ISFD Y T 55 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT - TEACHING PRACTICUM II
OBSERVATION GUIDE The student teachers will observe along 8 Weeks (16 periods) an associate teacher (cooperating teacher). They are to observe the associate teacher’s roles and make note of classroom organization, management routines and classroom resources. The student teachers are also encouraged to interact with and assist students where they see a need. The student teacher should demonstrate professional initiative in seeking ways to be a helpful person in the classroom. The student teachers will also observe management routines, teaching/learning strategies, forms of teacher assessment, accommodations for special needs learners and use of multimedia. Answer these questions in your observation notebook (not the performance one) to be shared in one of our face to face classes after your 3°rd and 4 th observation week. Part A: Organization of the Whole Week/Day Find out information either through observation or interviewing the cooperating teacher the following issues: 1. Are there any subjects that are combined /integrated (i.e., language arts/art/ science learning activities taught together or at the same time)? Why are they combined? 2. Which subjects, routines and activities occur every day? (e.g. opening exercises, D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read), 5’ singing, etc.) Part B 1. Organization of the Physical Space in the Classroom Attach a sketch or a photo of the organization of the physical space in the classroom. Is the organization of the physical space ever changed? If so, explain why?
ISFD Y T 55 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT - TEACHING PRACTICUM II
2. Organization of the Students When are there opportunities for the students to work independently, in pairs, in small and large groups? How successful are these arrangements in this group? Why do you think? Part C Management Routines and Rules: Teachers have developed routines that are used daily in the classroom to manage student behaviour. Rules are clearly stated and explain to the students what is expected of them in the classroom. For example, “Students will treat each other with respect.� Routines include daily classroom procedures that need to be maintained consistently. For example:
ISFD Y T 55 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT - TEACHING PRACTICUM II
“procedures for leaving the class to go to the washroom”. Complete the chart below listing what you observed during your classroom visit.
9. Is there any school’s Code of Conduct in the institution? Provide examples of how the is followed in the classroom, or on the school yard. Include a copy of the manual if available. 10 . Describe the lunch room routines or procedure for nutrition breaks or other food issues (who supervises, where etc.) Describe any special procedures Part D. About the teaching approach and the activities done
ISFD Y T 55 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT - TEACHING PRACTICUM II
1. What did you notice about the teacher’s role? (Traditional vs. facilitator/moderator etc. 2. What did you observe about the students’ roles in the classroom? 3. Which teaching resources and aids are used? What did you observe about the of materials and resources? 4. What is the structure of the class? What teaching/ learning theories can be reflected in the class? 5. How are the contents presented? What techniques were you able to observe? 6. What is the nature of the activities used in the class? ? Are they grammar-based? Content-based? Task-based? Are all the activities pedagogically valid, in the sense that they are effective teaching artifacts? 7. What did you observe about the students’ attitude? Is there any kind of activity in which the students’ response is more enthusiastic? Which one? Why do you think this is so? 8. What could you observe about the students´ performance during the lesson? 9. How is time managed in the class? Do the students take too long to do the tasks assigned? How many activities do they do in a period? How can you describe the management of time (timing / pacing) along the class? 10. Are the students using any textbook? Which one? 11. How are the students evaluated? Does evaluation entail grammar-based task-based, project-based outcomes? Or a blended style? Please, specify. 12. Reflect on your observation days in the classroom. In your opinion, why do you think that classroom teachers and schools have many rules/routines/ procedures for students to follow? Choose two or three rules/ routines/ procedures that you think are important for you to have in your future classroom. Briefly describe with examples why you chose those particular rules/routines/procedures for your classroom.