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 (include

Observation # 9

Class Skill/Content

URL if the class was

online)

6/3/2015

UCR Extension

Listening Speaking

Class
Level/Number
(Beg./Int./Adv.)
300

Teacher

Craig Vitamanti

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 identify the genre of stories.
Students will review for the final by practicing giving opinions.
Notes while observing:
Time Activity
11:10 Warm-up
The teacher greeted students and reviewed what students would have to do by the
end of the week and the following week.
11:18 Presentation
The teacher explained about the book fair, which students were working on and
told what they were going to do in the fair. Also, the teacher taught the genre of
stories such as romance and adventure by using examples like Titanic and
Pirates of the Caribbean.
11:38 Review
Students reviewed for the final in pairs. Students stood and made two lines, facing
each other. The teacher gave them a question or statement and asked the students
standing in one side to answer the question with details. The students standing in
another side listened to the response and gave feedback. In turn, the teacher gave
another question or statement, and the students in another side answered. Then,
the teacher asked the students in one side to move to right so that they can meet
another partners. The teacher observed students and gave comments and feedback
occasionally.
11:59 Wrap-up
The teacher wrapped up the lesson by telling that they would continue review the
following day.

Last Updated: 8/12/2015 21:14 a8/p8

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)
I realized that the teacher tried to make the classroom students-centered by asking
a lot of questions. As I learned in many TESOL classes, especially in Components of
TESOL A and B classes, the classroom should be not teacher-centered but studentscentered to achieve a communicative lesson. In the lesson I observed, the teacher never
gave students the answer directly. Instead, he asked questions such as Anybody? and
Such as? to pull out the answers and more details from students. Although students
seemed shy at the beginning of the lesson, thanks to his continuous efforts, they gradually
became open-minded and talked a lot at the end of the lesson.
As to the three levels of teacher reflection, as the teacher told me after the lesson,
the lesson was different from his original plan due to the fact that he found that students
did not learn something they should have learned in another class. Therefore, when he
realized that, he seemed surprised and confused. However, since he is an experienced
teacher, he quickly changed his plan and carried the lesson smoothly. Even though he
could not prepare for the part, the lesson was clear to understand. Also, as he planned, he
successfully had the review part in the lesson, so I could say that the lesson was well
organized and meaningful. Moreover, the students could have enough time to speak and
practice for the final. Finally, the teacher gave the students fair and enough opportunities
to speak and ask questions. Regarding the content of the lesson, the first part was
essential for the book fair because students had to introduce a book to other students, and
the review part was also significant for the final and their life because giving details and
reasons is important to communicate with people deeply.
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)
The teacher put so much passion and energy into his lesson, and he was very good
at telling a story. When he told the story of Titanic, he looked like an actor, and
everyone in the classroom, including me, was pulled into his speech. He made efforts to
explain the main point of the story with gestures and repetitive explanation. In addition,
he had a sense of humor, so he often made students laugh in the lesson, using many facial
expressions and gestures. Although I do not have such a talent that he has, I realized that
the passion and energy to teach can move students. I felt that the teacher really enjoyed
teaching, and students also felt like that. Therefore, in my future teaching, I would like to
keep in mind that I always put passion and energy into my lesson and enjoy my teaching.