You are on page 1of 3

Observing Tool _ Justification Yuri Aikawa

Yuhui Huang
Haoshuang Zhang

1. Following are what we noticed when using the observing tool:

The detailed questions we added on our observing tool allowed us to focus


on the specific practices or teachers discourses while observing the class.
Before we used the tool, we had only paid attention to what the teacher was
saying. However, after using the tool, we could think about how the teacher
would say it.
With the tool, we could observe both the teacher and students. We could
focus on the details, for example, whether students needed more time or the
teacher could say something in different ways.
We realized that there were many different ways or techniques to apply one
principle to the teaching practices. For example, to maintain student
participation, one teacher organized a group discussion whereas another
teacher designed an activity.
It can be an evidence or reason to give suggestions to other teachers.

2. Following are the changes we made after using the observing tool twice:

Principle 1: Establishing and maintaining expectation for student participation


We deleted making sure everyones involved because it is neither specific
nor measurable, and going around tables and monitoring students, which
we have under the same category, is one way to making sure everyone is
involved.
We added giving clear instructions for the discussion after we noticed that
both teachers had provided clear instructions before starting the group
discussion: one included it in the slide and one wrote it on the blackboard.
Under this principle, we created a new category class discussion, after we
noticed that teachers had spend most of the time on the whole class
discussion.
Under the category class discussion, we added engaging with the real-life
experience after we noticed that both teachers had used the real-life
experiences as examples to catch students attentions by implying that the
content of the lecture was somewhat familiar with their own practical life
Under this principle, we created a new category activity because one of the
teachers we observed had an activity in the class. The teacher asked students
if they wanted to have a mini-lecture and teach their classmates. One student
volunteered and had a short lecture.
Under the category activity, we added having an activity, noticing that
activities could deepen students knowledge and make the class interesting
Under the category activity, we added providing clear instruction for the
activity because the instruction must be clear and easy-to-understand for
every student in the class.
Under the category activity, we added providing assistance when needed
during the activity, noticing that the teacher was helping the student-
teacher when he was having a hard time. For example, the teacher
Observing Tool _ Justification Yuri Aikawa
Yuhui Huang
Haoshuang Zhang

paraphrased what he had said and asked some follow-up questions to the
whole class.

Principle 2: Teaching toward an instructional goal


We added reviewing what the class had discussed in the previous lecture
because we noticed that both teachers reminded students of what the class
had previously discussed. It is important because the teachers also indicated
how the previous lesson was connected to the instructional goals of the day.
We added making sure the instructional goal was reached. e.g. through in-
class assignment. Despite the difficulty of measuring students achievements,
we believe that it is important to check whether the goal was reached. One
method we observed to check whether the goal was reached was an in-class
assignment. The teacher collected the handout at the end of the lecture so
that she could measure if each student had understood what s/he had
discussed in class.

Principle 3 (deleted): Revoicing student thinking


The whole category was deleted because recasts and prompts were
feedbacks for language output rather than the students opinions/ideas.
These questions can be used for language courses such as ESL, but it is not
appropriate for every lecture.

Principle 3 (new category): Teachers must know their students as individuals and as
learners
We added calling students by their names because we noticed that both
teachers were calling their students by names; one used name tags whereas
another used a list of students names.
We added asking questions to make sure that students understand what the
teacher had said because we noticed that both teachers kept asking students
to make sure that they were following the lecture. The questions include Is it
clear, Did you understand? or Was I too fast?
We added using the clear, easy-to-understand language because we noticed
that teachers made sure that the language they used was easy for everyone.
They were careful about the speed, volume and word choice.
We added giving opportunities to ask questions or comments because we
noticed that teachers made sure if students had questions or comments after
each explanation.
We added providing time and opportunity to ask questions after class
because we noticed that teachers indicated that students could talk to them if
there was anything unclear.

Principle 5: Using a public record of student thinking


We added using different colors or markers after we noticed that it makes
the handwriting clear and easy-to-understand
We added using pictures after we noticed that it makes the handwriting
clear and easy-to-understand
Observing Tool _ Justification Yuri Aikawa
Yuhui Huang
Haoshuang Zhang

We added using arrows to link the ideas after we noticed that it makes the
handwriting clear and easy-to-understand
We added making sure that everyone can read the handwriting after we
noticed that teachers had asked many questions in regard to the sizes and
colors of the letters, or the focus on the screen. The questions include can
you see it? or is the handwriting clear?

You might also like