Regional Teacher Training Center Practicum Guide

Regional Teacher Training Center, Kandal.
Contents
I. Introduction
 What is practicum in teacher education?
 Why practicum?
 The Goals of doing teaching Practicum.
 Theories and practice
II. Classroom Observation
 What is classroom observation?
 Why observe?
 What to observe?
 Lesson preparation
 Teacher (personality, resources, methodology, subject skill, and health)
 Students
 Teaching
 Classroom Management
III. Conclusion
 The Summary of Study Observation
Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Majoring in English-Khmer Page 1
I. Introduction
 What is practicum in teacher education?
The practicum enables student teachers to acquire beginning teaching competencies and is a
core component of the Initial Teacher Preparation programme in NIE. The purpose of the practicum is
to help prepare student teachers for the realities of student teaching by providing them with a clear
understanding of the contexts for schooling.
The practicum plays a major role in bridging “theory and practice” but beyond that, it offers the
context for student teachers to develop their personal teaching competence (Smith and Lev-Ari, 2005,
291) and to acquire and develop the knowledge of teaching and professional content knowledge of
teachers (Shulman, 1987). It is through the practicum experience that student teachers develop
important professional knowledge such as knowledge of people, knowledge of themselves, self-control
and inter-personal sensitivity - all of which are important traits that would see them though their
professional lives (Eraut, 1988, cited in Yan & He, 2009). In addition, practicum teaches soft skills
such as independent problem-solving, working collegially with fellow staff teachers and developing
professional values and attitudes (Ramsden, 1992).
During practicum, student teachers are mentored and guided by their School Coordinating
Mentors (SCMs), Cooperating Teachers (CTs) and NIE Supervisors (NIES) through systematic
observations, assistance and advice. They will have opportunities to become involved with, and
actively participate in all aspects of the school’s activities. Through these experiences they will learn to
link theory and practice, and to acquire the understanding and skills necessary for teaching effectively
in a range of classroom situations.
References
Ramsden, P. (1992) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London: Routledge.
Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge as teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational

Review, 57, 1–22.

Smith, K., & Lev-Ari, L. (2005).

The place of the practicum in pre-
service teacher education: The
voice of the students. Asia-Pacific
Journal of Teacher Education, 33,
3, 289–302.
Yan, C., & He, C. (2010)

Transforming the existing model of
teaching practicum: A study of
Chinese EFL student teachers'
perceptions. Journal of Education for Teaching, 36, 1, 57-73.
Practicums (also called internships or work placement programs) are designed to provide

students with practical work experience. They emphasize the importance of learning by doing. They’re
where students can transfer their knowledge to actual work. Practicums can also open many
opportunities to network and make important contacts within the industry.
However, not many students truly realize the importance of practicums. When it comes to
choosing a school, the first thing people typically want to know about is the cost of tuition. But it’s a
good idea to think about your education as an investment for your future. Before enrolling in a school,
it’s vital to ensure you graduate with more than just an expensive piece of paper. (canscribe.com/the-
importance-a-practicum/)
Practicums/Internships are the bridge between academia and the professional world. They
provide students with an opportunity to gain professional skills that will enhance marketability upon
graduation from college. The word internship refers to a short-term work experience when a student
participates in a program of temporary, supervised work in a particular field in order to gain practical
experience. It incorporates education and professional development and is designed to guide the intern
toward a professional career in a particular organization, field, or sector. The word practicum refers to
a course involving activities emphasizing the practical application of theory, especially one in which a
student gains on-the-job experience in a field of study (Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 5 th
Ed.).

In an internship or practicum, the student becomes part of an organization. An organization

provides a learning laboratory where students experience the working world. Through observation and
reflection of what occurs in the organizational setting, the student may discover how academic interests
relate to possible careers, gain meaningful on-the-job experience and training, and connect classroom
theory to real-world practice. Students contribute to the organization by performing meaningful
projects and assignments that are of continuing value to both parties.
 Why do teacher trainees need to do practicum?
The main objective of the teaching practicum is to provide student teachers with authentic
hands-on experience in teaching. This is required to develop their teaching skills and to start collecting
experiences to enrich their professional wisdom. It is not enough to read about teaching or to observe
others teach, something students have done for years. Theoretically, we should all be able to teach
classes upon graduating from high school because we watched so many teachers teach.
Every professional teacher knows that it doesn’t work this way. Student teachers have to
practice themselves because practical knowledge and wisdom are held by the individual and cannot
easily be transmitted from person to person. Student teachers need know-how, and by connecting the
skills of teaching to knowledge, through reflection, they will gradually start developing practical
wisdom.
However, to reach beyond their current personal level it is necessary to be guided by someone
who is more experienced. There are limits to how useful a student teacher’s internal reflection is in
understanding personal reasoning. The mentor constitutes a model to imitate, and teaching becomes
more like training. Therefore, it is crucial to have excellent teachers as mentors.
An important role of the practicum is to provide a supported entry to the profession. The factor
with the strongest impact on retention seems to be the quality of the first teaching experiences, and
what student teachers experience in their practicum creates their view of the profession. It is therefore
essential that student teachers are offered quality practice placements. In order to learn from field
experience it is necessary to look back at it and reconstruct it through interaction between the
individual, objects and other persons. In this way, the experience can prepare the individual for the
future. Systematic reflection in dialogues with peers, mentors and supervisors prepares student teachers
for the real and complex classroom and provides future teachers with tools for developing confidence
to act professionally in unique situations.
https://internationaltefltraininginstitute.com/why-do-student-teachers-need-the-practicum/
 The Goals of doing practicum.

 Provide learning experience for

practicing, using and
developing social services
skills.
 Provide a bridge between
theory and application; the
place for college classes to
come alive.
 Provide a time for you to
confirm your intent and desire
to enter the helping profession.
 Provide a time when you
broaden your horizons as a result of participation in a wide variety of experiences.
 Provide a time for you to begin to feel a real part of a profession.
 Provide a time for you to expand your awareness of the world beyond the campus by exposure
to variety of careers, life styles, and environments.
 Provide a time when a supervisor can give constructive criticism, help, guidance and support.
 Provide an opportunity for you to learn both independently and with strong direction and
guidance.
 Provide a time for you to
contribute to your chosen
profession as well as taking
from it.
https://www.sscc.edu/academics/associate/assets/hssr-practicum-handbook.pdf
 Practicum Practice
Due to the rule/requirements of Regional Teacher Training Center, Kandal (RTTC), all the
teacher trainees are required to do the teaching practicum twice during the two-years training. The first
one is done during the first year training which is called middle practical practice and lasted for six
weeks. The first two weeks, the trainees have to observe the teaching progress of the class teacher.
During the observation, the trainees must notice the teaching, the teacher, the lesson, the students and
the classroom management. The purpose of doing this is to be ready for the upcoming week which is
the trainees’ turn to teach. When the third week comes, all the trainees have to be ready for teaching.
All the trainees have to be ready with the lesson plan, teaching materials and related supplies.
The second one is done during the second year of the training which is called Practical
Practice and lasted for eight weeks. This time is a little bit different from the previous one that all the
teacher trainees have to do the real practice for eight weeks. There is no observation during this time.
However, for the teaching is not different. All the teacher trainees just follow the teaching steps as
mentioned in the lesson plan and the
class teacher as well as the advisor.
II. What is classroom
observation?
A classroom observation is a
formal or informal observation of
teaching while it is taking place in a
classroom or other learning
environment. Typically conducted by
fellow teachers, administrators, or
instructional specialists, classroom
observations are often used to provide
teachers with constructive critical
feedback aimed at improving their
classroom management and instructional techniques. School administrators also regularly observe
teachers as an extension of formal job-performance evaluations.
Classroom observations may be called learning walks, teacher observations, walkthroughs, and
many other things, and they may be conducted for shorter or longer periods of time—from a few
minutes to a full class period or school day. Educators may also use a wide variety of classroom-
observation methods—some may be nationally utilized models developed by educational experts,
while others may be homegrown processes created by the educators using them. In many cases,
observation notes are recorded using common templates or guidelines that describe what observers
should be looking for or what the observed teacher would like feedback on. Increasingly, educators are

conducting and recording classroom observations using digital and online technologies—such as
smartphones, tablets, and subscription-based online systems—that can provide educators with
observational functionality and data analytics that would not be possible if paper-based processes were
used.
While classroom observations are conducted for a wide variety of purposes, they are perhaps most
commonly associated with job-performance evaluations conducted by school administrators and with
professional learning communities—groups of teachers who work together to improve their
instructional skills. Classroom observations may be conducted by teachers in the same content area or
grade level—in these cases, teachers share students or similar expertise—or they may be conducted by
teachers across academic disciplines—in this case, the goal may be to observe and learn from the
varied instructional practices used in different types of classes.
It should also be noted that many educators make a strict delineation between observations made
for the purposes of helping a teacher improve, and those conducted for the purposes of job-
performance evaluation. Some educators may object to the use of walkthrough, or other terms
associated with non-administrative observations, when referencing evaluative observations by school
administrator.
(www.edglossary.org/classroom-observation/)
 Why observe?
Classroom observation has many valid and important educational purposes. This section
summarizes three important purposes or areas where systematic classroom observation has been
widely used: (1) description of instructional practices; (2) investigation of instructional inequities for
different groups of students; and (3) improvement of teachers' classroom instruction based on feedback
from individual classroom or school profiles.
Description of instructional processes: One of the fundamental purposes of classroom observation

research is describing the current status of instructional practices and identifying instructional
problems. As Tom Good puts it, "one role of observational research is to describe what takes place in
classrooms in order to delineate the complex practical issues that confront practitioners" (p. 337).
There have been many observational studies that have been specifically designed to describe specific
educational phenomena. Large-scale observational studies such as Ken Sirotnik and Hersh Waxman,
Shwu-Yong Huang, and Yolanda Padrón, for example, have examined instructional practices in
elementary and secondary schools. Sirotnik examined 1,000 elementary and secondary classrooms and
found that there was very little variety in teaching practices across subjects and grades. He found that
the majority of class time was spent either with the teacher lecturing to the class or students working
on written assignments. Waxman, Huang, and Padrón observed ninety sixth-grade and eighth-grade
classrooms from sixteen inner-city middle level schools and found similar results to those of Sirotnik.
Students were typically involved in whole-class instruction and not interacting with either their teacher
or other students. Students rarely selected their own instructional activities, and they were generally
very passive in the classroom, often just watching or listening to the teacher, even though they were
found to be on task about 94 percent of the time. The teacher observation results revealed that teachers
typically focused on the content of the task or assignment, responded to students' signals,
communicated the task's procedures, and checked students' work. Teachers were observed spending
very little time interacting with students regarding personal issues, encouraging students to succeed,
showing personal regard for students, and showing interest in students' work.
Another example of descriptive, observational studies involves the extent to which technology is
used in the classroom. Although there have been a large number of studies that have examined
technology use in schools, most of these studies have relied on self-report data from administrators,
teachers, or students. These types of data, however, are often unreliable and tend to be upwardly biased
in the direction of over-reporting the actual amount of technology use. Therefore, it is important to
observe the actual extent to which technology is used in classrooms and to look specifically at the
technology used in classroom and used by individual students. In one such study, Waxman and Huang
(1995) used systematic classroom observation to examine the extent to which computer technology
was integrated into the curriculum of 200 elementary and secondary school inner-city classrooms.
They found that there was no integration (i.e., use) of computer technology in the elementary school
classrooms, and that students were observed working with computers only 2 percent of class time in
middle school classrooms. Huang and Waxman (1996) also conducted systematic observations of 1315
middle school students from 220 mathematics classrooms in order to examine the amount of
technology used. The descriptive results revealed that students were observed using calculators about
25 percent of class time, but they used computers less than 1 percent of class time in their mathematics
classes.

Some other uses of descriptive observational studies have been to evaluate programs and more
specifically, to evaluate the fidelity or degree of implementation of programs; to examine the extent to
which higher-level thought processes are emphasized in schools; and to investigate the extent to which
multicultural education is emphasized in urban classrooms. A final important use involves school
effectiveness studies, such as Waxman and colleagues 1997 study, where classroom observation data
have been used to investigate observable differences between effective and ineffective schools.
Waxman and Huang (1997), for example, observed more than 700 students from four effective and
four ineffective urban elementary schools that served predominantly African-American students and
found that significantly more students from the effective schools were observed working in an
individualized setting, interacting with their teacher, and working on written assignments. On the other
hand, students from the ineffective schools observed in whole-class settings were found interacting
with their teacher, interacting with others, reading, and working with manipulative materials
significantly less than students from the effective schools.
Investigation of instructional inequities. Several studies, such as that of Elizabeth Fennema and
Penelope Peterson, have found that some groups or types of students are treated differently by teachers
in classrooms, and that these inequitable patterns of teacher–student interaction in classrooms result in
differential learning outcomes for students. There have been many studies, for example, that have
found gender imbalances in teachers' interaction patterns in the classroom. Jere Brophy and Tom
Good's 1974 review of the research found that consistent sex-related differences exist in the classroom
in teachers' interaction patterns. Boys, for example, typically have been found to receive more praise
and criticism in the classroom than girls. They also found that teachers have more behavioral,
procedural, and academic interactions with boys than girls. Boys have also been found to ask more
questions in the classroom, and teachers have been found to ask boys more questions. Good and his
colleagues (1987,1988) have also conducted several observational studies that examined why low-
achieving students in secondary schools ask fewer questions than high-achieving students. They also
found that students from an upper-middle-class elementary school asked more questions than students
from lower-middle-class schools.
Other studies have looked at both sex-and ethnic-related differences in the classroom. Hart
examined the relationship between teacher–students interaction and mathematics achievement by race
and sex. She found the following differences: (1) white and black male students had more classroom
interactions than students from other groups; (2) a disparity in the type of interaction between white

and black students; and (3) boys were involved in more public interactions with teachers than girls. In
other words, it appears that patterns of teacher–student interaction may not only be influenced by the
sex of the student, but also by the ethnicity of the student.
Padrón, Waxman, and Huang observed student behavior differences between resilient (i.e.,
successful) and non-resilient (i.e., less successful) elementary school students from low socioeconomic
backgrounds. They found resilient students spent significantly more time interacting with teachers for
instructional purposes, whereas non-resilient students spent more time interacting with other students
for social or personal purposes. Resilient students were also observed watching or listening
significantly more often than non-resilient students, whereas the latter were observed more often not
attending to task. The percentage of time that resilient students were observed on task (85%) was much
higher than that of non-resilient students (61%). The magnitude of these differences was both
statistically and educationally significant and illustrates the instructional inequities that exist within
classrooms.
Improvement of teaching practices. Research using observational methods has yielded important
information that has practical implications for the improvement of teaching practices. One of the
traditional problems hindering teachers' classroom instruction has been the lack of valid and accurate
information that teachers could use in order to facilitate their professional growth. Many teachers, even
experienced ones, are not always aware of the nature of their interactions with individual students.
Consequently, one of the most important purposes of systematic classroom observation is to improve
teachers' classroom instruction. Feedback from individual classroom profiles derived from systematic
observations has been found to help teachers understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and have
consequently enabled them to significantly improve their instruction. Through feedback, teachers can
become aware of how their classroom functions and thus bring about changes they desire. This process
typically involves having trained observers systematically observe teachers and their students in their
classrooms and later providing teachers with information about their instruction in clinical sessions.
This approach is based on the assumption that teachers value accurate information that they can use to
improve their instruction.
There is growing evidence that feedback from systematic observations can be used to improve
teaching. Several studies, such as that of Jane Stallings, have found that teachers could positively
change their attitude and behaviors toward pupils after receiving feedback from classroom
observations. Good and Brophy's 1974 "treatment study" exemplifies this type of research. In that

study, teachers were given feedback based on forty hours of classroom observation. As a result of this
"one-shot" interview where feedback was given, teachers' interaction patterns changed, and their
attitudes toward individual students changed, too. Stallings, Howard Ebmeier, Good, and Good and
Douglas Grouws have utilized similar strategies in other projects. In those studies, teachers were
presented with individual feedback regarding their classroom instruction and then were found to
change their behavior in desirable ways. All these studies have found that teachers can improve their
classroom instruction given appropriate feedback and suggestions for improvement.
The overall findings from these studies suggest that feedback from classroom observations is a
viable and effective mechanism for providing teachers with the information they need about their
classroom behavior. This feedback is intended to create an "imbalance" in teachers' perceptions of their
own behaviors. This imbalance exists whenever teachers find out that their attitudes or perceptions of
their teaching differ from that of trained observers. Teachers in such a state of "imbalance" are
motivated to do something about their behavior in order to restore themselves to a balanced condition.
A similar notion is that self-awareness increases teachers' control of their actions and the possibility
that they will modify them. In 1995 Waxman, Huang, and Padrón provided school-wide feedback to
middle school teachers that compared their school profile on classroom instructional behaviors to an
overall district-wide average of these same behaviors. Feedback from these profiles was used to
stimulate dialogue and discussion about instructional strengths and weaknesses in the school. The
profiles also helped initiate discussion about specific instructional areas that needed to be improved in
the school. It should be pointed out that these profiles provided some guidelines for practice, and they
were not attempts to tell teachers what to do. These profiles provide teachers with concepts and criteria
that they can use to reflect about their own teaching. The feedback session was not viewed as one
where research findings should be applied into specific rules or guidelines for teachers to follow.
Rather, the observational feedback was intended to be used as a guide for teachers with which they and
their colleagues could reflect about their practices on their own and decide what action to take.
Professional services and university courses are some of the possibilities that teachers could choose if
they wanted to continue to collaborate with the researchers in order to help them improve their
instruction. In summary, the use of feedback from classroom observations appears to be a potent
strategy that can improve instructional behaviors in specific classrooms and schools.
 What to observe?
Do you know exactly what you should be looking for when you go in the classroom?
I look for several go-to items when observing in a classroom. These 12 items are part of my
observation checklist. I also made them in a bookmark size for you.
Let's take a look at the twelve.
1. Student Engagement-Are the majority of the students engaged and participating in the lesson? I
enjoy observing students while in groups, or completing tasks cards around the room, or involved
station activities, etc. However, direct teach is also essential. During a direct teach time, I look for
students participating in the lesson and how many students volunteer to answer questions. Another big
component of student engagement is allowing students to interact with the lesson. We don't want to
observe "sit and get" type lessons. We want students thinking, interacting, discussing, and involved in
a variety of ways. Using Interactive Engagement Activities and Strategy Strips, make student
engagement easy!
2. Instructional Strategies- Instructional strategies are key to reaching all levels of students. For
example, differentiation, class discussions, cooperative learning, Think-Pair-Share, hands-on
experiments, and technology, are just a few instructional strategies. We want to scaffold the lesson to
meet the different levels of students. There are many instructional strategies. How we teach does
matter. Students learn more when they are engaged and when there are multiple ways to be involved.
3. Classroom Management- This not only pertains to student behavior but management of materials
and organization of materials. Are the materials for the lesson ready? Class time is not wasted
because there is a lack of organization. When class time is not well spent on preparation of materials
and organizational skills, then negative student behavior will surface.
4. Rigor Rate- Our goal in every school is to have our students learn at high levels. In order for
students to demonstrate their learning at high levels, we must teach at higher levels. We need to see
more instruction where students are evaluating, putting it together, taking it apart, and less of students
just gathering information.
5. Pacing- Is the lesson moving at an appropriate pace. We don't want it to move at a snail pace or too
fast for students to understand the content.

6. Aligned to State Standards- A good lesson begins with standards that are aligned. All activities
and assignments are planned based on our state standards. We want to lay these out in a way so
students can achieve these standards.
7. Explicit Instruction- I think there is nothing worse when watching a lesson fail because there was
a lack of explicit instruction and modeling. Have you ever observed a teacher try repeatedly to explain
but just couldn't explain the content in a way to reach the class? I cringe and try desperately not to
interrupt. Patience is not an attribute of mine and I don't claim to have it. Great lessons and great
teachers begin each lesson with a prerequisite of learning. They state the goal or objective of what will
be taught and what the students will learn during the lesson. He/she presents the material in small
steps with practice after each step. The teacher gives clear, detailed instructions and explanations.
Students ask questions. Teacher gives feedback. When I see this happen, my heart smiles!
8. Check for Understanding- Great teachers stop and check for understanding in a variety of ways.
A great way to do this is to use Higher Order Thinking Questions. These teaching stems remind
teachers of higher questions to use during a lesson.
The hand on the end of each sentence stem indicates what level of question is being asked. These
Higher Order Thinking Questions are easy to use. Just print and put on a ring.
9. Timing- When I speak of timing in this situation, I'm not referring to pacing. Pacing was
mentioned in number 5. Timing is referred to transitions from one activity to another, time
spent on the specific skill or
topic and class time getting
started. Use of class time is
very important to student
learning. It also pertains to
teachers having adequate
amounts of instructional time
to teach in their schedules.

When timing is interrupted, quality student learning is not taking place.
10. Culture- Culture of the class plays a big part in student success. I don't mean ethnicity
when I mention culture in this instance. I'm referring to an environment where students are
valued, respected and held to high expectations. The students are willing to ask questions, seek
support and take risks. The classroom is welcoming. Student's work is displayed. Student
leadership skills are being shown. These are all examples of a positive cultural environment.
11. Feedback- Feedback in the classroom is essential to student learning. It should not be
overlooked. When students are learning something new, they need some information that tells
them whether or not they are doing it right. A great teacher is specific with the feedback. The
bottom-line of feedback is it is important for students to know how well they are doing as they
learn. It gives them a sense of achievement which motivates them to learn more. Feedback is
very important.
12. Positive Teacher-Student Relationships- The student-teacher relationship is very

important. Great teachers not only know their students academically but personally and
socially as well. You can observe whether the students and teacher connect in the classroom.
Relationships make a difference in the way students perform in schools. When I'm in the
classroom, I can easily spot respect, care and enjoyment. If we want students to perform in
school, we need to build rapport with them.
III. Conclusion
Classroom observation can make educators more aware of how they behave in the classroom
and of the needs of students in their classroom, and can also stimulate dialogue and discussion in a
school district. Classroom observations can be a guide for teachers so they can reflect on their own
teaching practices, and those who are observing can learn from other, perhaps more successful
educators about their methods. Classroom observations allow educators and administrators to improve
not only classrooms, but schools as a whole.
As a final observation after spending months doing research study on the topic “Classroom
Observation”, I jump to the conclusion. Classroom observation is very important for teachers as well
as teacher trainees, especially who are lack of experiences in teaching. By a careful observation,

teachers as well as teacher trainees will have much more confidence for their own teaching. Besides
learning the theories in the classroom, classroom observation is one of the most important practices.
As one of the trainees who spent weeks doing observation, I truly appreciate how important the
observation is. However, without strong commitment, it probably leads to a failure.
Therefore, I strongly recommend to all teachers and trainees to take this case as a consideration
and a major task in order to improve their teaching and make learning more effective.
Finally I would love to say thanks to my supervisor, Mr. Dos Sokret for assigning me to do this
hard but beneficial task.


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Regional Teacher Training Center, Kandal.

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Ramsden, P. (1992) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London: Routledge.

Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge as teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Smith, K., & Lev-Ari, L. (2005).

Yan, C., & He, C. (2010)

Practicums (also called internships or work placement programs) are designed to provide

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

In an internship or practicum, the student becomes part of an organization. An organization

 The Goals of doing practicum.

 Provide learning experience for

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Description of instructional processes: One of the fundamental purposes of classroom observation

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Let's take a look at the twelve.

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

When timing is interrupted, quality student learning is not taking place.

12. Positive Teacher-Student Relationships- The student-teacher relationship is very

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

Researched by Teacher Trainee Samnang Dara

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