Guided Observation Journal 3:

Teacher: video (Reading: Laura Wikes)

Observer: Imran Muqdas Hayat
Date of lesson:
Length of lesson: 1 hour
Level of student: intermediate
Number of Students: 12

Main lesson aim: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to read a poem for gist and
detail in the context of relationships.

Subsidiary lesson aims:

Vocabulary: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify and use vocabulary to
understand the meaning of the poem (e.g., when snow “sticks,” it is solid enough that
children can make snowmen with it).

Speaking: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to express their opinions about the
meaning of the poem.

Presenting Language/Content:

In terms of setting the context, the instructor starts with a pre-reading exercise to pique the
learner's interest and activate their prior knowledge. The instructor uses visual elements to
engage the learners and to elicit the target vocabulary such as “snowflakes”. Afterwards, she
encourages the learners to discuss their own experiences with snow while introducing
vocabulary associated with snow. This not only helps the learners relate to the subject but
also gives them a chance to interact and use language creatively in the pre-reading stage.

When checking answers for the prediction activity, the teacher used the COW technique to
elicit the word "poem" and explained that a sonnet is a specific kind of poem. To further
develop vocabulary acquisition, the teacher conducts choral drilling and individual drilling
with words like "couplet" to address pronunciation difficulties. To ensure comprehension,
the teacher uses concept-checking questions (CCQs) to deepen student’s understanding and
clarify any misunderstandings. This helps students improve their pronunciation skills and
ensure an accurate understanding of the terms used in the poem. Afterwards, Laura asked
some more CCQs to double-check if the students understood the meaning of these words by
giving them the meaning, “So, which one is referring to a particular type of poem?”. This
step reinforces understanding and allows students to demonstrate their comprehension of
the vocabulary introduced.
Objectives & Teaching Materials

Following the pre-reading activity, the teacher moves on to the prediction stage. Students
work in pairs to guess the meaning of keywords from the poem. The instructor makes use of
Instruction-checking questions such as “Are you going to use your phones? Are you going to
worry if you don’t know the meaning of the word?” to ensure the students understand what
they are required to do for this prediction activity. This encourages learners to take risks and
engage in the task without fear of making mistakes. Afterwards, the teacher checks the
answers together as a class, reinforcing the understanding of the target language. I will be
more mindful of these techniques when creating my lesson plan.

For the gist task during the while-reading stage, the instructor asked the learners to read
through the poem and talk to their partner about what the poem is about. Afterwards, the
instructor asks the learners guided questions such as “What did the children make?” and
“Does the person ever see the poem?” and discusses what happened in the story together
with the class. Using class discussion as a means of cooperation and peer-to-peer learning is
a good technique. Students can express their ideas and opinions with one another and learn
from their classmates by discussing what happened in the poem as a class. This approach
helps foster an inclusive learning atmosphere where all learners can participate and learn
from one another.

For the detailed task, the instructor explains the different literary terms such as by asking
students what they notice about “white and words” and then explaining that it is alliteration
rather than directly explaining it. Afterwards, she asks them to look for more examples. The
instructor is able to prompt students to think about the language used in the poem and
identify examples of literary techniques. This method helps to develop learner's analytical
abilities and pushes them to think more deeply about the material. After introducing the
idea of alliteration, the instructor encourages students to look for more examples in the
poem. This method helps students actively engage with the material and develop their
ability to recognize literary techniques on their own. By offering opportunities for
independent learning, the instructor is able to help learners develop a sense of autonomy
and encourage students to take responsibility for their learning. For my lesson, I can also
incorporate guided questions, interactive questioning techniques, and autonomous learning
throughout the while-reading stage.

Finally, for the production stage in response to the poem, the instructor encourages a
discussion about the poem such as “What the poem is about?”. The instructor provides a
chance for learners to interact meaningfully and share their opinions on how they interpret
the poem. Hence, it is important to have the final production stage to provide learners the
opportunity to explore their creativity and linguistic expressions in a personalized context. I
can also incorporate a discussion or a roleplay in my lesson relating to the reading text I
select in the future.

Conclusion:

Overall, the main aim and the subsidiary aims were achieved during the lesson. Overall, the
instructor's appropriate objectives and effective staging methods help learners improve their
reading comprehension skills, critical thinking abilities, and language proficiency. By
including pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading stages, the instructor creates a
thorough learning experience that engages students and encourages their independent
learning.