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Classroom Observation: Report 2 Teacher Observed: GObserver: Alejandra de AntoniDate: May 19
th
2009
Observation Task taken from “Classroom Observation Tasks” (Cambridge University Press) 
“The very Process of Observation stimulates self-reflection, as if Observing were a kind of Mirroring.” 
(Classroom Power, Classroom Observation Tasks) 
Class: 1
st
Year Intermediate (C School, Buenos Aires City, Argentina)Number of Learners: about 25Age: 12/13 years oldLength of Lesson: 40 minutesLevel: Elementary+ / Pre-intermediateObserver: Alejandra de Antoni Teacher Observed: G
During the lesson
, I answered 23 questions as regards “power” in the classroom,i.e. who decides (the teacher, the students or both?) upon the different elementsthat play a role in classroom management.
Classroom Observation Tasks; Classroom Power; During the Lesson
 T: teacherSs: students1.T2.T
1
 
Classroom Observation: Report 2 Teacher Observed: GObserver: Alejandra de AntoniDate: May 19
th
20093.T4.T5.Students (at the beginning of the course)6.T & Ss7.T8.T % Ss9.T (in fact, pairs weren’t created, they worked with their partners)10.T11.T12.T13.T14.T15.T16.T17.T & Ss18.T & Ss19.Ss20.T21.T & Ss22.T & Ss (It was a collaborative correction as a whole class)23.Ss (The teacher asked them if they wanted to do the writing at homebecause they were getting really restless and they answered that theywanted to do it in class so as not to do it on their own. Even though the Twas not really asking them about the homework, they actually decided uponit because they were not given another activity instead)
After the lesson
, I will answer some questions (See Appendix) so as to analyse theresults of the previous questionnaire.1.The general tendency is that the teacher is in charge of the decision-makingof the classroom most of the times. It does not surprise me at all because it’sthe general tendency in large courses (especially secondary school). When itcomes to large course and, on top of that, teenagers it’s very difficult to givethem the freedom to decide upon the homework, the language topics, theactivities and the materials, for example. Unless the students are reallyeager to learning English and can commit themselves towards that goal, it isvery difficult for the teacher to “let them be.” Furthermore, since the teacheris working in and for an institution, it is necessary for her to comply withcertain rules and standards.
2.
What value is there in letting students…
o
Choose the topics of the lesson? Well, it’s an excellent way of raisingstudents’ interests for they will be working on topics they are concernedabout. However, this was not the case in this lesson. The topics werechosen by the teacher probably because of a need to comply with thesyllabus.
o
Choose the seating arrangement? I think it’s really important for thestudents to feel that not everything is in the hands of the teacher. It isalso a good way of improving pair and group work for they will certainlywork better with the ones they get on well with. However, this might leadto excessive and unwanted chatting. But, as it always happens in life,there are risks that we have to be ready to face.
o
Write on the board? Writing on the board, I think, is a great of opportunityfor the students to show what they have done. It’s something that, insome way, makes them feel they are “like” the teacher because of beingable to write on the board (something that, in general, is reservedexclusively for teachers).
2
 
Classroom Observation: Report 2 Teacher Observed: GObserver: Alejandra de AntoniDate: May 19
th
2009
o
Choose the homework? It’s a great way of being sure that they will do it!Most students hate homework so a perfect way of making them do it (wedo need them to do some extra practise at home!) is asking them tochoose or design the activities (always under our supervision and, of course, keeping in mind that our reason for giving them homework is tomake them practise. What we are doing is not leaving aside our aim buttrying to find a way of motivating them to do their work).3.Language used by students during the lesson.If students were given the opportunity (in the context of this particular classroom)to explore issues of their own interest; give their own explanations of language asthey understand it; answer some of each other’s questions and repeat and clarifysomething for their peers, I think that the following will happen:
o
Since students’ level is not advanced enough for discussing topics of their choice, they will be forced to find out ways of adapting real materialto make it more comprehensible for them. However, realistic material cansometimes be frustrated in the sense that they may not be able tounderstand and cope with it. Therefore, to avoid students’ use of theirmother tongue to talk about the chosen topics, the teacher needs to helpand provide them with comprehensible material about the topics forthem to be able to discuss them in English. It is widely known that, wheninterested and motivated, students learn more easily. If we want to profitfrom this, we have to be aware of the amount and difficulty of extra workwe will have to do to provide them with comprehensible material. It’s avery demanding job but a very rewarding one.
o
In the case of students’ explanations of language, I think that, eventhough they are not proficient enough to express most of them inEnglish, it’s worth trying! In my personal opinion, I believe that astudent’s own explanation of a language form is really moreunderstandable for their peers than one given by the teacher providedthat it has been previously checked and approved by the teacher. Whenstudents are immersed in the analysis and understanding of thelanguage they can come up with excellent accounts and explanations!
o
In this particular lesson, both the teacher and the students answered thestudents’ questions. I think it’s a great idea to have students answereach other’s questions. As it is the case in real life, we do not always getanswers from the same person all the time. On the contrary, we alwaysask different questions to different people and, since we want acommunicative classroom, the same should happen in the lesson. Therefore, it will be quite unnatural to ask all the questions to the teacher(even though it is true that the one teaching the language is the teachernot the students). Having students answer each other’s questions is anexcellent tool for the teacher to raise their confidence and their concernabout what they are learning.4.A shift in power:I think that a shift in power (the students’ having more power than the teacher) willbring about changes both in learning processes and possible outcomes. The maincharacteristics of a classroom in which the students’ are in power will be that it willbecome an independent one (in contrast with one dependent on the teacher) andthat its outcomes will definitely be original and unpredictable ones (if the studentsdecide what to do, how to do it and when to do it the teacher will have no influenceand control at all on the results). The main challenge in having such a classroom ishow to make sure that students learn what they have to learn when they have tolearn it. Such an independent classroom can only be achieved when there is nottime constraint and there is not syllabus to comply with. When classroom activity is
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