SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM – LLL

CLASS OBSERVATION AND EVALUATION

Instructor Observed: William Andahua Observer:Catherine Nock

Date and Time: Sept. 28, 2022 Class and Level: SPA 101
Actual Starting Time:9:30 Actual Ending Time: 10:25
Class Size: 15

I. SEQUENCE AND TIMING OF ACTIVITIES

Clock time Activity Minutes

The class is divided into two teams. William invites a representative of each
team to come to the white board, where he has family terms written: abuelo,
9:30 8
primo, sobrina, hermana, etc. He then gives them the definition and they need to
indicate which term in correct. William keeps score and one team wins.
He then puts the students in pairs and they share their family trees for 5 minutes.
On the slide, he has a roulette wheel with all the names of the students, and
9:38 when he spins it, one comes up at random. That person then describes the family 15
of his/her conversation partner. William encourages them, suggests corrections.
They do this several times and the class participates well.
Verbs: tener y venir. He divides the class into two groups. He tells them they
will play a memory game and can take notes. Yo tengo un padre, tengo dos
9:53 7
hermanas, tengo cinco primos. They go around the room and repeat what the
previous students have said, using the “yo” form.
p. 100 Portales: Uses of tener. He has the students practice with their age, and
possessions. He also acts out words like prisa, verguenza, hambre. The class
10:00 8
repeats the conjugations. He puts up a photo of the Modern Family tv show, and
they talk about the characters and their relationships.
The slides for the verb venir shows houses and people coming and going. He
10:09 describes their actions. The class repeats the conjugation and he asks them, De 5
donde vengo yo? Vienes de Peru.
Practice for the interviews. He explains what they will need to be able to talk
about and puts them in different groups for 5 minutes. There is a list of questions
10:14 for them to practice. They greet each other and ask where they are from, how old 11
they are, their birthdays, their favorite activities. He spins the wheel again and
the students’ names that come up then introduce their conversation partners.
The last slide shows “What we learned today”.
10:25
Class is dismissed.

II. PLANNING AND PREPARATION

1-41
The lesson plan was developed around the material designated for the course syllabus 4

1
0= not observed 1 = needs improvement 2= Adequate 3= good – 4 = outstanding. N/A not applicable
1
 The instructor had a clearly discernible lesson plan 4
Students were informed of the objectives for that lesson 4
The class followed a logical sequence 4
The transitions were smooth 4
All class, group and/or pair activities were planned to involve all students 4
The instructor did not stall for time or finish early 4
Effective closure was given to the lesson 4

III. USE OF LANGUAGE IN THE CLASSROOM

1-4
Spanish was used consistently for general communication in the class 4
Instructor repeated and/or rephrased instructions in Spanish, rather than resorting to English
4
when students didn't understand.
Instructor encouraged and reminded students to speak only Spanish. 3
Instructor's command of grammatical structures is… 4
Instructor's voice is clear and audible 2
Instructor's level of Spanish when explaining material is… 3
The language used by the instructor is appropriate to the course level 4

IV. INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES

1-4
Made use of varied communicative activities 4
Made effective use of non-textbook materials and technology (board, visuals, audio, video,
4
web, ppt.)
Used the language, posed questions, led discussions and assigned tasks appropriate to the level 4
Uses a variety of teaching strategies to respond to students’ diverse learning styles 4
Used teacher-fronted activities appropriately 4
Adjusted activities to individual class personality 4
Selects learning experiences appropriate to level of learning 4
Emphasized key vocabulary 4
Facilitated response and gave appropriate feedback 4
2
 Used both oral and written input 4
Made comprehension checks 4
Explanations are accurate and succinct 4
Moved about the room with a purpose 3
Monitored individual student / group / pair work 3
Gave students time to think about their answers 4
Paced the class 4
Used legible and accurate transparencies, visuals, handouts, materials, writing on board 4

V. MANAGEMENT AND ATTITUDE

1-4
Demonstrated organizational skills (group/pair, work, etc.) 4
Maximized participation 4
Instructor was in command of their classroom at all times 4
Created a positive atmosphere in the classroom 4
Responded appropriately to problematic situations NA

VI. COMMENTS
a. Strengths

William delivered an excellent, dynamic class with a variety of interesting and challenging activities. Students
are engaged and paying attention throughout. He teaches completely in Spanish, incorporating gestures, acting,
humor and images. William uses different words when students do not understand something, but does not
resort to English. He encourages the students to applaud for each other, he smiles frequently, and he conveys his
enthusiasm and approval for their contributions.

His slide presentation is outstanding for its content and visual appeal. It includes teaching points (grammar) as
well as games and conversational activities. Students are working in small groups for much of the class, and
after each activity there is some sharing or debriefing.

b. Suggestions

Some things to consider:

- Try to speak a little more loudly, because in the back of the room it was sometimes difficult to hear you
- Change the groups at least once during the class period, more if possible, so that all the students get to
know each other and feel comfortable with everyone;

3
 - Continue to circulate to make sure all groups are staying in the target language.
- Encourage students to stay in the classroom for the full 55 minutes (ie, use the restroom before or after
class whenever possible)

c. Summary of observation

Again, the class was outstanding. Students had opportunities for reading, writing, listening and speaking. The
atmosphere was dynamic, students were engaged, and information was presented in small bits with ample time
for practice in between.

William Andahua-Arellan 10/3/2022

TA Signature Date
(signature indicates that the instructor had a meeting to discuss the class observation and the receipt of the form)

Catherine M. Nock 9/30/2022

Faculty Signature Date