Critical Reflection of Classroom Observations - Case Study Example

Critical Reflection room Observations (Insert Critical Reflection room Observations (Insert name) Day & Date: (Date of lesson) Tutor: (Tutor’s name) Length of Lesson: 1 hour 10 minutes Level: Intermediate Age Group: Adults No. of Students: 9 Lesson Plan Pro-forma Type of lesson: The lesson that was used for observation was a speaking lesson. Level: Intermediate Age Group: Adults No. of Students: 9 Teaching context: The aims of the teacher for the lesson were to simply ensure that tasks are set up clearly and effectively, to elicit the meaning of key vocabularies in the text from the students as much as possible, and to allow time for feedback so that she can determine whether or not the students were comprehending what a conversation entails. Lesson aims for the students: The main aim of the lesson was to give the students an opportunity to developskills for generating a conversation more so with a stranger. Specific Skills: By the end of the lesson, the students were expected to generate a general idea of conversation starters through the completion of a specific task. The subsidiary aim of the lesson was to shine light upon the learners on they ought to speak and to learn the appropriate vocabulary for conversing with people under different circumstances. Anticipated Problems & Solutions: As is expected in every lesson, this lesson had its anticipated problems. Pronunciation was the first anticipated problem because the students would have found the new vocabulary in the text hard to cope with. Not only was the new vocabulary posing the problem of mispronunciation, it also had the possibility of making students to slow down in their reading. The students were also expected to present something that they generated from the task that the teacher gave them. It was therefore expected that some of the students would be shy during the presentation. To counter these anticipated problems, the teacher had to clearly set up the skimming task. She also needed to set a time limit to motivate the students to read quickly for gist and to originate with ideas for the lesson.. Secondly, the teacher needed to encourage the students to elicit the vocabulary in task before the class proceeded to the second reading. To eliminate the anticipation of the students being shy, the teacher had to make the lesson as interactive as possible and make sure that all the students participated in the activities. Assumed Knowledge: The basic assumption of the lesson was that the students were familiar with the concepts of starting a conversation, especially with a stranger. Materials: Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the classroom. Alexandria, Va, Asociation for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Ellis, R. (2009). A typology of written corrective feedback types. Gear, A. (2006). Reading power: teaching students to think while they read. Markham, Ont, Pembroke Publishers. Harding da Rosa, J-M. (2012) ‘Managing your classes’ in English Teaching Professional, issue 82 ,pp 22-24. Harmer, J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th Edition). Hativa, N. (2001). Teaching for effective learning in higher education.Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers. Hebden, M. & Mason, J. (2003).Classroom organization.English Teaching Professional. Issue 28.Pp 23-5. Jacobs, G. M. and Ball, J. (1996) ‘An Investigation of the Structure of Group Activities in ELT Coursebooks’ in ELT Journal 50/2 99-107. Saginor, N. (2008). Diagnostic classroom observation: Moving beyond best practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Senior, R. (2008) Developing Rapport in English Teaching Professional, issue 54. Tudor, I. (1993) ‘Teacher roles in the learner-centred classroom’ in ELT Journal (1993) 47(1): 22-3. Widdowson, H. G. (1987) ‘ The Roles of Teacher and Learner’ in ELT Journal, 41/ 2 83-8. Wilson, K. (2008) ‘Facilitator Talk in EAP Reading Classes’ in ELT Journal, 62/4, 366-374. Zepeda, S. J. (2009). The instructional leaders guide to informal classroom observations. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. The classroom was organized using the horseshoe arrangement (Hebden and Mason, 2003. P. 25). The reason why the teacher opted for this sitting arrangement was the fact that the lesson was a speaking lesson. Therefore, the teacher, and the students that were presenting werethe focus of the class. This kind of setting was useful to the students because it helped them to focus on the teacher and the presenters with very few, if any distractions. It also facilitated the interaction between the students and the teacher. This sitting arrangement was also key for this lesson because the tutor was writing on the board. It was therefore easy for the teacher to present ideas and points on the board because all the students’ focus was on the teacher. The sitting arrangement also made it easier for the students to work in pairs and it helped the teacher in monitoring the individual and integrative progress of the students (Harding da Rosa, 2012). The lesson was about speaking and the types of speaking. These types are conversation, discussion and presentation. The teacher started the lesson with the third type of speaking. They had talked about the first two types in the previous lesson.So, the teacher wanted to talk about the third part which was conversation .She asked students to guess what the third part of speaking. Students began to guess. Students answered until they reached to the right one. The teacher gave them enough time to think about the answers. She said no for the students who answered wrong answers to make them think more about the answers. The introductory part of the lesson that involves the students makes a conducive atmosphere for the lesson; it helps in creating a rapport (Senior, 2008; 32). The students are therefore able to take part in the lesson without being necessarily in fear of the teacher and it creates a more relaxed atmosphere in the classroom; the lesson becomes more of an interactive session than a lecture session. Creating an open forum for the students to air out their thoughts is also good because the students speak on the basis of free will not because they have to. However, there are two problems with this. There is a possibility that some of the students will not voluntarily answer the question posed to them. Therefore, their participation in the lesson will be very minimal. The open forum that allowed the students to air out their answers created a noisy atmosphere. Though communication facilitates feedback between the teacher and the students, the teacher ought to control the manner in which the feedback is being transmitted to avoid noise within the classroom (Ellis, 2009). The teacher however had some few short comings in the introductory part of the lesson. Her response to the students who did not give the right answer was not appropriate; teachers ought to give positive feedback to the students even if they are wrong. Positive remarks play a key role in the learning process. Hammer (2007) points out that positive feedback motivates the students and creates a sense of appreciation between the teacher and the student. Through this remarks, the teacher was fulfilling her motivational role as she made the students feel appreciated. The teacher then told the students that she intended to cover conversational skills during the lesson. She wrote small talk and gossip on the board and asked one of the students to define the two terms and after giving a correct answer, she told the student, “well done”. These kinds of remarks are a motivational factor to students (Hammer, 2007). She then asked the difference between a conversation and presentation. The student who answered the question did not give a satisfactory answer and the other students added to the answer of their colleague.This helps create an atmosphere in which the students can readily admit their unfamiliarity with a word or subject without the fear of being looked down on. It also helps them develop a character of helping each other out (Delisle 1997, p.66). The teacher then proceeded to show a DVD to the students before she gave them a standard definition of small talk. After watching the DVD, the teacher gave the students a definition of the term “small talk” and gave them a hypothetical situation in which they were in a plane for five to six hours and she asked them to come up with questions suitable for such a situation. Every student was given a chance to give their suggestion. According to Tudor (1993), the teacher’s role is to ensure that all students are given an equal opportunity to participate in class. Though the teacher gave each student a chance to contribute, she demotivated some of them with her feedback. She rejected the wrong answers with a “no” and endorsed the right ones with “yes”. Such feedback not only demotivates students but creates a branding atmosphere in the classroom. Because the students whose answers are always endorsed by the teacher will be branded as favorites. The teacher then distributed handouts that contained phrases that are applicable in different situations. She read through it with the students and corrected and clarified any difficult vocabulary or mispronunciations of the phrases. During this reading session, the students gave their opinions and interacted with the teacher. Interaction is important for many reasons. For one, the teacher gets to know and understand the background knowledge that the students have with regard to a certain topic or subject. The teacher also gets to determine whether or not the students are comprehending what they are covering (Tudor, 1993, p. 22-23). Through interaction with the teacher, the student is able to clarify any unclear topics or terms and they are able to correct their mistakes (Widdowson, 1987, p. 86). The teacher then divided the class in to pairs and told them to choose one of the scenarios from the handout and practice the phrases to each other.One of the students did not have a partner. When dividing the class into groups, the teacher should consider the overall class number and use it to ensure that all students have a partner or are in a group(Jacobs & Ball, 1996, p. 100). She went round the class monitoring the activity and correcting the utterances of the students. If not controlled, group activities can result to noise especially if the groups are all doing the activity concurrently. The noise levels will be heightened because everyone has to speak louder to be heard. The teacher should therefore make group activities which minimize the probability of noise production as much as possible (Ellis, 2009). For example, the teacher should have given the students to discuss amongst themselves and then give a presentation in front of the class. From this task, the students repeated what they had read with the teacher. The process of repetition helps the students to not only have a solid understanding of the concepts but to also eliminate the probability of them forgetting what they have learnt (Saginor, 2008;36). The concept questions and tasks also helps the teacher to know if the students have understood that which has been explained to them. More importantly, the student is able develop their own understanding of the concept from the answers that they give. They may be simpler or complex than the given definition but what is important is the students understanding (Wilson, 2008;32). After this group activity, the teacher proceeded to the next sub-topic of the lesson which was gossip skills. She asked the students to open their speaking file on page five. From this reading, the teacher wanted to show the students the difference between small talk and gossip. She then read through the instructions of the next task. Before she divided the students in to groups, she asked them to name the name the people who are found in a wedding. This kind of involvement helps generate an interest in the students to participate in the activity. The teacher then divided the class into groups of three, gave each group a card describing their role, and gave the groups time to understand their role. Giving students different roles in a task makes the lesson more lively because there is a sense of competition that is created through it (Jacobs & Ball, 1996, p. 103).She then gave instruction for the task. It is necessary to communicate to the students the time allocation so that they can plan themselves with regard to the time given. This way, the work they prepare will be directly proportional to the time allocated (Ellis, 2009). After reading through their roles, each of the three groups was given a chance to showcase their role in an act. The group activity ensured that all the students participated in the task. Group activities should be structured in such a way that every member contributes; not only within the group but also when the group is required to make a presentation of their work (Jacobs & Ball, 1996).During this activity, the teacher was part of the audience (Zepeda, 2009; 122). This helps because the students’ attention is not divided between that of the teacher and other students. After this activity, the teacher wrapped up the lesson by giving the students an assignment. She gave instructions for the assignment. Instructions are very essential when giving students an assignment. This is because they are the guidelines which will direct the students on how to do the assignment. The teacher however didn’t give the students a summary of the lesson.A summary is in essence a restatement of the main points in a lesson. It is important because it is a message to the students about what the teacher regards as majorly important from the lesson (Hativa, 2001, p.173). A teacher also needs to encourage the students to read ahead. According to Gear (2006, p. 16), the reading process has three stages; pre, during, and post-reading. The two stages that determine whether or not a reader understands what they read are the pre, and post-reading stages. Pre-reading helps the student to get a vivid understanding of what they will read and makes it easier for them to understand what they are taught in the during-reading stage. Appendix Name: (Insert name) Level: Intermediate Date: (Insert date) Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Lesson Plan Procedure Stage, Interaction& Timing Procedure Aim Warmer Teacher-Class Students 5 minutes Ask what the third part of speaking is. Giving suggestions of what they think is the answer. Create a conducive environment in which the students can participate. To help the students participate in the lesson Introduction Teacher-Class Students 5 minutes Introduce the day’s lesson and write it on the board. Explain the skills of the topic with reference to their background knowledge. To help the students have an understanding of the lesson. To help the students develop an understanding of the topic from their own perspective. Visual Material Teacher-Class Students 6 minutes Show the DVD to the class. To watch the DVD. To help them understand what small talk is. To aid in explaining the concept of small talk. Definition Teacher-Class Students 5 minutes To give the students a definition of the term small talk and clarify anything not understood. To note down the definition and give suggestions of how to initiate small talk from the definition. To help the students have a standard definition of the term. Help them grasp the concept more intricately and participate in the lesson. Reading Teacher-Class Students 4 minutes To read through the hand out together with the students. To read through the hand out with the teacher. To help the students in their utterances. To correct their pronunciations and utterances. Interaction Teacher-Students Students 5 minutes Listening to the commentaries and contributions of the students. To read through the phrases and give some contributions towards the topic. To correct the students where necessary and gauge their comprehension. To help them correct their mistakes and be active participants in the lesson. Group Activity Teacher-Class Students 5 minutes To give the students time to practice the phrases in the handout. To work in pairs. To help the students get the concept of small talk. To help them improve on their utterances and small talk initiators. Explanation Teacher-Class Students 5 minutes To give an explanation of gossip. To note down the definition. To help the students have a standard definition of the term. To have a standard definition of the term. Reading Teacher-Class Students 5 minutes Explain the concept of gossip and give instructions for the task. Listen to the instructions of the task and read through them with the teacher. To help the students in performing the task. To help them understand what the task is about. Read-through Teacher-Class Students 10 minutes To give the students cards that have their roles. To read-through the cards and perform their role. To help the students understand their role in the task. To help the students understand the concept of gossip from a practical point of view Group presentation Teacher-Class Students 9 minutes To monitor the presentations of the students. To perform their roles in front of the class. To determine whether the students have understood the concept and interpreted their role properly. Help the students have an understanding of gossip from a practical point of view. Assignment Teacher-Class Students 6 minutes To give the class an assignment and read them the instructions. To note down the assignment instruction. To help the students practice the concepts out of class. To guide them as they do their assignments. References Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the classroom. Alexandria, Va, Asociation for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Ellis, R. (2009). A typology of written corrective feedback types. Gear, A. (2006). Reading power: teaching students to think while they read. Markham, Ont, Pembroke Publishers. Harding da Rosa, J-M. (2012) ‘Managing your classes’ in English Teaching Professional, issue 82 ,pp 22-24. Harmer, J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th Edition). Hativa, N. (2001). Teaching for effective learning in higher education.Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers. Hebden, M. & Mason, J. (2003).Classroom organization.English Teaching Professional. Issue 28.Pp 23-5. Jacobs, G. M. and Ball, J. (1996) ‘An Investigation of the Structure of Group Activities in ELT Coursebooks’ in ELT Journal 50/2 99-107. Saginor, N. (2008). Diagnostic classroom observation: Moving beyond best practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Senior, R. (2008) Developing Rapport in English Teaching Professional, issue 54. Tudor, I. (1993) ‘Teacher roles in the learner-centred classroom’ in ELT Journal (1993) 47(1): 22-3. Widdowson, H. G. (1987) ‘ The Roles of Teacher and Learner’ in ELT Journal, 41/ 2 83-8. Wilson, K. (2008) ‘Facilitator Talk in EAP Reading Classes’ in ELT Journal, 62/4, 366-374. Zepeda, S. J. (2009). The instructional leaders guide to informal classroom observations. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. Read More