TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report Form

Name of Observer__Bei ZHAO_ Observation # ____2____

Date Observation Class Skill/Content Level Teacher

Environment*
26 Online Grammar Lower Diane Dowejko
Novem observatio than
ber n intermediat
e
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Re-FWcA03I
*Include the URL if the class was online

WRITE THE OBJECTIVES ACCORDING TO THE OBSERVATION G UIDELINES :

1. STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT IS PAST SIMPLE TENSE.

2. AND STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW HOW TO USE PAST SIMPLE TENSE IN THE
SENTENCE.
3. STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE HER OR HIS OWN STORY TO OTHERS BY USING
PAST SIMPLE TENSE.

Notes while observing:

0: 04 Teacher described her direction what Students were going to do. The teacher said
she will show a famous picture about 10 seconds and students have to look very
carefully, then she would turn off the screen. The teacher asked specific
questions for students' understanding about the direction.
1:24 The teacher showed the picture for 10 seconds and then turned off the screen. The
teacher let students discuss with their partners about the picture for 2 minutes.
In addition, after 2 minutes, the teacher asked several students to share their
ideas about the picture.
2:57 The teacher handed out a short reading text about Pablo Picasso, a well known
painter and gave students a piece of paper which has 8 sentences related to the
reading text. The teacher let students read the text first and then choose the
"TRUE" or "FALSE" about the 8 sentences based on the reading material for
3 minutes. The teacher asked students several understanding questions about
her direction.
4:49 Time's up. The teacher asked students: "Can you see any past tense?" Students
asked. Moreover, after students worked individually about those 8 sentences,
the teacher let them do a peer check. After students had checked answers with

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 TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook
their partners, the teacher asked students to answer the "TRUE" or "FALSE"
about the 8 sentences.
5:44 The teacher picked the third sentence as an example and this sentence was
incorrect, then teacher asked students which part in this sentence is incorrect
and how to correct it. Students corrected the verb tense and the teacher wrote
down on the board. The teacher drew a time line to explain the past simple
tense and used pens with different colors to mark the elements in this sentence.
Then the teacher chose the fifth sentence as the second example, asked students
how to correct and why we have to correct in this part. Moreover, the teacher
chose the seventh sentence as another example to strength students
understanding about past simple tense.
18:00 The teacher also impart to students that which part in a past simple tense sentence
that need to be stressed when we speak it. The teacher gave several examples
the different stress in sentences. The teacher used "started", "worked" and
returned" to explain the difference abo ut the stress. Then the teacher picked
the seventh sentence as an example again and changed the sentence into a
question sentence and leaved several blanks for students to complete (this
practice was related to past simple tense).
21:54 After the above check about answers and illustrated the past simple tense, the
teacher said, "Very good guys, you all did a great job! Now let's get some
practice." The encouraged students to do more exercises about the past simple
tense. The teacher said, there are eight sentences have been wrote in the
present tense, can you change several words into the past simple tense? You
can add some words (such as yesterday, before) to indicate the past simple
tense. Now I will give you three minutes to complete them and after you finish
them, please check with your partner." Then the teacher asked several specific
questions to make sure the students understand her direction. After that, the
teacher checked answers together and asked several students randomly to share
their answers.
26:00 After the teacher checked the answers with students together, she handed out a
piece of paper which included "Last week I...", "Last month I..." and "Last year
I...". The teacher gave the students directions about what they are going to do
and asked he students about her direction again. After that, the teacher let the
students to share their sentences to their partners. Since some students talked
about their interesting experience, it made students and the teacher laugh.
29:41. The teacher divided the students as "A" and "B", the teacher said, "Please
remember guys now you visit a museum which also has Picasso's paintings,
students who are 'A' now you are visitors for asking questions, and students
who have 'B' now you are guides working in the museum for answering the
questions, please stand up and have a conversation with your partner about
whatever you want to know about the museum and please try to use the past
simple tense''. The students stood up had this conversation and meanwhile, the
teacher walked around to listen their conversations.

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 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)

In this observation, I was centered on the lesson and especially on the presentation,
practice and production (PPP) teaching method. As an online observation, I do not know
the exact English level about the students, however, I think they are lower than
intermediate and maybe this is one of courses of the Intensive English Program which
conclude the basic English grammar. In addition, according to their faces, I infer that
these students are from Eastern Asia, European and middle-east countries. I wanted to see
how the teacher explain and deliver an interesting grammar speech about the past simple
tense to students.
During this observation class, because of students low English proficiency, the teacher
tried to use many gestures, graphs to increase students understandings. Furthermore, she
always asks some specific questions to make sure that students have understood her
directions before they moved to the next part. At the beginning of the class, she used a
famous painting as a hook to arouse students interests. Besides, when the teacher deliver
her speech in the presentation part, she used a reading material related to Picasso and
explained several examples in detailed by using different colorful pens and graphs to
express how to use the past simple tense. After she explained the grammar point, she
usually asks students to talk about their own ideas and if someone made an excellent
answer, the teacher always says "Great!" Moreover, in the practice part, the teacher gave
the uncompleted sentences letting students to describe their ideas freely by using the past
simple tense and at this time, the peer check allowed more personalized information to be
shared. Finally, during the production part, students produce language by performing
communicative activities in various situations. (Kaewchawee, 2013) The teacher asked
student to stand up for communication, it increased student's imagination and they used
the grammar point in a freedom situation.
In my opinion, I think PPP teaching method is an awesome way that can arise students
interests at the beginning in the warm up part and the PPP model offers teachers a clear
guideline about a course. Moreover, I believe that it is very suitable for teaching English
grammar, since students need teacher's explanation and only through practicing that they
can remember the grammar point.

Last Updated: 3/22/2017 1:07 AM

 TESOL Certificate Programs
Observation Notebook
Kaewchawee, P. (2013). The Effectiveness of Multimedia-based Instruction in
developing Sixth Grade Students English Ability. Retrieved from Institutional
Repository. (http://ir.swu.ac.th/xmlui/handle/123456789/4114).

Last Updated: 3/22/2017 1:07 AM