TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report Form

Name of Observer __Tian Yu___ Observation # ____2____

Date Observation Class Skill/Content Level Teacher

Environment*
10/12/2016 Face-to-face 322 Grammar 300 Karen Lindwall
substitute
*Include the URL if the class was online

WRITE THE OBJECTIVES ACCORDING TO THE OBSERVATION GUIDELINES:

GIVEN THE HANDOUT WITH EXERCISES, STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO USE APPROPRIATE
ADVERBS (EVER, NEVER, ALREADY, YET) IN PRESENTS PERFECT TENSE TO COMPLETE THE
HANDOUT WITH 100% ACCURACY.

Notes while observing:

1:04 Class starts (The first half of the class)

The teacher helps students review different forms of present perfect tense by asking
students questions.
How do you make it?
S + HAVE + V3d
How do you make a question?
(WH-) + HAVE + S + V3d
How do you make it negative?
S + HAVE + not + V3d

1:08 The teacher helps students review the meaning of present perfect tenses by asking
students questions.

1:13 The teacher introduces the topic: how to use adverbs in present perfect tense.
The teacher gives out the handout with practices.
The teacher asks students to fill out the blanks on handout by speaking to the whole
class.
The teacher explains the usage of the adverbs when students makes mistakes.

1:35 Students start to practice themselves by doing the exercises on the handout.
The teacher walks around monitors.

1:44 The teacher goes through the answers.

The teacher asks students to give their questions to the whole class.

1.48 The teacher gives brief explanation on the homework.

Last Updated: 6/16/2017 12:37 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)

The teacher followed the PPP (presentation, practice and production) pattern. However,
he combined the presentation and practice parts together to some extent because the
presentation is based on students practice. The production part is also very rough
because the teacher didnt have more time for more detailed corrections on students
errors. If referring to the recipe on the handout given in the grammar class, I only
observed formal explanation, functional explication and meaningful drills. As for formal
explanation, the teacher gave all patterns that would be used in the whole class but only
for the review part and he failed to present all adverbs which students would learn but
only to start with practice. Instead of providing enough mechanical exercise, the teacher
provided the meaningful exercise which require students to choose the appropriate
adverbs in certain situations even when students are very unfamiliar with them. When it
comes to functional explication, the teacher did compare different usages of these
adverbs in present perfect tense and simple past tense.

On my point of view, this pattern of teaching has both pros and cons but I believe the
advantages overweigh disadvantages. Firstly, learning grammar itself actually is boring
to most students especially for beginners. The practice-based class undoubtedly worsen
the situation. Through my observation, students were low-motivated and showed less
interest in learning. Even though the process of error correction may strengthen students
memories, I still dont think that it is wise to require students to start with practice first,
let alone ask them to share their answers in the whole class. Secondly, the failure in
variety of students activity and group work made the class too much teacher-centered
greatly lowered students motivations. Last but not least, the lack of communicative
exercises offered the students no chances to practice what they learned in the use of
language for communication and offered the teacher no chance to find out errors
students may make in the real communication.

Reference: Christina, P, Teaching English as a Second Language: Techniques and

Procedures, retrieved October 25, 2016.

Last Updated: 6/16/2017 12:37 PM