TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook
Observation Report
Forms for inclusion in the Observation Notebook must be typed
Name of Observer Mami Abe
Date
Observation Environment
2/13/201
5
UCR Extension
(include URL if the
class was online)
Observation # 3
Class
Skill/Content
Advanced
Vocabulary
Class
Teacher
Level/Number
(Beg./Int./Adv.)
Advanced
Mindy Longoni
Focus on relevant areas from the What Can Be Observed handout. Notice how the
teacher handles these areas during the class.
OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON:
Students will practice paraphrasing.
Students will spell the vocabulary words that they learned.
Students will choose the correct word between two words.
Notes while observing:
Last Updated: 8/12/2015 21:10 a8/p8
Warm Up: The teacher had small talk with the students, which made the atmosphere of
the class bright.
Presentation: The class was the reviewing session, so there was no Presentation part.
Practice: The teacher asks the students to read a sentence in the text and paraphrase it.
The teacher calls on each student for the answer. The students had already done
paraphrasing exercises as their homework, so most of the students did well. Then, the
teacher moved on to the next part, which she asked the students to complete sentences
with the vocabulary words that they learned. Again, the teacher called on each student for
the answer.
Production: The teacher and the students did a review activity. The students were divided
into three groups, and one person from each group had the right to answer quizzes. There
were five categories of quizzes, and person who answered the last quiz correctly had the
right to choose a category. The teacher showed a question on the screen, and anyone of
three people from each group answered. After five questions, the teacher asked the
students to change their positions, and next three people had the right to answer quizzes.
The students competed to earn points.
Wrap Up: The teacher presented the winner.
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)
The teacher did a game called Quiz Boxes. Using games in a class makes
students involved and interested, so I think it is very effective. The teacher added more
explanation after a student answered; therefore, not only the student who answered the
quiz, but also every student could review the words. The teacher seemed to be
accustomed to using the equipment such as the buzzer and the computer, so the activity
went through smoothly. Although the words that the students have learned are difficult,
the teacher explained them in context, so the students seemed to understand the meanings
of them easily.
Regarding the three levels of teacher reflection, the class time was fully used.
Although the activity time was about 35 minutes long, it was fun, so the time passed
quickly. The students could review the words with fun, and the teacher gave all the
students fair opportunities to answer.
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)
I want to remember to use games in my own teaching practice because I think that
learning with fun is very effective way to learn. As the teacher did in the class, I would
like to add more explanation in doing games, which makes learning more memorable. In
addition, by dividing students into groups, students can communicate and cooperate with
each other. I saw the students cheered up each other in the class, which made me
impressed. Moreover, of course, playing games in a class is a student-centered class, so
games could be useful activity in a class if they are used appropriately.