacktocomputerstodoscanningpractice.

9:09-Teacherassistsonestudenttogetonlineandunderstandscanning.

9:13- Teacherhelpsstudentscanandthentellswholeclasswhattheyshould bedoingwhen"scanning"andfocusingonkeywords.

9:17- Teachercirculatesroomandhelpsindividualstudentswhilereadingon theircomputers.

9:20-Teacherconcludesclass.

•Narrativesummary

Anarrativesummaryisawrittensummaryofthelessonthattriestocapture themainthingsthathappenedduringthecourseofit,suchashowthelesson opened,thesequenceofactivitiesthatoccurred,howtheteacherintroduced eachactivity,andsoon.Theaccountshouldcontainasmuchinformation aspossiblebutshouldnotcontainanyevaluationofthelesson.Hereisan example:

Theteacherinitiatedthepeer-responsesessionofthewritingcycleandstarted theclassbyaskingthestudentstomoveintogroupstoanswerquestionson peer-responsehandouts.Thestudentswereaskedtofilloutthesehandoutsto answerquestionsabouttheirpeer'scomposition.Thestudentssatingroups offour,readcompositionsandthenwroteatlengthonthehandouts.Next theyexchangedthepeer-responsehandoutsandtalkedtoeachothermostly inMandarinfortheremainderoftheclass.Theclassendedandallleftthe room.

Tom,Singapore

•Thefollow-upconversation

Followinganobservation,yourcooperatingteacherwillnormallyfindtimeto discussyourobservationswithyouandtoansweranyquestionsyoumayhave. It isimportanttorememberthatduringthefollow-upmeetingyoushouldfocus

onclarifyingandinterpretinginformationyouobtainedfromyourobservation inordertolearnmoreabouthowtheteacherapproacheshisorherteaching. Forexample:

o Explanationsastowhythingshappened: e.g.,"Whydoyouthinkthe studentsfoundthisactivitydifficult?,""Whydidyouusegroupworkatthis pointinthelesson?"

o Explanationsofhowtheteacherwouldrespondtoeventsduringthelesson: e.g.,"Whatwouldyouhavedone,ifthestudentshadfinishedthisactivity aheadoftime?"

o Suggestionsfromtheteacher: e.g.,"HowshouldIrespondifstudentstell meanactivitylikethisistoodifficult?"

WhenIobservedmycooperatingteachergivinginstructionstotheclassI learnedthatitmaynotbeenoughtojusttellthestudentswhattodobecause theymaynotreactuntilafewminuteslater.SowhenIsawmycooperating teacheralsowritetheseinstructionsonthewhiteboardaftergivingthemorally, Inoticedafewofthestudentsonlyseemedtounderstandatthatmomentwhat wasrequiredofthem.

IreallysawtheimportanceofteacherenthusiasmwhenIobservedmycooperatingteacherteachingaclassongrammartenses.Seeingthelessonplanon paperisonethingbutshemagicallytransformedthatplanintoalivelyand enjoyablelessonwithherbubblypersonality.Irealizedatthattimethatthe teacheristherealmethodwhenitcomestoteaching,andmaterialsoreven plansmeannothing if wedon'tengageourstudents.

BEINGOBSERVEDBYYOURCOOPERATINGTEACHERORSUPERVISOR

AswenotedinObservationProcedures,beingregularlyobservedbyyourcooperating teacherorsupervisorduringyourpracticeteachingisoneofthethingsyouwilldoubtlessfindstressful.Knowingthatthestrengthsandweaknessesofyourteachingarebeing assessednaturallycausessomedegreeofanxiety.However,ifyouhavedevelopedacomfortableworkingrelationshipwithyourcooperatingteacher,observationcanbecomea positivelearningexperience.Yourcooperatingteacherwillusuallyfindmanygoodthings tocommentonaboutyourteaching.Andheorshecanalsohelpyoumonitoryourown teachingbyobservingthingsthatitwouldbedifficultforyouyourselftoobserve.As withobservationofyourcooperatingteacher'sclass,apreobservationandpostobservation conversationisusuallyscheduledtopreparebothyouandtheobserverforyourlessonand todiscussitafterwards.

Thereareseveralpurposesforobservationbythecooperatingteacherorthe supervisor:

•tocollectinformationaboutyourlessonthatitwouldbedifficultforyouto observe:e.g.,howmembersofagroupinteractedduringagrouptaskandhow muchinteractioneachgroupmembertookpartin

•toobservehowyouareimplementinganewteachingstrategyortechniquethat youaretryingout:e.g.,howyouaddressreadingstrategieswhenteachinga readinglesson

Tony,Brazil

Terry,UnitedStates

•toobservehowyouimplementedspecificstagesofalesson:e.g.,howyoudealt withtheopeningandclosingofthelesson

•toidentifythoseaspectsofthelessonthatwerethemostsuccessful

•toidentifythoseaspectsofthelessonthatcouldbeimproved

•toidentifytechniquesandpracticesyoucanapplytoyourownteaching

•tohelpyougainabetterunderstandingofyourownteaching

Inadditiontothesepoints,ifyouarebeingobservedbyasupervisor,heorshemaybe interestedinissuessuchasthefollowing:

•toseehowyouareabletoimplementstrategiesandideasdiscussedinyour trainingclass

•toseeifyouaremakingprogressinyourskillsasateacher

•toidentifyissuesthatcanbediscussedinfollow-upsessionswithyouandother studentteachers

Althoughmostresearchonsupervisionsuggeststhatthenatureoftalkbetweenthesupervisorandtheteacherlearnerinpostobservationconferencesisdictatedbythesupervisor,youneverthelesscantakemoreinitiativeintheseconferencesbysharingyourreactionstotheclass,thesurprisesyouencountered,whatyouwouldhavedonedifferently, whatyouhavelearned,andwhatyouthinkthestudentshavelearned.Yoursupervisor canalsohelpyoudevelopanoverallactionplanthatcanhelpyoufurtherdevelopasa teacher.

Yourcooperatingteachermayusesomeoftheproceduresdiscussedinthissectionin observingyourlessons,ormaysimplymakebriefnotestouseinafollow-updiscussion. However,youmayalsofinditusefultoarrangeforsomeofyourlessonstoberecorded. Audioandvideorecordingsarerelativelyeasytomake(detailsonproceduresforaudio andvideorecordingaregiveninChapter11)andprovideamoreaccuraterecordofa lessonthanchecklistsorobservationforms.Ifyouchoosethisoptionyoumaywantto transcribesomeorallofthelessoniftimepermits,orsimplyreplaytherecordingtofocus onparticularaspectsofthelesson.Forexample,youmaybeinterestedinreflectingonthe impactofyourverbalinstructionsinalesson:Inthiscase,youcanlistentoandtranscribe thosepartsofthetapethatshowyougivinginstructions.

IneverrealizedthatIusedtheword"OK"somanytimeswhenIteachuntilIheardmyself teachingfromtheaudiotapeofmyclass.IamnotsureIwouldhaveevenbelievedmy cooperatingteacher if shehadtoldmethesamebutitwasalltoorealformewhenIheard itontape.InowtrytocatchmyselfbeforeIsay"OK"andthisusuallyworksbutwhenI getexcitedwhileexplainingsomethingtoastudent,Istilluseitalot.

Bob,UnitedStates

AfterwatchingthevideoofmyclassIrealizedthatIusuallyignoretherightsideofthe roomnotonlywithmygaze,which is usuallyfocusedontheleftoftheroom,butalsowith whomIaskquestionstoaswell,whichisalsototheleftsideoftheroomaswell.Mywhole bodylanguagelooksas if Iamfacingleftand,ofcourse,Icannotthenseethestudentson therightandespeciallyinthefrontrows.Eventhecooperatingteacherdidnotnoticethis untilwewatchedtheclasstogether.

Bernie,Singapore

THEETIQUETTEOFSUPERVISORYOBSERVATION

Whenateacherlearnerisbeingobservedforadministrativereasons,theobserver(this includesthecooperatingteacher,theschoolprincipalandvice-principal,andthepracticum supervisor)shouldtrytomakethevisitasnoninvasiveaspossible(Master1983).AsMaster pointsout,theobserveradministratorisastrangerintheroom,andintheeyesofateacher learneratypicalobservationgoeslikethis:

Theadministratorenterstheroom,oftenaftertheclasshasbegun,andquietly takesaseatinthebackrow.Theteachermayintroducethenewcomerbut cannot,ofcourse,announcewhythenewcomeristhere(i.e.,toseehow goodtheteacheris).Scanningthefacesofthestudents,watchingforthe cuesthatindicatetheattentionleveloftheclass,theteacherissuddenly confrontedwithacritical,non-participatingobserver.Thisestablishesanew relationship,nolongerbetweentheteacherandthestudents,butbetween theteacherandtheadministrator.Thestudentshavebecomesecondary.The lessonplanthatoncelayclearlyintheteacher'smindnowevaporates,and theteachermustbreakrhythmandrefertothewrittenlessonplanonthe desk.Thestudentsbecomenervous.Theteacher,nowsointentonappearing tobeagoodinstructor,losestheabilitytopickuptheessentialfacialcues ofthestudents.Attheendofthelesson,waitingfortheadministrator's assessment,theteacherfeelsnervous,knowingthattheclasshasnotgone aswellasitusuallydoes.(Master1983:498)

This"invasivescenario"ofclassroomobservationforadministrativepurposescanbe avoided,asMastersuggests,byhavingtheobserverfollowacertainetiquetteinorder tobridgethedichotomybetweenthenecessityforobservationofteacherlearnersandthis feelingofinvasion.Masteroffersthefollowingguidelinesforobservationetiquetteandhis suggestionsseemequallyrelevanttoday:

•DecidingWhentoVisit: Mostteacherspreferthatanobserverarrivebeforethe classbeginsratherthanatsometimeduringthelesson.Thisgivesteachers theopportunitytoestablishatleastminimalcontactandallowsthemtotell thestudentsthatanobserverwillbevisitingtheclassthatday(studentsare likelytoofferspontaneouswordsofwelcomeunderthesecircumstances,which canfurtherreducetension).Iftheobservercansocializewiththestudentsin theimmediatevicinitybeforethelesson,perhapsaskingwhattheyhavebeen studyingorwhattheywillprobablybelearningthatday,thewholeclass islikelytofeelmorecomfortableabouttheobservation.Therearedifferent opinionsregardingwhetherthevisitshouldbeonapre-announcedoradrop-in basis.Fromtheadministrativepointofview,bothhavetheirdisadvantages. Pre-announcedvisitsalmostalwaysforceteacherstoputontheirbestshow, givingasomewhatunnaturalpictureofanormalclassperiod.Drop-invisits runtheriskofencounteringaquizorastudentreport.

•ChoosingtheBestVantagePoint: Toavoidthedangerofsettingupateacherobserverrelationshipthatexcludesthestudents,theobservershouldnotsit inthebackoftheroom,asiscommonlypracticed,butratheramongthe studentsorfacingthemfromthesideinordertohaveaclearviewofthe students'faces.

•AdoptingtheBest"BedsideManner": Someteachersfeelmorecomfortableif theycantreattheobserverlikeastudent.Othersprefertousetheobserverasa back-upresource,astheonlyothernativespeakerintheroom.Stillothersprefer theobservertobeaquietfriendlypresence.Theobservershouldbesensitive totheteacher'sstyle,perhapsaskingbeforehandwhattheteacherprefers. Whentheteacherbeginsthelesson,theobservershouldappearpleasantand supportive(iftheobserverfeelsunabletodothis,thevisitisbestpostponedto anotherday).Theeyesoftheobservershouldbenotsomuchontheteacheras onthestudents,watchinghowtheyreacttotheirteacherandhowtheteacher respondstothem. If thestudentsfeelthemselvestobeunderscrutiny,they areoftenstimulatedtoperform,andthisstimulatesteacherstobehaveina morenatural,lessthreatenedmannerastheysensethegreaterresponseofthe students.

•TakingNotes: Mostobserversneedtotakenotes.However,anobservertaking notescannotbeaparticipantintheclassatthesametime.Hence,anobserver whoiscontinuouslywritingcandistracttheteacher,justasastudentreadinga newspapercan.Notetakingshouldthereforebekepttoaminimum.Awordor ashortphraseisusuallyenoughtorememberapointfoundusefulorconfusing. Theobservercanembellishthenoteslater.

•GivingtheTeacherOralandWrittenFeedback: Attheendofthelesson,having thankedbothteacherandstudentsforthepleasureofvisitingtheclass,the observershouldimmediatelygooverthenotestakenduringtheclasswiththe teacher,praisingaswellaspointingoutweaknessesandprovidingsuggestions forimprovement.Thewrittenreportoftheobservationcantakeavarietyof forms.Adesirableformatisoneinwhichtheobserverfirstdescribeswhat thepointofthelessonwas,thendescribestheproceduresused,andfinally commentsbothspecificallyandgenerallyontheteacher'shandlingofthe class.Thiskindofformobligestheobservertobeattentivetocontentaswell astostyleandenablesteacherstochallengethedescriptioniftheyfeelthe pointofthelessonwasmissed.Italsoobligestheobservertobeamoreactive participantintheprocess.Thisispreferabletothetypeofobservationform inwhichtheobservermustsimplycheckappropriateresponseslikeamultiple choicetest.Suchformsoftenfailtoadequatelycharacterizetheuniquenature ofasinglelessoninasingleclass.Whatevertheformused,theteachershould begivenacopyandallowedtochallengeit,ifdesired.Theteachershould alsobegiventheoptionofrequestinganothervisit(oranotherobserverwhen possible)iftheclasshasnotgonewell,justastheobserver,whenappropriate, canrequestafollow-upvisitlaterinthecoursetoseehowtheteacherhas grownwiththeclassandincorporatedthesuggestions.

(Master1983:499-500)

CONVERSATIONWITHTHECOOPERATINGTEACHERAFTER

OBSERVATIONOFYOURLESSON

Followinganobservationofoneofyourlessonsyourcooperatingteacherwillnormally wanttomeetwithyouassoonaspossibleafterthelessontodiscusshisorherobservations. Remember,though,thatyourcooperatingteachermayhavelimitedtimetodiscussyour lessonandansweranyquestionsyouhave,sokeepyourquestionsfocused.Aswesawin Chapter4,cooperatingteachershavedifferentstylesofinteractingwithstudentteachers, andyouandyourcooperatingteacherwillneedtoestablishthekindofsupervisionstyle

youbothfeelcomfortablewith.Thefollowingvignetteshowstheapproachusedbyone teachertrainer:

Whentalkingabouttheirteaching,andparticularlywhentalkingaboutspecificlessons theyhavetaught,itisnaturalforpreservicelanguageteacherstofocusontheirsuccess, orlackofit,inexperimentingwiththenewclassroomproceduresandtechniquestheya're exposedtointhemethodologypartoftheirteachereducationcourse.Inthepostlesson conversationwithateacherafterobservingtheirlesson,itisimportantfortheteacher educatortoacknowledgesuchexperimentation,praisesuccess,andgiveclearandspecific methodologicaldirectionwhentherehavebeencomplications.However,asateacher educator,Iamalwaysimpressedwhenateacherstartstheself-evaluationoftheirlesson notwithtalkaboutwhattheydidordidn'tdo,butratherwithcommentonthelearnersand learning;thatis, if thepitchofthelessonseemedright, if theaimswereachieved,what activitiestheythoughtthelearnersmostbenefitedfrom,whatactivitiesandwhatparticular pointsoflanguagetheythoughtthelearnershadtroublewith,howlearningcouldhave beenbetterpromoted.Thediscussionofspecificproceduresandtechniquescan,andindeed should,emergefromdiscussionofthesebroaderissues.

Neil,teachertrainer,Australia

Normallythepostlessonconversationwillfollowthefollowingformat:

1.Yougiveyouraccountofthelesson,focusingonwhatworkedwell,whatdidn'twork sowell,andwhatyoumightdodifferentlynexttime.

2. If youhaveaskedyourcooperatingteachertofocusonspecificaspectsofthelesson, youcanbothdiscusstheinformationthatwascollectedanditsimplications.

3.Yourcooperatingteacherrespondstoyouraccountofthelessonandaddshisorher ownobservations.

4.Anyproblemareasofthelessonarediscussedandstrategiesforaddressingthemare identified.

5.Agoalissetforthenextobservation.

Thefollowingcommentsdescribeacooperatingteacher'spostlessonconversationwitha studentteacher:

AfterthelessonIwasabitnervoustospeaktomycooperatingteacherbecauseIwondered whatshewouldsayaboutthelesson.Ifeltthelessonhadgonewell,butyouneverknow whatanothermoreexperiencedteacherwillsayaboutit.Tomyreliefshetoldmethat shewashappywiththelessoningeneralandthatitwasdeliveredclearlywithaspecific directionthatwasinthelessonplan.ShesaidthatshenoticedthatIattemptedtoprovide morelearningopportunitiesforthestudentsthanwhenshehadobservedmetheprevious timeandIagreedbecausethelasttime,IfeltthatIhaddifficultyputtingmyselfinthe shoesoflearnersofthatageandofcourselittledidIexpectthatIhadoverestimatedtheir learningcapacity.IguessthishassomethingtodowithmyownexperiencewhenIwasa student-myclassmatesandIunderstoodwhatmyEnglishteacherwassayingmostofthe timewhenIwasastudent.IsupposeourbettercommandofEnglishhelped.NowItold herthatIintendtoteachslowlywheneverIintroduceanewtopicinorderforstudentsto buildastrongfoundationforthebasicsofthetopic.Iwasverypleasedthatshenoticedthis changebecauseshehadwrittenthisonmyobservationsheetbeforeandnowshecouldsee thatIwasfollowinghersuggestions.Thistime,however,shedidsuggestthatIshouldtryto livenupthelessonsabitasshesaidIseemedabittight.Thatistrue,Iguess,butIalways feelabitscaredwhensheobservesmeandIthinkIamdifferentandmorerelaxedwhen

Iteachtheclassbymyself.ShealsosuggestedthatItrytosetmoreofanonthreatening learningenvironmentfortheclass,andIshouldtrytoinjectmorehumorintothelessons. Ithinkthistoo is relatedtomynervousnessofbeingobservedbymycooperatingteacher. Anyway,Iwilltrytorelaxinmynextobservedlesson.

Tung,Singapore

Table7.1summarizessomeoftheissuesteachersmaywanttoconsiderforclassroom observations.

1.Thenatureofclassroomobservation

2.Observingyourcooperating

•Teacherdiscussesnatureand limitationsofobservationswith cooperatingteacher.

•Teacherlearnsaboutcurrentcourse teacher'sclass materialsandstrategiesused, interactionswithstudents,how learnersrespondandinteractwiththe teacherandamongthemselves,and kindsoflanguagetheyunderstand andproduce.

3.Theetiquetteofsupervisory

•Observerandteachernegotiatewhen observation tovisit,thebestvantagepoint,the best"bedsidemanner"toadopt, whenandhowtotakenotes,andthe givingoffeedback.

4.Focusofobservation

5.Observationprocedures

Table 7.1Classroomobservation

•Cooperatingteachercansuggest focusand/orteachercansuggest aspectsofclassonwhichtofocus observation.

•Dependingonobservationpurpose, teachercanchoosefromchecklists, seatingcharts,fieldnotes,and/or narrativesummaries.

SUMMARYANDCONCLUSIONS

Learningthroughobservationplaysanimportantpartinpracticeteaching.Inordertomake themostofopportunitiestoobserveclassestaughtbyyourcooperatingteacherorother teachers,youshouldhaveaclearfocusforyourobservations,youshouldestablishsuitable procedurestohelpyoudescribewhatyousee,andyoushouldremainanobserverinthe lessonandnotanevaluatororaparticipant.Observingthewaythecooperatingteacher teachestheclassbeforeyoubeginyourpractice-teachingsessionsintheclasswillhelpyou anticipatesomeoftheissuesinvolvedinteachingtheclassandhelpyoubetterpreparefor yourpracticeteaching.Youmaynotlookforwardtohavingyourownlessonsobserved, butthefeedbackyougetthroughthisprocessisessentialtoyourdevelopmentasateacher. Thenumberofobservationsyoutakepartinwilldependonthepractice-teaching arrangementsinyourhostschool.However,youmayalsofindotheropportunitiesfor

observationexperiencesthatyoucaninitiateyourself.Otherteachersinyourhostschool maybewillingtoletyouobservetheirclassesfromtimetotimetoenableyoutoseeclasses containingdifferenttypesoflearnersandbeingtaughtbyotherteachers.Andyouandyour fellowstudentteacherscanalsoarrangetoobserveeachother'sclasses.Inthiswayyou canlearnfromwatchingotherssolvetheproblemsyoualsohavetosolveduringyour practice-teachingclassesandfromobservingtheteachingstrategiesemployedbyother teachers.

Furtherreading

Bailey, K. M.(2006). Languageteachersupervision:Acase-basedapproach. NewYork: CambridgeUniversityPress.

Gebhard,J.(1984).ModelsofSupervision:Choices! TESOLQuarterly 18,501-13. Oprandy,R.(1999).Exploringwithasupervisor.In1.Gebhardand R. Oprandy(Eds.), Languageteacherawareness (99-121).NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress.

Wajnryb, R. (1992). Classroomobservationtasks. Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.

Discussionquestions

1.Haveyoueverbeenobservedbyotherswhileyouwereteaching?Whoobservedyou andwhy?Howdidyoufeelaboutit?

2.Whataresomeimportantaspectsofteachingthancannotbeobserved?

3.Whatcanyoulearnfromobservinganotherstudentteacherteachaclass?

4.Howcanyoubestprepareforobservinganotherteacher'sclass?

5.Whatisthedifferencebetweenbeingobservedbyyourstudents-whichhappensevery timeyouteach-andbeingobservedbyyourcooperatingteacher?

6.Howbestcanyoudealwiththetensionornervousnessthatthepresenceofanobserver inyourclassmayhave?

7.Discussthesuggestionsfortheetiquetteofobservationonpages98-99andcomment onthem.

8.Severalproceduresforclassroomobservationsareoutlinedinthischapter.Discuss theadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeachprocedure.Whichprocedurewouldyoube most/leastcomfortablewith?Why?

9.Whatdoyouexpectyourcooperatingteachertoincludeinyourpreobservationand postobservationconversations?

10.ReadwhatTungwroteinherteachingjoumalaboutherpostobservationdiscussionwith hercooperatingteacher(seepages100-101).Whatdoyouthinkofthetypeoffeedback shereceived?

Follow-upactivities

1.Developanobservationformorinstrumentthatcouldbeusedtoobserveanyofthe issuesdiscussedinthesectionon"TheFocusoftheObservation"(seepages92-94).With yourcooperatingteacher'spermission,tryitoutwhenobservingalesson.Howusefulwas it?

2.ReadJacob'sreflectionsofhisfirstobservationasateacherbyhiscooperatingteacher (seeAppendixBpage105).DoyouthinkJacobbenefitedfromthevisit?Doyouthinkany otherkindoffeedbackonthelessonwouldhavebeenuseful?

2.Grammarcorrection:Observinghowtheteacherprovides grammaticalfeedback onstudents' writing

Method Numberofresponses

Teacherwritessymbolssuchas"sp"forspellingand "T"fortenseneartheerrorstotellstudentstheerror types.

Teacherexplainsorallystudents'commongrammatical errorsinclass.

Teacherwritesdownthecorrectformoftheerrorafterit isidentified.

Teacherwritesdowngrammaticalexplanations.

Teacherexplainsorallytoindividualstudents.

Teacherrewritesthesentence(s)completely.

Teacheronlyunderlinesorstrikesoffthegrammatical errors.

Other(suchasTeacherwritesinthemarginsthenumber oferrorsineachline,withouttellingstudentswhatthe errorsareorwhereinthelinetheyarelocated).

3.Observinggroupinteraction

Thischecklisthelpstheobserverdeterminehowthegroupusesitstimewhencompleting atask.Theobservermarksat10to15secondintervalstonotewhatthegroupisdoingat thatmoment.

TaskFrequency

Readingsometext

Discussionintargetlanguage

Discussioninnativelanguage

Taskdiscussion:Generalgroup

Taskdiscussion:One/twodominate

Proceduraldiscussion

Off-taskdiscussion

Dispute:Procedural(roles,etc.)

Dispute:Taskrelevant(answercontent)

Groupsilence(confusion)

4.

Questioningstrategies

Thischecklistcanbeusedtodescribethekindsofquestionsateacherusesduringalesson.

Typeofquestionasked Frequency

Factual: Teacherasksaquestionthatstudentscan answerbylookingforfactualanswers.

Opinion: Teacherasksaquestionthatstudentscan answerbyusingtheirownknowledge.

Typeofresponserequired

Display: Studentmustprovideteacher's requiredanswer

Referential: Studentmustprovideanswerthat involvesownthoughtandreasoning.

Selectionofstudent

Callsstudent'snamedirectlybeforeasking question.

Callsstudent'snamedirectlyafteraskingquestion.

Callsforstudentvolunteersafteraskingquestion.

Allowsstudentstoself-selectwhentoanswer.

Table7.3 Checklistfortypesofquestionsusedbyteacher

AppendixB:Beingobserved-howdiditfeel?

IrememberinmyTESOLclassduringuniversitythatonepartoftheclasswastobeobserved byourTESOLinstructor.SinceIhadneverbeenobservedbeforeasateacher,Ididn'treally knowwhattoexpect.AliIknewwasthatmyTESOLinstructorwouldcomein,sitinmy class,andobservehowIteach,interactwiththestudents,andmaintaincontroloftheclass. IknewIwouldn'tbenervouswhentheinstructorcamebecauseItypicallydon'tgetnervous inthesetypesofsituations.Ialsofeltveryconfidentthatmyinstructorwouldnotfindmuch negativetocriticizeorcommentonbecausethatweekIhadplannedaverygoodlessonas wewerecoveringagreattopic.TheonlythingIdidnotlikeaboutbeingobservedwasthat whentheinstructorcame,shewaslateandtheonlyseatthatwasleftwasintheverycenter oftheclassroom.Somuchfortryingtopretendshewasn'tthere!Duringtheobservation, IfeltveryconfidentthatwhatIwasdoingseemedveryprofessionalandwellorganized. Also,mystudentswerebeing"extragood"thatdayaseveryoneactivelyparticipatedinthe lessonandlistenedtomyinstructionsthefirsttime.Afterthelessonwasfinished,Ifeltvery confidentthatmyinstructorlikedwhatIdidandthatIreallywascapableofbeinganESL teacher.LateronthatweekIwenttomyinstructor'sofficetotalktoheraboutmylessonand sureenough,sheenjoyedobservingmylessonandthoughtIdidaverygoodjobandhad whatittakestobeanESLteacher.Thewholeexperienceofbeingobservedreallymademe reflectonhowIteachandalsogavemetheconfidencetoknowthatIamgoodatwhatIdo.

Jacob,Canada