LCB – TTC – Methods2Classroom Observation Task, Wajnryb, Cambridge, 1992

Unit 4, The lesson, 4.1 Lesson planning

Class Observation #4

Colegio C. July 2nd, 2009Class: 2nd year .... No. of learners:

29…………

Age of learners: 13/14-year-oldsLength of lesson: 40 minutes...................... Level: Pre- IntermediateObserver:

Yohana Solis

...................................Teacher observed: GB

LESSON PLANNINGBackground

Very often, lesson planning begins with a sheet of paper and an objective orset of objectives, and works its way through a number of procedures, stepsand phases through to the end. In this observation we will be approachinglesson design from a different departure point - from the perspective of thecompleted lesson. We will be working backwards from a taught lesson todetermine what decisions were made by the teacher in planning this lesson. The planning of teaching is seen as a series of decisions made by a teacherabout the various elements of a lesson -learners, materials, tasks, etc. A keypoint to be stressed is that while planning is a relatively static activity,teaching is inherently dynamic. It follows therefore that, in a sense, plansare made to be changed - that is, they are drawn up in the knowledge thatthe teacher will almost inevitably alter the plan as the lesson develops. These 'up-and-running' decisions are no less important than those madebefore the lesson began.

TASK OBJECTIVE

The task objective is to determine - through a set of a focussed and guidedquestions - what decisions the teacher made in planning the lesson. As weshall see, the planning refers both to preparation before the lesson anddecisions taken in the classroom during the lesson. Changes to plans andreasons for them will be an important element in the post-Lessonconsultation with the teacher.

PROCEDURE

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BEFORE THE LESSON

Arrange to observe a lesson. It does not matter what sort of lesson it is, aslong as it is one which involves the teacher in some thought, planning orpreparation. It may help to have a copy of the lesson plan while

observingthe lesson in order to distinguish between pre-planned and on-the-spot teacher decisions.

Teacher’s plan in advance:

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check WB exercises they should have done for HW

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practise "Conditional II"

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a 10-minute self-assessment task

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DURING THE LESSON

Below is a list of questions about various aspects of planning languageteaching.

It is important to highlight before we start that the day before theobservation, once the teacher had already planned the class, thegovernment decided to suspend classes for a month time due to the“Influenza A” pandemic. Therefore, the teacher had to rearrange theclass to assign homework for the school break.

In observing this lesson, what inferences can you make concerning theteacher's decisions about:

establishing a certain classroom atmosphere?

The students were restless and it took ten minutes for the teacher tocalm them down. She started the class assuming the background knowledge about the school break. If I were the teacher of the class, Iwould have taken a few minutes to ask about their views on the pandemic and to ask them if they knew they would not have to cometo school for a month. I would have asked them what they consider they should study during that period, as a way of self-assessment.

2.motivating the students to the lesson?

She decided to encourage them to work hard at home; shesuggested that not doing the activities at homes was as if they were present at school without doing anything.

To me, it was great to devote a couple of minutes to motivating them with thehomework: being this school break an unusual situation, theteacher had to rest on having educated them in autonomouslearning.

realistically contextualising language?

The teacher chose to use mother tongue to explain the homework.In the last ten minutes of the class, she turned to her original planof practising Conditionals. The use of the target language, for theexercises and the eliciting of the rule, was remarkable. It isimportant to highlight that besides the particular conditions of theclass, the teacher chose to keep the important items of theoriginal plan.

4.Involving the students and drawing out passive knowledge?

The teacher made them go to the examples in the book and elicited the rule from them writing it on the board. Once sheassured everyone remembered the rule, she gave the instructionsfor the activity planned.

checking for comprehension and learning?

In this particular lesson, the teacher based her checking for understanding on question tags. She did not ask another student to paraphrase the explanation. She just asked whether they had understood and if they were following her.

6.helping students to identify rules and organise new knowledge?

It was part of the initial plan to go back to previous class’ examples and elicit the rule from them. She guided throughquestions the students’ recognition of form and tenses. (Eg: “Look at the examples and tell me the tense... Simple past, great...Where does it go, in the condition or the consequence?... Great inthe “if clause”... what’s the meaning?”)

7.setting up activities that promote communication?

It is a clear example of a teacher that plans for communication.Whenever she had the chance of interacting with the students,either for a specific activity or just for asking their opinion, she did so. Communication was present mainly between the students and the teacher, but not so much among students.

establishing a framework in which students work without theteacher?

This was a great opportunity to see how the teacher had arranged a skeleton that supported students work during the unusualschool break. She asked first who had access to internet and explained her beliefs about doing activities at home.

how information is to be organised and shared?

The teacher had a natural use of the blackboard and although it was an unusual class, she managed to deliver an organized class.

10.

ending the lesson and linking it to previous/future ones?

If I were to spot an area of opportunity for this teacher, that would be ending classes. She run into the break with the class, the bellcaught her class in the development of the activity.