TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report
Forms for inclusion in the Observation Notebook must be typed

Name of Observer_____Lin Li_____

Observation # _7__

Date

Observation Environment

Class
Skill/Content

Class
Level/Number
(Beg./Int./Adv.)

Teacher

4/29/15

Rosemead College
of English

Vocabulary

Beginner High

Natalie

OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON:

1. Students will be able to read and spell vocabulary words about clothes.
2. Students will be able to recognize these vocabulary words by hearing them.
3. Students will be able to identify the appropriateness of dressing code by
presenting within a real life context.
Notes while observing:

Warm-up (5 min)
T plays a short video of fashion show and asks Ss to tell her what kind of clothes

did they observe in the show. Ss response.

T starts an activity. Ss will go to the board one by one and draw a picture about
one cloth based on what the T says. Ss seems to enjoy the activity and are really
engaging.

Presentation (10 min)

T puts up three paradigms, where contains more vocabulary words about clothes.
T directly reads each word by pointing to its corresponding picture. Ss follow. T

repeats this several times.

T takes off the paradigms and takes out a pile of flashcards with different clothes
pictures on. This time, she presents one card each time and indicates Ss to say the

words. The activity goes on three times and the whole class as one group.
T continues the previous activity but only allows one S to answer each time.

Practice (3 min)

T arranges Ss into three trio groups and gives each group a pile of the flashcards.
Ss continue the last activity in their trio groups.

Presentation (10 min)

T puts up a chart that has been divided into different situations, go to work, go
to school, go to church, go on vacation, go to a wedding, windy winter,
rainy day, and sunny summer. T brings out a box of clothing stickers and asks

Ss to put the appropriate clothes into each situation.

T has each group choose two situations as mentioned in the chart and fill out the

chart with the clothing stickers.

Each group presents their work and explains their reasons. T gives feedbacks.

Production (17 min)

T asks Ss, What are you going to do this weekend? What are you going to
wearing? Several Ss share their plantings.

T then checks the weather report online and writes down the weather report on the
board. T asks Ss to discuss in their trio groups about what they are going to wear

this weekend considering the weather and places they are going to and why.
After the first 6 minutes, the T asks Ss to be prepared to report one of his/her

partners outfits for this weekend.

Ss report their partners outfits and T give feedbacks.

Wrap-up (5 min)

T asks Ss to review all the words they have learned so far. T gives directions
about their homework project: Ss will work in their trio groups to design an outfit
for an specific occasion and present it tomorrow in class like a fashion show.

(continue on back)
What did you learn about teaching or learning from this lesson? Discuss your
observation focus, and the theory you have studied in your TESOL classes. Consider
the three levels of teacher reflection (surface, pedagogical, critical). (100-200 words)
This typically presented the Direct Method, where no translation was allowed and
both Ss and T spoke only English in class. The T used paradigms and flashcards present
in the immediate classroom. Those realias are useful and effective tools in language
teaching. Every time before the T asks questions, Whats this? she always showed
flashcard to the Ss. In the activity that Ss were asked to put appropriate clothes into
different occasions, the T again used a direct and visualized way to demonstrate Ss what
are appropriateness. The T also focused more on Ss fluency than accuracy (LarsenFreeman, 2011).
What activities/techniques from this class do you want to remember for your own
teaching practice? Discuss specific ways in which you could apply the techniques and
methods you saw. Discuss your future teaching environment and your students needs
and goals. (100-200 words)

First, I like the various visualized materials the T prepared. For beginner level Ss
that are learning concrete vocabulary words, realia is a very useful tool. Besides that, the
T took occasions into consideration, introducing dressing code into the lesson. I felt this
is meaningful and useful on daily basis. In my future teaching, on one hand I will use
realia to teach concrete words, one the other hand, I will expand to put those words into
meaningful occasions. In the second place, I will combine the Direct Method into my
teaching approach. Since I would be very likely to speak the same first language with my
future students, I would like to speak more English to create a English speaking learning
environment.

Reference:
Larsen-Freeman, D. and Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and Principles in Language
Teaching, 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press: Oxford