Now that we’re settled into the first term, it’s time to think about first term observations. At Active, we hope that all our observations are seen as what Jim Scrivener identifies as developmental rather than appraisal observations. We have two main objectives for observing: partly it’s an opportunity for the coordinators to get to see the learners in action and also we can determine how to help you develop as an individual. For this reason, the choice of which lesson is observed is a two-way process – you may have identified a group which you are having an issue with in a particular area (such as use of L1 or level of challenge) or when chatting to a coordinator, they may suggest an observation of the group in question.
In terms of the process, once you have decided which group will be observed, you’ll have a ten-minute chat with the coordinator observing. This is the time to have a brief chat through your plan and determine what aspect of the lesson you would especially like us to focus on (e.g. clarity of instructions, Marta’s engagement in the lesson, etc). You don’t need to provide us with a stage-by-stage lesson plan, but it will be good to identify your aims and materials for the lesson.
Following the observation, you’ll again get together to reflect on the class.
Also, just to add that we all know what it’s like to have a “foreign body” in the room and learners can be incredibly unpredictable during observations – the quiet ones suddenly start showing off and playing up whilst the more disruptive learners can suddenly become little angels for the hour. This can sometimes throw you a little and so rest assured that if you talk to us about an issue (such as learners getting out of their seats every other minute) which isn’t apparent during the observation, we will still aim to provide you with support and ideas on that particular issue.
If you’re interested in the process of observation and what the TEFL world has to say on the subject, here are some links:
What is best practice for observing teachers? – #ELTChat summary
10 things I don’t think I really want to hear in feedback sessions – quite an amusing rant from Michael Griffin
Tony Gurr has a series of posts on Classroom Observation
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