ICELT

In-Service Certificate in English Language Teaching

2014 - 2015
Peer observation #
Candidates name: Jimena Paola Parrillat Figueroa
Group observed (grade/level): 10th grade Level B1
Average age of students: 14 years

Class size: 9

Date of the observation: February 12th 2015

What have you learned from this experience?

Being this a class that gives practice to students for a debate, on which students have
to present topics and defend points of view; it is a class that is very much center on
learner autonomy. One lesson I have learned is to let go of control. Ive observed my
colleague in an environment were students are encouraged and feel safe discussing
learning, questioning, and therefore driving their own instruction. When a doubt was
presented the students as it is expected, they turn to the teacher. The teacher then
refered the question -if it was possible- to some other student or to the wondering
student itself. That technique was profitable for me to observed. Of course they are
older learners but I will try to develop the same techniques to solve questions with my
young learners.

What did you discover about your teaching?

Effective teaching is not a formula. It is hard but It is rewarding. And good teaching
looks different in every classroom. In the first opportunities I had to observe a
colleague at times I felt sometimes ashamed on my own way of doing things, other
times guilty because I had taken the position of a critique, even felt jealous. For the
past lessons I have felt confident and curious, I now come to the classes hoping to find
better or different and new ways to teach. And when given the opportunity, create a
well-intentioned and rewarding environment where I had the opportunity to share my
point of view of even share a tip or two, or ask questions regarding a technique or
something else.

What could you implement in your teaching?

As I said before I felt really intrigued by the style of feedback used by my colleague,
that I have been researching on ways of peer correction and now I am looking for the
more appropriate form to apply it in my class. Especially with young learners I have
tried to apply this form of feedback but they have felt somehow neglected or even
offended by their classmates. That is why I am reading up on YLE techniques for oral
peer correction.

OBSERVATION TASK 6 Feedback to Learners

Aim: The purpose of this task is to help you to see identify instance when feedback to
learners is needed and techniques to provide it.
Task:

How does the teacher give feedback to students? Note some specific
examples. What did the student do or say? What did the teacher do or say? Comment
on the intentions or attitudes you think might underlie the teachers response.

Consider; Facial expressions; gestures; movement; noises; listening (really listening?);

answering (really answering?); correcting; ignoring; encouraging group to respond
rather than him/herself; etc. For example:
Student: The student asked to the moderator about a procedure for giving an
argument.
Teacher: The teacher seemed annoyed by the students question, and she referred it
to their classmates. She reformulated the question: what is the appropriate procedure
to give your arguments? as she was looking to other students.
Commentary: I felt the teacher was annoyed by the question, because it seems that
the procedures have been told to the students several times. As a matter of fact at the
beginning of the debate the teacher set the ground rules.

Student: Student said, I dont like what you say, in my country the women feel
good with the traditions
Teacher: As the student was talking the teacher was echoing him and
correcting I do not agree with your point of view
Commentary: the tone of the teacher was respectful and she sounded as
guiding. After the debate was finished she remembered to the students that they
need to speak politely to their opponents. By doing this correction at the end
instead of doing it to the student at the moment she firstly took it as an
opportunity of learning and refreshing every student. Secondly she did not
made the student feel exposed.

Source: Scrivener, J .(1994) Learning Teaching. Heinemann